Where's Barack?

Last Monday I ran into an old friend at work who is something of a political gadfly. In the past he has been an enthusiastic Bush supporter, having taken time off to meet him during his campaign stops in Northeastern Pennsylvania during the 2004 race. But over the past few years he has become disenchanted with the man he once supported, and now has changed sides to support Barack Obama.

I didn't know this yet when I mentioned to him that I would be going to see Hillary Clinton at her Scranton High School appearance later that day. I had half expected he might go, since he seems like the sort who can't stay away from any such event. But, no, he wasn't going. He did confide to me that he had heard a rumor that Barack Obama might be showing up at Scranton's Saint Patrick's Day Parade on the 15th.

Wow, I thought. That will turn what is already a traffic nightmare into something much worse. And then there are the security concerns...

That night Hillary Clinton confided to the gathered crowd that she would be appearing in the Scranton Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

Fight, fight! Drunken Hillary supporters meet with drunken Obama supporters and...

And nothing. Barack Obama didn't come to the Scranton Saint Patrick's Day Parade today. In fact, he isn't even in Pennsylvania today! So where is he?

Plainfield, Indiana.

Indiana holds its Primary May 2nd. Pennsylvania holds its Primary April 22nd.

Barack Obama does have some events scheduled for Pennsylvania coming up, including a few in Northeastern PA. But unlike Hillary's appearance last week, these are closed events, either being held for select groups or by invitation only. Even the Plainfield, Indiana event requires tickets for admission - and there is room for only 2000 at the venue, the Plainfield High School Gym. (Hillary Clinton drew at least twice that many attendees to the Scranton High School Gym, a venue that held 3500 people.)

Has Barack Obama given up on Pennsylvania already? Or has he decided to let the Clinton campaign play itself out here? Chelsea said that she would be in the area for two weeks, so perhaps after that date the Clinton campaign plans on sending its big names to start campaigning in the next states on the roster. Maybe he's waiting for them to move on before he moves in.

Still, it seems like Obama could be showing a little more interest in the people of Pennsylvania, especially if he wants the people of Pennsylvania to show more interest in him. I look forward to seeing him on his campaign stops in NEPA. But I fear that unless those stops are both open and accessible to the general public, I might not get a chance to see him.