Hailing from Erie (PA), I'm not sure I see what the issue was... If it weren't for the counties of western New York and eastern Ohio, Erie, PA wouldn't be the inconsequential blip it is today.
It's like being in New Jersey... the major media of New York and Philadelphia dominates. So I think she was in her market from what you've presented.
I guess I think it's alot more like Fox running the Foley story with his name displayed below appended with a D for Democrat instead of an R for Republican one month before the election.
~Thadeus