{"id":2228832,"date":"2024-04-24T06:35:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T10:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pining-for-pennsylvania-biden-bets-being-a-kid-from-scranton-will-deliver-him-2024-battleground-state\/"},"modified":"2024-04-24T06:39:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T10:39:31","slug":"pining-for-pennsylvania-biden-bets-being-a-kid-from-scranton-will-deliver-him-2024-battleground-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pining-for-pennsylvania-biden-bets-being-a-kid-from-scranton-will-deliver-him-2024-battleground-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Longing for Pennsylvania: Biden banks on his Scranton roots for 2024 electoral advantage"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpining-for-pennsylvania-biden-bets-being-a-kid-from-scranton-will-deliver-him-2024-battleground-state%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2228832&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Pennsylvania, a battleground for the 2024 elections, President Biden leverages his Scranton roots to \u2064secure voter support. His recent visit showcased his local ties\u2062 and commitment to the state. \u2062Democrats highlight his economic policies&#8217; benefits, while Republicans express\u2063 concerns over rising\u200d costs. Shifts in\u200b population demographics\u2063 and political\u2062 allegiance set the stage for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lisa-murkowski-faces-close-challenge-in-alaska-primary\/\" title=\"Lisa Murkowski Faces Close Challenge in Alaska Primary\">contentious electoral battle<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>Pennsylvania is the ultimate battleground for 2024, with the White House, Senate, and House all poised to flip based on how voters here cast their ballots. In this series,<strong> Pining for Pennsylvania: Unlocking the crucial Keystone State<\/strong>, the <\/em>Washington Examiner<em> will look at the demographics, politics, and key policies that have made Pennsylvania the must-watch state of the year.\u00a0Part Four, below, looks at how President Joe Biden is touting his Scranton roots to win Pennsylvania again. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>SCRANTON, Pennsylvania \u2014 <\/strong>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joe Biden\">Joe Biden<\/a> is pouring his campaign resources into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2975024\/pining-pennsylvania-republicans-battle-susan-wild-house-seat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Joe Biden\">Pennsylvania<\/a>, hoping to leverage his hometown as well as deep connections to the battleground state to catapult himself to the White House for a second term in November.<\/p>\n<p>Biden visited the state in a three-day trek last week, making a stop at his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2967683\/biden-populist-tax-pitch-scranton-attacking-trump-billionaire-friendliness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>childhood home in Scranton<\/a> while also stopping at local businesses to speak with city officials and supporters. The excursion underscored a key point Biden has sought to make while on the campaign trail: Pennsylvania is his home turf that he is ready to defend. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I look at the economy, I don\u2019t look at it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago. I look at it through the eyes of Scranton,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/joe-biden-scranton-pennsylvania-election-taxes-6b3de3a4807cbccdb5732442071f4f6e\">Biden told supporters<\/a> last week of his GOP competitor\u2019s Florida estate. \u201cThese are the competing visions for our economy that raise questions of fundamental fairness at the heart of this campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden walks out of his childhood home with a group of unidentified children, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pennsylvania has become a crucial battleground for presidential candidates, especially after former President Donald Trump managed to flip the state in Republicans\u2019 favor in 2020 and defeat then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by just 0.72 percentage points. However, Biden was able to flip the state back to blue and defeat Trump by 1.2 points, in large part because of his dominance in Lackawanna County, home to Scranton. <\/p>\n<p>Now, four years later, Biden is tapping into his Scranton roots to motivate voter turnout. <\/p>\n<p>Neighborhood streets throughout Scranton are lined with Biden 2024 signs, with many residents taking pride in the fact the current president claims the city as his hometown. During his three-day trip, the president was greeted by supporters waving signs and cheering on his motorcade as he drove through the city.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden arrives at Zummo\u2019s Cafe, Wednesday morning, April 17, 2024, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The short trip helped to humanize the president among his voter base, with many saying it showcased his neighborly charm. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Biden is a down-to-earth person. He is from our hometown, and when he speaks, it\u2019s like speaking to a neighbor. Like he is a genuine person,\u201d said Joe Valdala, a teacher who lives in Scranton. \u201cHe\u2019s just like the guy next door, you know, but happens to be the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Several voters also praised Biden for his work since being in office, pointing to his infrastructure policies as having real-world effects in their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll say our community has definitely seen the investment that Joe Biden has made and through the American Rescue Plan,\u201d said Andrew Cutillo, a deputy solicitor for the city of Scranton, referring to Biden\u2019s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n<p>Cutillo pointed to roads in the city that haven\u2019t been paved in years but will now be repaired through federal funding. The Scranton resident noted how he often plays soccer with a neighbor outside, but because of cracks in the street, the child can often fall and get hurt. <\/p>\n<p>That experience, and need for local change, is not lost on Biden, according to Cutillo. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just thinking that, like, Joe Biden can easily see himself as my neighbor kid, you know, playing in the streets and the fact that he deserves a nice paved alley behind his house to kick a soccer ball around. I think that\u2019s obvious to him,\u201d Cutillo said. <\/p>\n<p>Local officials also praised Biden for his economic policies benefitting local businesses in Scranton, particularly the Inflation Reduction Act. <\/p>\n<p>Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti pointed to funds made available through Biden\u2019s signature economic policy that was funneled to local projects in Scranton, arguing residents in the city view Biden as someone who understands their upbringing. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 A Joe Biden Way road sign is seen in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 30, 2020. (AP Photo\/Ted Shaffrey, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe sees the world from a point of view of a family who\u2019s trying to pay the bills, trying to make sure that the kids have opportunity and they\u2019ve got a fair shot at success,\u201d Cognetti said. \u201cI think people understand that the president is looking out for them, that he understands small business. He understands what it\u2019s like to be at a table as a family and having to take the tough news that they have to move because their father lost their job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re very proud that he\u2019s from Scranton,\u201d she added. \u201cI would say he makes it easy for us. \u2026 He put together the policies and the programs that show that he\u2019s a kid from Scranton.