Romney Headed to Pennsylvania Sunday

As Obama spends his last few days campaigning in states he should’ve wrapped up weeks ago, like Wisconsin and Nevada, The Daily’s Dan Hirschhorn is reporting that Mitt Romney sees Big Blue Pennsylvania as close enough to be in play. I’ve just confirmed the visit with the Romney campaign:

Details are still being determined and with scheduling for the final days of the campaign still fluid, it’s possible Romney could still bypass the state. But two top Pennsylvania Republican officials and a Romney adviser said a large rally in the vote-rich southeastern part of the state is in the works for Sunday. The final decision is likely to be made on Friday.

“I’m 99 percent certain he’s coming,” one senior level Republican official told The Daily. “It’s going to be a huge rally and it’s going to be very successful.”

“They said all along, ‘if you get within a certain margin we’ll consider it,'” another top Republican said. “They said they’d come the final week, and we got there.

The CorruptMedia will paint this as a desperation move on Romney’s part — his need to create an option around Ohio — but this same CorruptMedia only sees Obama still campaigning in states he won by double digits in 2008 as mere campaign stops. One thing we know is that while Obama defends his turf, Romney is making serious moves into Blue territory like the Keystone State.  

UPDATE: Here’s the official memo from the campaign.

SECOND UPDATE: According to GOP figures, Republicans have a solid lead in early vote totals in Pennsylvania:

In 2008 the GOP edged the Democrats by just 2% in absentee returns. As of today the GOP’s lead is 18.8% — a 16.9% bump in a state Obama won by 10% in 2008. Republicans have turned in 55.2% of the absentee ballots to date while the Democrats have returned just 36.4%.

NumbersCruncher makes a good point: “I’m guessing Team Romney thinks PA is worth a shot because of big absentee lead and no early voting for O to build up. Catch them off guard?”

 

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