Opinion: A Jersey ringer in a Pennsylvania Clinton ad

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Barack Obama can take some solace out of Hillary Clinton’s latest television ad in Pennsylvania. At least one of those featured in the spot hammering Obama for his recent -- and controversial -- critique of bitter small town America isn’t registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Clyde Thomas, the goateed fellow in the ad who says, “the good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said,” is actually registered in New Jersey. He voted there for Clinton Feb. 5. He only recently moved to Bethlehem, Pa.

“It shouldn’t be a big deal. I explained it to the campaign,” Thomas said in an interview. “I see Pennsylvanians for what they are. I grew up with the values of Pennsylvanians.”

Thomas said he was born in Scranton, but until recently had lived his entire life in Somerville, N.J. He is a 46-year-old unemployed environmental engineer.

He said he has been volunteering for the Clinton campaign in recent weeks, handing out literature and making phone calls. He said the campaign approached him about appearing in the ad, which was filmed in Bethlehem, a city of about 72,000 residents in eastern Pennsylvania where Bethlehem Steel once stood tall.
Thomas added that he plans to get on Pennsylvania’s voting rolls ahead of the November election.
-- Josh Drobnyk

Josh Drobnyk writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune’s Washington Bureau.