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While other Scranton residents acknowledged the economic strain on the country over the last four years, many don\u2019t blame Biden for the higher costs. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we\u2019re coming out of the pandemic, everything was gonna go up,\u201d Valdala said. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s the president\u2019s fault, no matter who is the president. It could be FDR, it can be George Washington. It could be any president. \u2026 It just so happens to be President Biden right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But not all voters are so convinced. Many Republican-leaning voters in other parts of the state have criticized the president for his economic policies, lamenting high costs for groceries and gas over the last four years. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPennsylvania is feeling the economy,\u201d said Eric Filer, a resident of the neighboring Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. \u201cGrocery prices are up twice as much from when Trump was originally elected to office. So I think it\u2019s hitting everyday people in the wallet, and that\u2019s basically going to flip the ballot.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden shakes hands with a person at Zummo\u2019s Cafe, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Other Trump supporters have brushed off the narrative that Pennsylvania is Biden\u2019s to win, arguing instead there\u2019s been a steady growth of support toward the former president. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not his home state. I don\u2019t believe it,\u201d Kim Becker, a Republican voter from Bucks County, told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>\u201cThis is Trump country. Pennsylvania is more red.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That growing sense of Biden opposition in counties outside of Lackawanna could negatively affect the president, especially as recent population shifts in the state have changed the playing field heading into November. <\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania has experienced major population losses in several Biden-won districts, including Democratic strongholds in cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Overall, counties that voted for Trump in 2020 increased by about 4,500 people over the last four years, while those in the counties that backed Biden declined by more than 45,000, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fandmpoll.org\/will-changes-in-state-population-since-2020-help-republicans\/\">according to a report<\/a> by the Franklin and Marshall University Center for Opinion Research. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo\/Joe Lamberti)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That shift has raised questions about whether Trump could have an edge over Biden in 2024. However, some experts have rejected that suggestion, arguing Democratic voters who have moved out of big cities into smaller towns is not a \u201cmajor seismic shift.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s just no substantive outcome,\u201d one Democratic political operative told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>\u201cIf we were losing tens of thousands of Philadelphians to New Jersey, that would be a problem. But we\u2019re not. It\u2019s folks who just, like, went to the \u2018burbs during the pandemic and are still here, still active, and still voting.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But Tuesday\u2019s primary could signal trouble for Trump in the Keystone State. Trump managed to win about 83% of the vote with the majority of the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/ap-election-2024-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ballots counted<\/a>, with Nikki Haley siphoning off about 17% support despite dropping out of the race seven weeks ago. Biden contended with an uncommitted write-in campaign and about 7% support for Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), but the protest votes were not as pronounced on the Democratic side. <\/p>\n<p>Trump has hosted various campaign events in the Keystone State, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2965418\/trump-comes-out-swinging-biden-home-turf-pennsylvania-primary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>including a rally last weekend<\/a> that attracted thousands of supporters. During that event, Trump used the opportunity to rail against Biden on the president\u2019s home turf.<\/p>\n<p>Trump attacked Biden on a slew of policy areas, spending much of his time addressing the crisis at the southern border, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-more-approve-of-donald-trumps-handling-of-the-coronavirus-than-joe-bidens\/\" title=\"Poll: More Approve of Donald Trump's Handling of the Coronavirus than Joe Biden's\">key campaign issue<\/a> that Trump has focused on since his first presidential run in 2016. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to stop the invasion and Joe Biden\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stupid-person-trump-comes-out-swinging-on-bidens-home-turf-ahead-of-pennsylvania-primary\/\" title=\"Bold Move': Trump Takes the Fight to Biden's Backyard Before Pennsylvania Primary\">illegal aliens back home<\/a>,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe had the safest border, the most secure border in the history of our country, four years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden\u2019s team has pointed to the opening of 24 campaign offices across the state as part of efforts to win Pennsylvania, while the Trump campaign has refrained from implementing a similar strategy. Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2024\/03\/27\/president-joe-bidens-re-election-campaign-to-open-headquarters-in-the-lehigh-valley-throughout-pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told the <em>Morning Call<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>that the former president\u2019s campaign is \u201cfueled by passionate volunteers who care about saving America and firing Joe Biden\u201d but would not \u201cdiscuss the specifics of our strategy, timing, and tactics with members of the News Media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The increased focus on Pennsylvania sets the stage for what is likely to be a bitter election, which is already appearing to result in personal attacks. Those attacks especially came into view during Trump\u2019s rally, who decried Biden as a \u201cstupid person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Biden has also had his fair share of personal attacks against the former president, often calling Trump a \u201cthreat to democracy,\u201d referring to his claims that the 2020 election was rigged in Biden\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania remains one of the seven battleground states that will determine which candidate will seize control of the White House.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2024, Pennsylvania emerges as a pivotal battleground state. The White House, Senate, and House outcomes hinge on the voter choices in this key state. In the series &#8220;Pining for Pennsylvania: Unlocking the Keystone State,&#8221; the Washington Examiner investigates the demographics, politics, and policies shaping Pennsylvania\u2019s status as a vital state to watch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2228833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24108626069893-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2228832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24108626069893-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2228832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2228832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2228832\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2228833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2228832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2228832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2228832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}