Presidential politics and Pennsylvania

Hour 1

Since Mitt Romney has the Republican Party’s presidential nomination all but sewed up, tomorrow’s Pennsylvania primary isn’t as important as it was before Rick Santorum’s withdrawal from the race.  But with 20 electoral votes up for grabs, the Commonwealth remains a crucial state in the November presidential election.  A more conservative population in the western part of the state combined with a large white working class and older voters could pose a threat to President Obama’s reelection, even though he did carry Pennsylvania in 2008.  Meanwhile, Santorum continues to have influence on the Republican Party, as he’s not yet endorsed Romney, which raises some questions about what he’s after.  On the other hand, tomorrow’s primary is a test ground for the state’s controversial new voter ID law.  While voters will not have to show a valid photo ID, they will be asked if they have one in preparation for the requirement in November. Joining us to talk about presidential election politics and Pennsylvania’s role in the general are TOM FERRICK, senior editor of Metropolis, a website focusing on Philadelphia news, analysis and commentary;  and MICHAEL YOUNG, co-author with Terry Madonna of Politically Uncorrected, a twice-monthly column published by Franklin and Marshall College.

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[audio: 042312_100630.mp3]