The Pennsylvania Senate race tightens and it's partly my fault

Undertoad · 08-16-2006, 02:16 AM

According to this story, Pennsylvania's Senate race is tighter.

Quote:

Santorum has narrowed the gap from an 18-point difference in June, according to the poll, and a recent appearance of a Green Party candidate also is considered a spoiler for the Democrat.

In a three-way contest, the new poll found Casey leading Santorum 45 percent to 39 percent, with Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli picking up 5 percent. Eleven percent said they were undecided or did not plan to vote, according to the Quinnipiac University poll.

As a two-way race, without Romanelli, 47 percent of the same respondents favored Casey to 40 percent for Santorum, with 13 percent undecided or expressing another opinion.

I expect many people are steaming mad at the Green Party right about now, because the Green Party accepted the help of Santorum's campaign to get enough signatures to be on the ballot.

This "deal with the devil" strategy was actually pioneered by me in Pennsylvania.

Sorry...!

See, in Pennsylvania, it's really hard for a third party or independent candidate to get enough petition signatures to be on the ballot. The system has been rigged, pretty much, with a strange set of moving requirements. I could explain it here, but I'd lose you; what it boils down to is, if you don't have $200,000 to throw out, you wouldn't get on the ballot as a third party or independent, in 2006 in this state.

The PA ballot access requirements are amongst the toughest in the country. For example, it was one of the states Ralph Nader couldn't get on in his first Pres run, because he wasn't spending any money.

When my buddy Ken was running for Gov in 2002, it looked like he wasn't going to have the signatures to make the ballot. In a late night strategy session I told him to go to Rendell's people -- the very top guy, the campaign manager, whom I identifed -- and tell him the situation.

Kenny did that, and shortly thereafter he found that he did in fact have enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Kenny's glorious and beautiful campaign made that idea worthwhile, although I advanced it to him because by that time I was in favor of Rendell. The Greens were already in that race, to get their percentage, and Kenny did a beautiful job getting his percentage as well. In the end it wasn't enough for either third-party candidate to have thrown the race. But in sheer dollar per vote, it made sense for the Rendell campaign to keep Kenny's percentage in the mix.

In that race, the signature requirements were about half what the 2006 requirements were. It's possible that the Green guy got on in 2002 without any help.

No Libs had me advising them this year. Kenny's all out of money. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted. Throwing a monkey wrench into the system wasn't my intent, but everything's kind of fucked up now anyway.

MaggieL · 08-16-2006, 05:29 AM

Yes, I remeber Ken bragging about that deal at a Pink Pistols luncheon. In front of press that was there to cover us.

Not a very smart move (the bragging, I mean), IMHO...and I know it turned a lot of our people off on him. Now we know who to blame. :-)

It's funny...every time the Greens/Santorum connection comes up on the news around here, Gwennie fumes about the fuss over that vs. the silence when Rendell did it. I guess it goes to show you that people take the Greens more seriously than the Libs. Go figure.

Undertoad · 08-16-2006, 07:48 AM

Ken was on some early petitions this year but I think really only to make a court challenge the number of petitions needed. The courts shrugged and said "this sucks but it's not really our job to fix" and threw it back at the legislature, which promptly did nothing as always.

Griff · 08-16-2006, 07:57 AM

I guess its not likely that after both old parties have been bitten that they'd do the right thing and reform ballot access, so Greens and Libs would always be there...

xoxoxoBruce · 08-17-2006, 08:01 PM

Elected person in Harrisburg......"Hmmm, my party is one of two hogs at the trough. Should I make it easier for more hogs to share the slop...or possibly replace one of us? Nope, next question."

Won't happen until enough people pressure the politicians. If there were enough people to do that, signatures wouldn't be a problem.

headsplice · 08-23-2006, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Elected person in Harrisburg......"Hmmm, my party is one of two hogs at the trough. Should I make it easier for more hogs to share the slop...or possibly replace one of us? Nope, next question."

Oh my god!!! Are you comparing politicians to pigs! For shame!

MaggieL · 08-23-2006, 10:44 AM

Why do you think they call it pork?

Griff · 08-23-2006, 11:47 AM

Because it isn't kosher.

Undertoad · 08-23-2006, 11:55 AM

Pigs are cleaner.

(n.b. So far, PA's state legislature politicians are the worst politicians I've ever seen. They're emboldened by power they don't deserve, act like they're the world's greatest gift to the citizenry, they're relentlessly political, they don't solve any problems or lead in any sense of the word. These are the morons who elected themselves pay raises at 1AM in the morning hoping nobody would notice, and, having been found out, voted it out at 1AM in the morning hoping nobody would notice. They give themselves $800/month auto leases so they can get limo service to ride to the state capitol. They appear to be unable to solve even minor problems and have permanently backwards-facing arms so they can pat themselves on the back. Most of them are 20-year incumbents because people pull the party lever for those offices as no attention is paid to them. Rant over, I had to get that off my back.)

xoxoxoBruce · 08-23-2006, 12:20 PM

I'm not up on the other counties, but Republican machine in Delaware County has built such a stranglehold organization, you can't do anything unless you're registered Republican.

