Pennsylvania: Swing State No More?

Mitt Romney and his allies spent $10 million in Pennsylvania in the last week of the campaign, but it wound up going blue—just like it has in every presidential election since 1992. Obama won by much less than he did in 2008, but the margin was still a not-terribly-close 5.2 points. That has some people, understandably, wondering if it still counts as a swing state. "Six in a row is not just a fluke," a political scientist tells the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The state boasts a million more registered Democrats than Republicans, which helped them win all four statewide races. But others point out that the state still has a Republican governor, legislator, and congressional delegation—in part because midterm turnout is lower. "We have a difficult time in these major presidential election years," the state's GOP chair says. Still, many believe that with a more moderate candidate, Republicans would have a shot. "If it's Chris Christie," one Democrat says, "don't you think Pennsylvania is a swing state?" (More Pennsylvania stories.)