Who loves Governor Rendell AKA Fast Eddy?

The national media is surely not talking to the real-Pennsylvanians who have not been enamored with Governor Ed Rendell for several years, particularly since the 2005 legislative pay raise debacle.

Governor Ed Rendell is often tagged Fast Eddy in Pennsylvania.

Yet, this morning on Fox 'n Friends, Fred Luntz, plugging an appearance Rendell will make tonight and a Penn State rally, said the "people of Pennsylvania love Governor Ed Rendell, he's beloved by Pennsylvanians."

So who is Luntz talking to about Rendell? Why supporters of Hillary Clinton in the areas where Gov. Rendell still holds slim margins of support.

In other words, voters who already have a predisposition to vote for Hillary Clinton, and will likely vote for her April 22, are at least willing to listen to Gov. Ed Rendell speak - because he's supporting Hillary Clinton.

Really, it would be the same if Gov. Rendell supported Barack Obama.

Those voters who are going to vote for one or the other will listen to supporters of that candidate.

But to claim that Governor Rendell is a beloved Governor in Pennsylvania? Get real.

Some 35,000 of the people of Pennsylvania turned out to hear Barack Obama on one day. Previous to that early on 22,000 turned out for a single Obama appearance.

Combined, or separated, those numbers amount to more than Hillary Clinton has obtained with you, or without you, Governor Rendell by her side.

One might even say, nicely, that you are having no effect on Pennsylvania voters who are continuing to back away from Clinton towards Obama.

For that, he should be grateful. His favorability and unfavorability numbers will most likely remain the same as they were before he offered his endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

He'll still be called Fast Eddy (Don't Call Me Fast Eddy).

(Net the Truth Online)

AP-Yahoo Poll: Obama overtaking Clinton despite bruises
By CHARLES BABINGTON and TREVOR TOMPSON
Associated Press Writers

http://www.kansascity.com/445/story/581509.html

Gov. 'Blunt Talk' Rendell (and other topics)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
By Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
So many topics, so little space:

Gov. Ed "Don't Call Me 'Fast Eddie' " Rendell met with the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week to talk about his latest budget. But before turning the meeting over to his number-crunchers, our voluble governor weighed in on the primary fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and what the Illinois senator could expect from the good people of Pennsylvania at the polls:

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," he said bluntly. Our eyes only met briefly, perhaps because the governor wanted to spare the only black guy in the room from feeling self-conscious for backing an obvious loser. "I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann [2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate] been the identical candidate that he was --well-spoken [note: Mr. Rendell did not call the brother "articulate"], charismatic, good-looking -- but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856727-153.stm

Rendell's endorsement seen as a plus for Clinton
Friday, March 21, 2008
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

...Mr. Rendell does give some pluses to Mrs. Clinton, analysts say, including:

• His continuing popularity in the city of Philadelphia, where he was mayor for most of the 1990s, and where, he says, many people still greet him on the street as "mayor." That factor should, to some degree, counteract the racial advantage that Mr. Obama will likely enjoy among the city's large African-American population. She has another advantage in Philadelphia: the endorsement of popular new Mayor Michael Nutter, who is black.

• Mr. Rendell's spillover popularity in four growing suburban counties around Philadelphia: Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware, where the numbers of Democrats have been increasing.

• The enthusiasm he exudes just being out on the campaign trail and his ability to tap deep pockets for campaign cash. He spent record amounts on his own campaigns in 2002 and 2006.

Supporters of Mr. Obama generally concede that Mrs. Clinton has started out with an edge in Pennsylvania, such as high name recognition from the 1990s, when she was first lady, and the high visibility of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Also, her father, Hugh Rodham, grew up in Scranton and she spent summers in that area as a child.

She's also popular with senior citizens, a huge voting bloc in Pennsylvania, and with blue-collar workers and labor union members.

But Obama supporters agree with Mr. Borick that times have changed and people don't vote for a candidate just because some big-time pol tells them to.

"This Pennsylvania primary won't be won by top-down, machine-style politics," said state Rep. Joshua Shapiro, a 30-something Democrat from Montgomery County who's backing Mr. Obama...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08081/866857-457.stm

Clinton says she'll put country on right track
By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
04/20/2008
Updated 04/20/2008 07:36:43 AM EDT

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19500761&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6