Ray O'Connell told me that he has received numerous calls telling him that he will only benefit Pawlowski if he runs as a write-in. The Republican's aren't saying that they want their man to win, but instead that nobody should do anything that will enable Pawlowski to win office again. They're saying that Ray should put the city first, not his own ambition; How civic minded of them!
Now, I'm not saying that the Republicans are wrong in their calculations about Ray being a spoiler, but I'm questioning their motive; Is it a better Allentown they seek, or a Republican Mayor for the first time in over a decade?
Many of my posts offend one party or another, sometimes both. Readers should understand that I'm nonpartisan, and that this blog's mission is to provide informed commentary.
Mike, The goal of the Allentown Republican Committee was to provide the voters an alternative candidate to Ed Pawlowski in the general campaign. We knew he would win a contest primary and we knew the primary would be contested. For lots of very good reasons there was no Allentown Republican willing to run even though we worked the problem hard. Trust me, what we sought was someone who could do the job, that was it. That is all we ever sought in candidates for city office. Nat Hyman, a lifelong Democrat was smart enough to see the crowded Democrat field and approached the LCRC about running as a Republican. That offer was accepted. There is nothing remotely partisan about this.
ReplyDeleteOur goal,a goal that should be shared by all those disgusted by the blatant corruption of city hall, the slipshod way the city has be run, and the the ever worsening condition of our city neighborhoods is to remove the blight from city hall so the city can live up to it's potential. Ray O'Connell does not seem to share that goal, instead he and his supporters, ignoring the facts, ignoring the consequences, are apparently ready to repeat the error of the Democratic Primary in the general and allow Ed Pawlowski to gain a 4th term with a minority share of the vote. That will be their only achievement if they proceed and they will deserve the scorn for it. Many are tired of Ed ruining Allentown. Many like myself are angry that Ray would do anything that would negatively effect this opportunity to remove him.They will hold Ray responsible when Ed wins a three way race.
Hyman is a Democrat who will do Democrat things. I'd rather see the Republicans run no one (again) than a real RINO (Republican In Name Only), a real fake and phony. It should be fun to see the Pawlowski Machine take shots at Hyman, who certainly will provide a big enough target. Several people I know have even referred to Hyman as "Pawlowski's former bag man" although I have to doubt that the current Mayor, himself, will be tossing that particular term around a whole lot. I think Hyman will suffer from a "Trickle Down Trump Hate" as Allentown can hardly be described as a place where a copious amount of supporters for the current President of the United States can be found.
ReplyDeleteI also think Allentown is going to end up with yet another Democrat who is going to do the same old Democrat things that have resulted in Allentown transforming itself from what it was what it is now.
New ringleader, perhaps, but same Sanctuary City circus act all the same.
ROLF OELER
rolf@8:54, locally, running a city has nothing to do with republican or democrat policy.
ReplyDeleteA Democrat is not a Republican and a Democrat will follow the philosophy he believes in, and not the philosophy of the Republican Party. Hyman worked hard to get Garcia out of the race to preserve his end run around the crowd of Democrats opposing Pawlowski
ReplyDeleteAs was memorialized by John Dean years ago, you can't trust a Rat. Not to forget he is a slum landlord,
slumlord is too easy of a slur to use against people in the rental business. i ask my readers who have issue with mr. hyman not to use such terms when commenting.
ReplyDelete"Running a city has nothing to do with republican or democrat policy."
ReplyDeleteAlright, then. Apparently, I stand corrected. And now I am prepared to be thoroughly educated by the answer to my follow up questions. Which are, respectfully, "Exactly what political philosophy, if any, is being pursued when a place like Allentown designates itself as a 'Sanctuary City'?"
And, Allentown is certainly NOT the place it was back when I was growing up in the 1970s. The decline is undeniable and particularly noticeable to people who moved away a long time ago but still stop back to visit every now and then. And when they ask (and they do), "What happened?", am I to conclude the correct answer to that question would be, "Lots of things --- but absolutely nothing that can be directly or indirectly linked to Democrat and/or Republican policy being enacted at the local level"?
ROLF OELER
Math is math.....it doesn't lie.
ReplyDeleteEvery sentient Republican party observer said during the 2016 Presidential primary that the failure of the Party to unite behind a single or two candidates would only benefit Trump, for his hard core supporters would then be able to win the early & middle primaries with 25% of the vote, as the 16 other candidates were only on a vanity (and book selling/Fox TV audition trip)course that hopelessly split the vote.
Every sane Democrat said that the failure of the "Berniemanics" and Jill Stein supporters would only benefit Trump in the general election, as the less than 1% wins by Trump in Penna. & Wisconsin proved.
Scott's logic is inescapable.....Ray's efforts will only benefit the Mayor. As far as arguing that Hyman, because of his prior "Democrat" affiliation, will only seek to institute policies that the Mayor would, ignores the wise wisdom of the concept that "the enemy of the good is the perfect." The idea is to elect a Mayor that will promote an honest, non corrupt Administration. That is more essential than holding out for a Republican one, and by abetting Ray, ensuring the continuation of a corrupt one. If Hyman brings a fresh broom to sweep away the swamp, and advocates in a transparent way, policies that Republicans feel are too "Democrat," then let the issues be debated by opponents and the public & a non rubber stamp City Council. In that fashion public policy can be honestly & vigorously enacted.
I know nothing about the condition of Nat Hyman's buildings, but when government projects are similarly kept the left calls it 'housing for the poor.'
ReplyDelete