http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-03252008-1508474.htmlYou should really click the link as the comments section seems to illustrate some of the issues (not all, of course not) that drive county politics (ie view that the dems have ruined philadelphia, Harry Fawkes runs a GOP machine in the county and is satan's emissary etc).
Democrats see big surge
By JENNA PORTNOY
The Intelligencer
Now that Pennsylvania will have a say in the primary, Adam Glenn of Hilltown wants to, too.
“I didn't even know I was registered independent until I got a call from the Obama people telling me the deadline was today,” he said Monday just after joining the Democrats' ranks.
He was part of a steady stream of voters who — whatever their reasons — waited until deadline day to register for the primary or change their party affiliation. Pennsylvania will hold a “closed” primary April 22, which means voters must be registered members of a political party to vote in that party's primary.
In Bucks and Montgomery counties combined, more than 20,000 people have joined the Democratic Party since late last year. While some of those are first-time voters and new registrations, significant numbers of them jumped ship from the GOP or a third party or changed their independent status.
That includes Jenni Murphy, the wife of Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, who dropped her long-held Republican affiliation to vote for Obama, according to a release from the Illinois senator's campaign.
Thanks to people like the congressman's wife, both counties have lost about 5,610 Republicans and 1,759 independents.
Lydia Mischenko of Lower Makefield said she's been dissatisfied with the Republican Party for years, but she waited until Monday to make it official.
“I've had enough of Republicans,” she said. Yet she hasn't settled on Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. “I will see,” she said. “There's so much time to decide.”
So far both counties have netted more than 13,000 voters in the past five months.
“We're going to get our money's worth out of the Board of Elections this week,” quipped Neil Samuels, Bucks Democrats deputy chairman, who happens to support Obama. The Bucks party also has Clinton contingent.
Samuels said he's confident Democrats are gaining due to the quality of their candidates.
“How you register is a matter of conscience and there may be a few folks in there who are mischief makers,” said Samuels, referring to Republicans who may have switched camps to vote for the candidate they believe will be more easily defeated in the fall.
“But I would wager the vast, vast majority are interested in the candidates the Democratic Party is putting forward as opposed to John McCain.”
The Montgomery County GOP is doing its best to reclaim Republicans it may have lost to Obama or Clinton with a Web site proclaiming “Get me back to where I belong!” Republicans across the state can go to votegoppa.com and request a registration form, said party chairman Ken Davis.
Samuels' response? “I've heard about their Web site and I don't think it'll be a busy place.”
From the numbers, Davis said it's clear Republicans masquerading as Democrats will vote for Clinton to stop Obama from facing presumptive nominee McCain.
In Montgomery County, 8,223 voters switched their affiliation to Democrat and 1,052 voters switched affiliation to Republican. Bucks County does not analyze its registration data in that way; the county office only knows how many have registered, not who has switched.
The crush of last-minute electors Monday — fueled by the parties' registration drives and door-to-door efforts by the campaigns — required the county offices to add staff and stay open later than usual.
“People are three and four deep at the counter,” Montgomery County voters services assistant director Patti Allen, said, assessing the situation in Norristown. “The kind of activity in a primary is always a surprise, but we've had a couple of weeks to get used to the idea.”
Bucks County's Elections Director Deena Dean agreed. “We've been working as fast as we can and we have been for weeks now, working nights and working weekends,” Dean said.
The piles of forms won't be tallied for a while, but if the past several months' numbers are any guide, the Democrats are likely to gain thousands of new voters to the detriment of the GOP and independents' totals.
“We encourage (Republicans) to come back,” said Montgomery County GOP leader Davis. “We don't encourage them to switch. They're quite able to do that all by themselves.”
Enter Buckingham's Richard Scott.
“For the first time in my life, I've become a Democrat,” the loyal Republican said with a smile while standing outside the elections office in Doylestown. “And it'll probably only last a month.”
REGISTRATION NUMBERS
BUCKS
Party 1/08 3/08 change
GOP 187,067 185,647 -1,420
DEM 166,365 174,134 +7,769
Other 64,486 63,900 -586
TOTAL 417,918 423,681 +5,763
MONTGOMERY
Party 10/07 3/08 change
GOP 247,766 243,576 -4,190
DEM 217,052 229,706 +12,654
Other 81,750 80,577 -1,173
TOTAL 546,568 553,859 +7,291
BOTH
Both counties have gained about 20,423 Democrats. Both counties have lost about 5,610 Republicans and 1,759 independents. Overall, both counties have gained about 13,054 voters.
"Other" includes third-party and unaffiliated voters.
Source: Bucks and Montgomery counties election offices
