Unfortunately, this election seems to be a referendum on Donald Trump, even in races where there is absolutely no connection. One such race would be local state senator, Pat Browne(R) vs. Mark Pinsley(D). Democratic straight lever pulling against Trump would be the only explanation for a Pinsley win.. Browne has mountains of experience and has brought heaps of benefit to Lehigh Valley. Pinsley has no experience what-so-ever, and announced for state senator before he even began serving as township commissioner. Although, he ran and won for township commissioner, he never attended their meetings prior to that election. After the unfortunate shooting by Dorney Park, he went and stood with the protestors, against his own township and police department. He is entitled to his own beliefs, but as a commissioner, he should have restrained himself against being so demonstrative. It was a self-serving optic for his state campaign, ignoring the best interests of South Whitehall.
One of the most geographically absurd state house districts in Pennsylvania is the 183rd. It runs from Danielsville, east through Northampton to Slatington, and then south to the Allentown municipal golf course. Former representative Julie Harhart had two decades to craft this gerrymandered contortion. Her chosen successor was Zach Mako(R), who in addition to having no political experience, also had no knowledge of the issues. Now, as an incumbent, he's running on the cliché of abolishing income tax.... He apparently still knows nothing. His opponent, Jason Ruff(D) is a business owner from Slatington, who serves on the town's council. He is familiar with the issues, he is concerned with government, not just getting elected.
Regardless of how you feel about my bi-partisan endorsements, I would ask you one favor. Even if you decide to vote straight ticket, please do not pull the idiot lever. Instead, pick each one of your choices, even if they are all of the same party. You owe yourself and the candidates at least that much deliberation.
ADDENDUM: An early version of this post which cited a polling was in error.
Pinsley is an idiot, but a sign of where we are as a society.
ReplyDeleteThat he's even being considered as a legitimate candidate is disgusting.
I'm not a Browne fan and haven't voted for him in years (I typically just don't vote for that race), but Pinsley's appearance on the ballot just might be enough to make me check the box for Browne.
From its absence in your post, I'm assuming that you're not making an endorsement in the 7th District Congressional race. Indulge me to offer my perspective there:
ReplyDeleteWild is too extreme, and can't even be honest about who she is and what she believes in. She caught herself several times in the debates while she was saying she supports open borders, and has been caught in a lie about some of the cases she was involved with at her previous law firm. In a sane political year, she'd be down by 20+ points in the polls and would have been written off long ago.
Silfies is a nice guy, says he's not like the other two candidates, but offers nothing as far as specific solutions or how he'd accomplish anything if elected. He said when he announced that he saw a way he could win, and I thought he'd do the right thing and drop out now that it's clear that he can't. It seems like he's in this race more to promote himself than to offer anything different.
Nothstein is the clear choice in this race, unless you're so blinded by Trump hate that you don't care if the economy tanks and recent job gains are lost. I'm not a big Trump fan, but supporting policies that are working for the country is just common sense. Nothstein (like Silfies) mostly supports those policies, and is the only one with a chance to win.
Vote Marty!
I have signs for Pat Browne and Susan Wild on my front lawn. Straight ticket voting is for chumps.
ReplyDeleteNot always, The Democratic Party has gone off the rails and veered far left. I have heard no Democrats criticize the violence, the rage, or the radical direction of their party. That tells me all I need to know. As well, no matter what a local Dem tells us, he/she will follow orders once in Harrisburg.
ReplyDeleteI am voting for the lesser of two evils, I am voting against a party I see as a real threat to America, a party that is intolerant of any opposition. I am proudly voting straight Republican tomorrow.
By the way, there is plenty of independence within the Republican Party. Their are plenty of Republicans who speak, write, and publicly take stands against the president, Republican positions, and/or other Republicans. Funny how we never see that on the left isn't it. I see that as a real indicator of a big problem.
ReplyDeleteAdd to this the fact that the mainstream media enables every move the Democrats and their rank and file make, whether it's blatant hypocrisy, double standards, slander, smears, hatred, and violence. This they all excuse or turn a blind eye to when it's done by Democrats.
The combination of the so called fourth estate and the Democratic Party should be a real red flag to America's voters. Both deserve a drubbing tomorrow and America would benefit if that were to happen.
Unknown wrote From its absence in your post, I'm assuming that you're not making an endorsement in the 7th District Congressional race.
ReplyDeleteI'm generally not inclined to make endorsements. With some knowledge of south whitehall, and as a former candidate (independent) for the 183rd, I decided to share some insights on two races.
I urge people not to pull straight party levers, and to skip over races or issues on which you have no knowledge
Example, just today, Bloomberg News, (whose owner contributes heavily to the Democratic Party) published an op-ed that makes the claim the Republican party is and has been involved in a race war. "Republicans’ Race War Predated Trump. And It May Outlast Him.
ReplyDeleteTheir resentments are key to the party’s identity."
This is as irresponsible as it is ugly, it is not good for America, and yet this is routine for the Democratic Party, media union. No one would argue that they don't have the right to do this, but they certainly don't deserve support when they do.
By the way, will any Democrat sign their name to a criticism this?
MM -
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you about NOT pulling the straight-party levers.
While this year I'm more in agreement with Scott Armstrong than Aaron White, I will agree with Aaron that "straight ticket voting is for chumps".
My ballot may well end up all Republican this year, but it won't be because of the straight party lever. I won't vote for a candidate (or race) that I'm not familiar with, skipping over them instead as you do.
A vote for the Lehigh Valley's equivalent to crooked & corrupt Hillary Rodham Clinton is a vote to repeal the Trump Tax Cuts --- so please have fun keeping less and less of your very own hard-earned money in the future, Allentown voters!
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
ROLF OELER
Last night Mayor Bloomberg ran a long campaign commercial at the end of 60 Minutes.He urged everyone to vote straight Democratic
ReplyDeleteThe most right-leaning Democrat is still way far to the left as the most left-leaning Republican. For that reason, I have no shame in voting straight party. Nobody ever calls African-Americans, other minorities and Jews 'chumps. for voting straight Democrat. It used to be Italian-Americans and others of the early LEGAL immigrant communities who were party voters.
ReplyDeleteMike:
ReplyDeleteI just conferred with Chris Borick at Muhlenberg College and he confirms that the college and Morning Call poll never polled the Browne/Pinsley race. Please correct your article.
Mike Miorelli, the post has been corrected.
ReplyDeleteIf the Democrats don't re-elect Pat Browne you can kiss the future of the ASD goodbye! That said, they just may be stupid enough to do it.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty clear from the actions of GOP Governors & Legislatures across the country that the party sees it's future dependent upon gerrymandering, voter suppression, cultural warfare, and voter registration & polling station tactics designed to disfranchise people of color, the poor, and the young. This has been a successful stratagem to date, and certainly has been aided by the failure of the Democratic & Progressive parties to effectively engage these constituencies.
ReplyDeleteAlthough to say "demographics is destiny" is a cliche, at some point the above tactics above will simply not work. Mobilization & Organization along with Democratic Governors and responsible GOP ones will slowly erode these barriers. The fear of the GOP that without suppression elected representatives will more closely resemble the actual citizenry, as opposed to the restrictive electorate that they design, is palatable and animates the MAGA base. To these snowflakes, the "Wall" is literally their "protection" from "Winter is Coming."
Mighty mean /republican Party - walls, fences,fear mongering about women & children from impoverished countries. Separating children from parents - I don't think I can ever relate to the Republican Mob mentality. 1 question - what has the
ReplyDeleterepublican Party ever done for the consumer? HINT: NOTHING!