Want to start a business, get zoning relief, get a fair court hearing, have your elected officials listen to your problem, and of course, do business with or work for, County or Local Government, register Republican.

They're so cocky, they won't even take bribes from non-party members.

But, that's the first half of the problem. Like UT said, "people pull the party lever for those offices as no attention is paid to them", which solidifies their power.

MaggieL · 08-23-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

They're so cocky, they won't even take bribes from non-party members.

So, you're admitting you offered them one? :-)

Spexxvet · 08-23-2006, 04:26 PM

This is another reason why he must go.

xoxoxoBruce · 08-24-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggie

So, you're admitting you offered them one? :-)

Didn't have a chance, I was informed I wasn't eligible for the program, up front.

damn spelling

Griff · 08-25-2006, 06:58 AM

What do you need? Dads going to the GOP meeting tonight... wrong county.

Undertoad · 08-25-2006, 07:31 AM

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001410.php

According to that story, too many Green signatures have been found to be invalid, and so they are challenging the law in PA state supreme court in such a way to require fewer signatures.

I expect this will fail and the Greens will be pushed off the ballot.

08-16-2006, 05:29 AM	#2
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Yes, I remeber Ken bragging about that deal at a Pink Pistols luncheon. In front of press that was there to cover us. Not a very smart move (the bragging, I mean), IMHO...and I know it turned a lot of our people off on him. Now we know who to blame. :-) It's funny...every time the Greens/Santorum connection comes up on the news around here, Gwennie fumes about the fuss over that vs. the silence when Rendell did it. I guess it goes to show you that people take the Greens more seriously than the Libs. Go figure. __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..." Last edited by MaggieL; 08-16-2006 at 05:35 AM.

08-16-2006, 07:57 AM	#4
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I guess its not likely that after both old parties have been bitten that they'd do the right thing and reform ballot access, so Greens and Libs would always be there... __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

08-17-2006, 08:01 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Elected person in Harrisburg......"Hmmm, my party is one of two hogs at the trough. Should I make it easier for more hogs to share the slop...or possibly replace one of us? Nope, next question." Won't happen until enough people pressure the politicians. If there were enough people to do that, signatures wouldn't be a problem. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

08-23-2006, 10:44 AM	#7
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Why do you think they call it pork? __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

08-23-2006, 11:47 AM	#8
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Because it isn't kosher. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

08-16-2006, 07:48 AM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Ken was on some early petitions this year but I think really only to make a court challenge the number of petitions needed. The courts shrugged and said "this sucks but it's not really our job to fix" and threw it back at the legislature, which promptly did nothing as always.

08-23-2006, 11:55 AM	#9
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Pigs are cleaner. (n.b. So far, PA's state legislature politicians are the worst politicians I've ever seen. They're emboldened by power they don't deserve, act like they're the world's greatest gift to the citizenry, they're relentlessly political, they don't solve any problems or lead in any sense of the word. These are the morons who elected themselves pay raises at 1AM in the morning hoping nobody would notice, and, having been found out, voted it out at 1AM in the morning hoping nobody would notice. They give themselves $800/month auto leases so they can get limo service to ride to the state capitol. They appear to be unable to solve even minor problems and have permanently backwards-facing arms so they can pat themselves on the back. Most of them are 20-year incumbents because people pull the party lever for those offices as no attention is paid to them. Rant over, I had to get that off my back.)

08-23-2006, 12:20 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I'm not up on the other counties, but Republican machine in Delaware County has built such a stranglehold organization, you can't do anything unless you're registered Republican. Want to start a business, get zoning relief, get a fair court hearing, have your elected officials listen to your problem, and of course, do business with or work for, County or Local Government, register Republican. They're so cocky, they won't even take bribes from non-party members. But, that's the first half of the problem. Like UT said, "people pull the party lever for those offices as no attention is paid to them", which solidifies their power. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

08-23-2006, 04:26 PM	#12
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	This is another reason why he must go. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

08-25-2006, 06:58 AM	#14
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	What do you need? Dads going to the GOP meeting tonight... wrong county. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

08-25-2006, 07:31 AM	#15
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001410.php According to that story, too many Green signatures have been found to be invalid, and so they are challenging the law in PA state supreme court in such a way to require fewer signatures. I expect this will fail and the Greens will be pushed off the ballot.

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