Apr 22, 2002 2 min read

It’s official. Bob Casey has blown the substantial lead he had at the beginning of the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Casey has himself to blame for the dead heat he now finds himself in with former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. At the start of the race, Pennsylvania voters knew two things about Casey: He is the son of the popular late Gov. Robert P. Casey and a hardworking auditor general prone to blow the whistle on suspected abuses of taxpayers’ money. That’s all they still know.

When he’s not wasting time criticizing Rendell, he’s painting with a broad brush feel-good plans like lower property taxes for seniors, prescription drugs for the elderly, better schools, more jobs. Casey has yet to disclose how he would pay for all of this.

Outside of Philadelphia, voters knew even less about Rendell. Rendell has done an over-the-top job of promoting himself as the “victim” of Casey negative campaigning. All whining aside, he offers meatier plans for schools, seniors and jobs, and voters recognize the difference.

While Casey committed time to hobnobbing with supporters to raise cash, Rendell stretched into areas where people didn’t know him to shake hands and kiss their babies. This grassroots campaigning converts undecided voters.

Casey last fall was ahead in the polls with 38 percent of the Democrats registered voters compared with 28 percent for Rendell and 34 percent undecided. The nomination was Casey’s to lose. And it looks as though he might. Both candidates in the Keystone Poll now have 38 percent, with 25 percent yet to decide. That’s a substantial block of voters.

If Casey wants to keep his horse in this race, he might want to shift his focus from Rendell’s problems to selling himself.