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Articles by Ken Knelly | Email the Author

 

1. Swing States Project

   In Pennsylvania, a niche site with wide reach

   November 30, 2012 11:00 AM

   PENNSYLVANIA — Whether it is a presidential swing state or not, Pennsylvania is always a political battleground. With countless boroughs, school districts, the state legislature, and more in a near-constant state of electing, there is never a shortage of campaign... Continue reading

2. Swing States Project

   Key stories in the Keystone State

   November 20, 2012 04:00 PM

   PENNSYLVANIA — Political reporters and commentators here will continue to ponder, as the Philadelphia Inquirer did on November 9, Pennsylvania’s future swing state status. Even so, there are other key issues confronting the Keystone State and its political... Continue reading

3. Swing States Project

   King Coal rises in PA

   November 6, 2012 06:50 AM

   PENNSYLVANIA — Add the Keystone State to the list of places where King Coal is a leading issue in candidate ads. In terms of presidential campaign ad spending (if not down-ballot), local television stations here have been mostly... Continue reading

4. Swing States Project

   ‘Pittsburgh is getting pounded’ by ads

   October 24, 2012 11:10 AM

   PENNSYLVANIA — Don’t cry for Pennsylvania. “Save the tears for Pennsylvania’s TV stations passed over by the presidential race,” advised the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Tim McNulty on the paper's Early Returns blog last week. “Pittsburgh is getting pounded” with... Continue reading

5. Swing States Project

   The man who explains politics in—and to—PA

   August 13, 2012 03:00 PM

   PENNSYLVANIA — When it comes to understanding the foundations of Keystone State politics—and how citizens process rhetoric and choose candidates—one name rises to the top. G. Terry Madonna, a professor and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College, is,... Continue reading

6. Swing States Project

   How undisclosed money works its way in

   July 24, 2012 11:00 AM

   PENNSYLVANIA — The US Senate primary here may be over, but the work of understanding how the contest was played—and shedding light on who paid to play—goes on, thanks to enterprise reporting by the Center for Responsive Politics's OpenSecrets Blog... Continue reading

7. Swing States Project

   Harrisburg’s Patriot-News sits down with Romney

   June 20, 2012 05:30 PM

   PENNSYLVANIA — While campaigns and aligned PACs are raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars, old-school, retail politics has yet to go out of style. Gov. Mitt Romney's five-day bus tour of six swing states ended Tuesday. The Pennsylvania... Continue reading

8. Swing States Project

   What did we learn from coverage of Romney’s Philly school visit?

   May 29, 2012 04:40 PM

   PENNSYLVANIA — At first glance, Mitt Romney's campaign appearance last Thursday at a West Philadelphia charter school seemed a bit odd. Candidates generally go where the votes are, and Philadelphia voters delivered 83 percent of theirs to Barack Obama in... Continue reading

9. Swing States Project

   28 hours of political ads (and a few minutes of news)

   May 1, 2012 01:32 PM

   Pennsylvania — In the weeks before the April 24 primary here, folks in Northeastern Pennsylvania saw and heard a lot on local television stations about the battle between longtime incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Tim Holden and challenger-turned-primary-winner attorney Matt Cartwright.... Continue reading

10. Swing States Project

    In PA Primary, Television News is Late to the Game

    April 20, 2012 12:19 PM

    PENNSYLVANIA — The battle between 10-term U.S. Rep. Tim Holden and his Democratic primary opponent, attorney Matt Cartwright, is dominating the local television landscape in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Pointed ads from the campaigns have mixed with outside PAC spots gunning for... Continue reading

11. Swing States Project

    As Santorum Moves On, So Does the Coverage

    April 11, 2012 03:08 PM

    This post has been updated. See note at bottom PENNSYLVANIA — When Tuesday broke, it looked like Rick Santorum's Easter and family campaign recess was about to end. Events were scheduled. The Underdog Machine was seemingly about to rev up.... Continue reading

12. Swing States Project

    Pittsburgh-Area Reporters Tested in Ad War

    April 3, 2012 10:06 AM

    PENNSYLVANIA—The battle of big dogs scrapping for presidential votes ahead of the April 24 primary is drawing much of the media attention in the Keystone State. But a tussle between two Blue Dog congressmen in a newly-drawn Western Pennsylvania district... Continue reading

13. Swing States Project

    Back to School with Santorum

    March 16, 2012 01:37 PM

    PENNSYLVANIA — A radio interview on the eve of Michigan's primary let Sen. Rick Santorum expand on his widely reported remarks about higher education. It also put Pennsylvania in the cross hairs and gave reporters here a fresh... Continue reading