By Mike Dorning
PITTSBURGH — Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) presented Barack Obama to Pennsylvania voters today as a political underdog who could identify with the struggles of the state’s working class families.
Never mind the fact that Obama is leading the Democratic nominating contest with the most convention delegates pledged to him and is far ahead of rival Hillary Clinton in fundraising.
Casey, a socially conservative anti-abortion and pro-gun rights senator popular among working-class voters, stressed that Obama enters the state behind Clinton in the polls here, simultaneously engaging in a bit of expectations-setting and burnishing a connection with financially pressed families.
“He understands what it’s like to be an underdog and what you’ve got to do to fight when you’re an underdog. There are a lot of families in this state that are underdogs right now,” Casey said at a press conference after endorsing Obama today.
The endorsement was a reversal for Casey, the scion of a prominent Pennsylvania political family whose late father was governor of the state. Casey had repeatedly declared that he would remain neutral in the primary.Other prominent political figures in the state have lined up for Clinton. Among those Clinton backers are Gov. Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Rep. John Murtha.
Casey’s backing could help Obama make a case to working-class voters, a demographic Obama has not done well with elsewhere, said Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa..
“Catholic blue-collar union voters are called ‘Casey Democrats’ in Pennsylvania,” Madonna said.
Casey said he had only decided to make an endorsement in recent days. He hinted that his decision was partly based on the conduct of a campaign Casey believes has avoided undue negative attacks.
In his remarks at a rally and again at the press conference, Casey quoted Abraham Lincoln in saying that, despite tough opposition, Obama had campaigned by appealing “to the better angels of our nature.”
“I’ve been very inspired by his message. I’ve also been impressed with his character in this campaign. This has been a tough campaign….A campaign can test someone, and I think he’s been tested,” Casey said.
He rejected a suggestion Obama supporter Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) made in a radio interview that the time had come for Clinton to get out of the race. But Casey suggested that time may come soon after the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.
“I hope this wouldn’t go much further beyond the end of May,” Casey said.
“If you get too far into the summer, positions begin to harden,” he added. “Also we’re giving the Republican nominee more time to make a case without rebuttal.
Shortly after Casey made his endorsement, the two senators traveled to a U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, Pa., to greet workers during a shift change.