What’s Wrong With Pennsylvania?

On June 30, 2011, an enthusiastic Mitt Romney arrived here in the heart of the Lehigh Valley determined to make Pennsylvania a presidential battleground state. …

A key assumption underpinned Romney’s appearance in Allentown — that the working class whites who once dominated this great industrial center would back the Republican nominee. …

By the end of August, however, ad buying stopped. The Romney campaign effectively conceded the state. …

Romney’s failure to gain traction in Pennsylvania sheds light on his struggles in other states with similar demographics, including Michigan and Ohio. [cont.]

Thomas Edsall, Columbia U. (NYT)