There's this assumption in some quarters that because the economy is bad, people will just naturally gravitate towards the Democrat.  That's not how it works.  Bill Clinton won because the economy was bad, but an indispensable part of that was convincing voters that he felt their pain and had a plan to do something about it.

McCain doesn't have the first clue about the economy, but you don't win with the general electorate by outwonking the other guy.  Any Democrat needs to develop a bond of trust on the economy with the voters on a purely emotional level, and I really don't think Obama has gotten there yet.

As a prominent Pennsylvania blogger wrote today:

Barack Obama has been talking about "his story" and what it means for America, but that's not the sort of thing that resonates with Pennsylvanians. We're a pragmatic state because we've seen all too closely how the whims of so-called "visionaries" affect real workers, and how plans from self-professed Smart Guys can wreak havoc on entire regions.

Honestly, I don't have anything against Barack, and I'm kind of disappointed that Hillary hasn't gracefully bowed out since the numbers are so clearly against her. But I'd like to see the Senator from Illinois stop telling me his story and start telling me about how he's going to change the story for people in places like Pennsylvania.

Say what you will about her, but Hillary has done that and she's done it well. She's told us she recognizes that we got the shaft with NAFTA, and that to stay competitive we need universal healthcare.

Rather than show up in Philadelphia to give a big speech that most Philadelphians will never hear, Hillary walks around our towns and sees what has happened to places like Ohio and Pennsylvania. She's told us that she's learning the lessons along with the rest of us, and here in PA, that's something we can respect.

When it comes down to it, I know they have just about the same positions on everything. I just wish Senator Obama would take some time out from talking about himself to let us know.