Reporter: Clinton Outworking Trump In PA
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Reporter T. Beckett Adams explained that Pennsylvania continues to play a key role in the Presidential election despite polling that shows Hillary Clinton comfortably ahead of Donald Trump throughout the commonwealth.
Adams, who writes for the Washington Examiner, told Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that Clinton is taking nothing for granted.
"She is playing from the same book that the Obama camp did for 2008 and 2012...The simplest way to put it is you run scared until November 9. You do not ever treat anything like it's in the bag. You never get comfortable. The only thing that you'll see that looks like people getting comfortable is Super PACs and various supporting groups will start dialing down the amount of money they spend on ads in some states. But, the campaign itself basically acts...every day like it's down to the wire."
He believes Clinton is spending so much time in Pennsylvania is because Donald Trump cannot win the Presidency without winning here.
"Pennsylvania has been a crucial swing state. It's a cliche to say that at this point, but it is. No Republican has won that since 1988 and the Democrats are fully looking to make sure they continue that trend. Especially because, the way things are trending with polling right now, there really is not a path for Donald Trump to get to 270 at this point. Colorado doesn't look like it's going his way. Neither does Virginia. Looking at any sort of combination of leaning toss up states, without Pennsylvania, he really doesn't have a feasible path. She is pulling a lot of people into that state right now, making sure that they have it locked up."
However, Adams is confused by the Trump campaign's strategy to do little more than hold rallies in the commonwealth.
"What really doesn't make any sense is that he has, basically, no ground game and no infrastructure in place in Pennsylvania. Secondly, it makes no sense that he's not exactly hitting the DNC and the Clinton campaign. Why isn't he going to the people of Pennsylvania and saying look at all this. Your AG was just convicted, I will clean this state up. You've given it X amount of years to Democratic rule, let's try something different. He's not even trying in Pennsylvania. GOP county leaders are on the record, several of them, from Wilkes Barre on down are quoted as saying that they have no idea who is in charge in the state and they haven't heard anything from the Trump campaign."