Murtha: Western Pa. 'racist' but Obama should win
Murtha isn't helping Obama with comments like this. Getting the people up in arms about racial issues could still lose the election. Calling a whole area racist will marginilize and alienate that area.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081015/..._0XeXZuL8DW7oF
WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday his home base of western Pennsylvania is racist and that could reduce Barack Obama's victory margin in the state by 4 percentage points.
The 17-term Democratic congressman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story posted Wednesday on its Web site: "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
Murtha said it has taken time for many Pennsylvania voters to come around to embracing a black presidential candidate, but that Obama should still win the state, though not in a runaway.
In a separate interview posted Wednesday on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Web site, Murtha said Obama has a problem with voters' racial attitudes in western Pennsylvania that could trim his winning margin on Nov.
The working-class region is a key battleground in Pennsylvania. The area is struggling economically, and has a high percentage of veterans and elderly voters. Murtha's district outside Pittsburgh encompasses Johnstown and many small towns once dominated by steel and coal.
In a statement issued later Wednesday, Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey told The Associated Press: "It's naive to think that race or gender doesn't play a role in a voter's perception of a candidate. Mr. Murtha makes the point that while race may be an issue for some, it's evident that voters today are concerned about the issues that truly matter — issues like the economy, health care, and energy independence."
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