That's about what yesterday's appearance by Barack Obama amounted to. He spoke to a sold-out crowd at the Society of Irish Women dinner in Scranton. His speech lasted just shy of nine minutes and included absolutely nothing of any substance. The most interesting thing he said was that, somewhere in his background, there's some Irish blood. Whoop-dee-doo. How is that going to help get our troops out of Iraq or fix the economy?
Look, we knew from the outset that he wasn't going to speak for long - maybe 15 minutes. But, after a week in which Hillary drew a crowd of thousands and then marched in one of the country's largest St. Patrick's parades, you'd think Obama could have at least managed to say something connected to the issues. Especially to a room filled with people who have money and influence - people he will need if he becomes the nominee. But, no. What we got was nine minutes of nothing.
In fact, as public as Hillary's appearances were, that's how private Obama's were. As far as I can tell, he was hustled in and out of places through back doors, and didn't stop to speak to any of the supporters who gathered outside the events. He did, however, manage to quickly smile and wave when he saw the TV cameras waiting for him in the rear of Whistle's. Of course, it had to be quick since it took him all of three steps to get from the SUV to the door!
All of this makes me wonder just what Obama's campaign strategy is for PA. We still have five weeks or so before the primary, so there's plenty of time for him to campaign here. But, based on what I saw yesterday, I have to wonder if it's an indication of what we'll get from him. Right now, he's behind in the polls. But, does he care? After all, he doesn't need PA like Hillary needs PA.