Pa. GOP Presidential Primary Campaign Likely To Heat Up
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - With the Pennsylvania presidential primary a little more than two weeks away, it's been quiet on the airwaves, but it looks like that's about to change.
Chris Borick, the director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, says he's at least a little surprised by the slow start to the Republican presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, "Especially with Romney and his possibility of coming in very hard to try and deliver a knockout punch to Santorum."
Borick says he believes there will be campaign ads, the question really being how much Romney, who has considerably more resources, wants to spend in Pennsylvania.
"What's going to be key is how big he wants to go. Will he come in with massive ad buys?"
The answer appears to be yes, with media reports over the weekend indicating Romney plans a major ad campaign starting this week.
Franklin and Marshall College pollster and political analyst Terry Madonna agrees, "Whether to spend millions and millions of dollars to try defeat Santorum in Pennsylvania in the popular vote, and destroy Santorum's rationale for continuing."
Madonna says one reason Mitt Romney, who has the money to spend, hasn't been all over the airwaves is perhaps that he hasn't seen the need up till now.
"They've already closed the gap. They don't have to spend all of that money immediately to make the race tight."
Madonna believes Romney will be seen and heard on the air. The real question being whether the former Massachusetts governor will go all out in a bid to end Santorum's run.
