TV blitz begins, but is Pa. really a swing state?

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The advertising onslaught of the fall presidential election has begun in Pennsylvania and a handful of other states that may be up for grabs between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney.

Republicans and Democrats both insist that their candidate can win Pennsylvania.

But the state has delivered for the Democrat in five straight presidential election wins. That makes it theoretically more predictable than 10 states that have switched party allegiances during the last three presidential elections.

So should Pennsylvania be considered a swing state? Only time will tell.

But Christopher Borick, a pollster and professor of political science at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, says Pennsylvania will continue receiving attention because the races are usually close and Pennsylvania’s large number of electoral votes makes it hard to ignore.