GLBT issues may have cost Obama Pennsylvania

GLBT issues may have cost Obama Pennsylvania

by Lisa Keen - Keen News Service Maybe it was Senator Barack Obama's refusal to do an interview with the Philadelphia Gay News; maybe it was Senator Hillary Clinton's well-organized LGBT support in and out of Pennsylvania, but in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, Clinton stayed competitive in a part of Philadelphia in which the Obama campaign had hoped to score big points. Clinton won the Keystone State primary Tuesday by a 55 to 45 percent margin - a margin political pundits agreed give her campaign the support it needs to continue fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination. She had been expected to win the state, even though polls suggested her margin of victory had been slipping badly in the waning days of the increasingly negative battle between the two candidates. But the Obama campaign strategy had included, in part, an effort to win as many votes as possible in Philadelphia's inner city neighborhoods in an effort to counterbalance the votes it knew Clinton would pick up in the rest of the state. It was that strategy that apparently fell short in the city's two heavily Gay wards - wards 2 and 5. Where Obama won 65 percent of the overall vote in Philadelphia, he won only 58 percent in Ward 5 and 60 percent in Ward 2. Mark Walsh, the national LGBT outreach director for the Clinton campaign, said the difference between 16 percent and 30 percent is "huge," and that the difference could be attributed to both the controversy surrounding Obama's refusal to interview with the local Gay press and Clinton's concerted outreach to the LGBT community in Philadelphia. Still, Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said the campaign "couldn't be happier with our margin out of Philadelphia" and LaBolt said he believes the 30-point margin of victory in that city was in part "a reflection of our strong LGBT outreach efforts." While Pittsburgh's Gay population is not as concentrated as Philadelphia's, the wards with some Gay visibility - Wards 14 and 15 - split, with Ward 14 going 60 percent for Obama and Ward 15 going 55 percent for Clinton. Clinton showed no signs she intends to consider withdrawing before the August Democratic convention, a reality that reportedly makes party officials anxious. In her victory speech Tuesday night, she did not mention Gays among various groups that she highlighted, but Obama did. "We can build on the movement that we started in this campaign," said Obama, "a movement that's united Democrats, Independents, Republicans, young, old, rich, poor, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Gay, straight." Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, said he believes the fracas over Obama's refusal to interview with PGN had a "huge" impact on the Gay vote in Philadelphia and said several mainstream papers quizzed Obama about it during the final days of the campaign. Segal said he had impromptu greetings with both candidates following a Democratic party dinner in Philadelphia last week. He said Clinton, who gave him a 10-minute phone interview, recalled the interview as being "fun." He said Obama recognized his name and briefly discussed Segal's complaint that the candidate had done no interviews with local Gay press. "We agreed to disagree," said Segal, in an editorial April 18, "but he wanted to make a point, to all around us, that we ended as friends and kept trying to get me to knock fists with him&." Segal's editorial said Obama's position for change "does not resonate in the LGBT community" but, ultimately, Segal did not endorse either candidate and, instead, urged readers to examine the endorsements of Gay groups around the state. The Gay Democratic Club in Philadelphia - Liberty City Democratic Club - endorsed Clinton and, two weeks before the primary, had a group of members going door-to-door in the city's Gay neighborhood to solicit support. But a Patriot-News story profiling the Gay vote in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said Gays were split, so much so that the Central Pennsylvania Stonewall Democrats decided against endorsing. Clinton had heavily visible support from the LGBT community in Pennsylvania. The campaign had hired a full-time Gay staffer to serve as the Pennsylvania LGBT outreach director there. That director, Shawn Werner, organized nearly a dozen Gay community events - from debate-watching parties to a "pub crawl" of Gay bars by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Clinton's daughter Chelsea. Now, all eyes turn to North Carolina and Indiana where primaries take place May 6. In North Carolina, long-time Gay activist Mandy Carter says the LGBT community there "is just like the general community in being divided between Obama and Clinton," and adds that her sense is Lesbians are "probably" more behind Clinton. "But we all agree," said Carter, "that we'll support whomever wins the nomination." ©2008 Keen News Service

Real Estate - Small updates help a property sell

Despite national headlines that the housing market is virtually dead, economic experts with the National Association of Realtors predict sales of existing homes will improve in the coming months, particularly with interest rates at historic lows. Every seller wants to move fast and get top dollar. So, if you're getting ready to sell, among the best ways to improve your odds on both ends is to make sure you have great "curb appeal" and an inviting inside decor. Small Changes, Big Difference "Replacing your exterior trim and interior doors are two inexpensive remodeling options that can make a dramatic impact for prospective buyers," says Peggie Bolan, vice president of sales and marketing for CMI in Chicago. When putting your house on the market, one of the first things a realtor will recommend is to add curb appeal. Your home's exterior makes the first impression, so make it a good one. Over time, the exterior trim around your windows and doors, at the corners and along the roofline, may have become warped, split or cracked from rain, snow, ice and exposure to the sun. For many areas of the country, termite damage is also a concern. Before you put the "For Sale" sign in the yard, walk around your house and inspect the trim to see if it needs to be replaced or repaired. The Right Trim One option that has become a preferred choice among home builders as well as remodelers is a treated exterior composite trim called MiraTEC. As an engineered wood trim, MiraTEC is extremely durable and provides excellent resistance to moisture and temperature extremes. It is treated with an EPA-registered wood preservative that controls the growth of rot, while also helping to protect against damage caused by wood-boring insects, including subterranean termites. It also has green benefits that far exceed those of other trim options, like PVC and fiber cement, while costing substantially less. Bolan adds, "While an exterior renovation adds curb appeal, changes on the inside of the home leave a lasting impression, too. Another quick, easy and affordable tip for home sellers is to install new interior doors." A stylish door adds personality to any room and complements the décor. Check out all the doors inside your house; there is a good chance they are hollow six-panel designs or basic flush doors with no style. Doors with Style When considering interior doors, there are many styles, finishes and sizes available to showcase your home's true character. For example, the CraftMaster Crossmore interior door features a smooth-surfaced, flat-panel design that resembles true traditional craftsman architecture and beautifully simplistic mission-style furniture. Bolan says the three-panel door complements design trends in today's kitchen and bath cabinetry, which are inspired by growing consumer preference for clean, straight lines. "It is a great way to carry a design theme throughout the house," she adds. Other designs available from CraftMaster include curved, arched, and eyebrow-top panels, and a variety of configurations from two to six panels to quickly spruce up your home. Beyond the added beauty, raised-panel doors are engineered to resist swelling, shrinking, cracking and splitting, which is a great selling point. Getting your home ready to sell doesn't have to take months of work and thousands of dollars. Inexpensive remodeling projects, such as installing new exterior trim and interior doors, can improve your resale value and help you sell your home faster. To learn more about transforming your home decor with new trim and interior doors, visit www.miratectrim.com or www.craftmasterdoors.com. Courtesy of ARAcontent