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Guv Hopefuls Court Dems in Delco

Schwartz Delco
Schwartz (third from right) poses with party activists in Delaware County

Drexel Hill — With so many of the Democrats’ gubernatorial hopefuls hailing from eastern Pa., every county party dinner from now until May 2014 will be a battleground.

Friday night in Delaware County was no exception. The annual FDR-JFK Dinner. This year the attendees included governor hopefuls such as Pa. Treasurer Rob McCord and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, and their featured speaker, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.

Schwartz and McCord operatives, identified by prominent stickers worn on their chests, worked the room trying to gain support from their candidate.

Delaware County has gone reliably Democratic in recent statewide elections and will be key for the party’s efforts to take the governor’s mansion in 2014. For primary purposes, the county has the fifth-most registered Dems in the state: 151,000.

When David Landau, Chair of the Delaware County Democratic Committee, gave his introductions, he boasted that this was the “largest Democratic dinner Delaware County has ever seen.”

“It’s a great turnout, even though [this year] we don’t have a governor’s election.”

The irony was lost on no one as Landau introduced honored guests and mentioned Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, for instance, as someone, “who we may see run for governor.”

When it was McCord’s turn to speak, he fired up the crowd with an energetic speech about labor unions, local races, his own successes as Treasurer and the goal defeating of Tom Corbett.

He made the case for a McCord gubernatorial campaign, even though he hasn’t yet made official his intent to run.

“If Tom Corbett ever chooses to attack me saying, ‘oh he doesn’t know anything about the economy,’ I’m going to say, ‘You gotta be kidding me. I’m the one who created a thousand jobs in the business world. Who isn’t a career politician or career bureaucrat and how didn’t make stupid pledges that are damaging and threatening our economy going forward?’ We need that kind of a candidacy, that is very important.”

McCord finished by addressing his potential opponents.

“I have a lot of friends thinking about running for Governor. I have a ton of respect for Congresswoman Schwartz, for Mayor Pawlowski, for Tom Wolf and Katie Mcginty. Sometimes friends compete against each other and are made better for it. And the fact that all of you are willing to work hard now, helps to improve our process. And I encourage you to engage in this like a real job interview.”

Wolf is a former Pa. Revenue Secretary and McGinty is the former Secretary of the Dep’t of Environmental Protection. Both announced their candidacies in recent weeks.

Finally the evening came to a close as Schwartz (D-Montco), the featured speaker, gave her remarks at the podium. (Her keynote spot wasn’t a sign of 2014 favor; she had been invited to keynote the event months before.)

In a manner that sounded like the test run for a stump speech, Schwartz talked about her earliest memory of her dad, her work creating CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) while she was in the State Senate and her time in Congress.

Schwartz attacked Corbett and asked for the support and help of her Democratic companions.

“We see a Governor with the wrong priorities. Like so many of you I’m fed up with it. I refuse to sit idly by and watch what’s going on in Harrisburg and what’s going on in Pennsylvania. And that is exactly why with your help, with your commitment, with your hard work, I am determined to be your next Governor.”

Many Dems are clamoring for the nomination, but one of the biggest potential names was absent Friday night: Joe Sestak, the former congressman, 2010 senate hopeful and Delaware County native.

He has left the door open to a gubernatorial campaign, but has taken no steps that specifically indicate any intent to run.

Varying polls on the Pennsylvania’s governor’s race have shown Sestak in the lead followed by Schwartz.

14 Responses

  1. Eric Bradway The Former Lower Merion Constable is Running for Governor on the Democratic Ticket

  2. Brett-
    Registration edge won’t cross over until 2014 at the earliest (thought definitely by 2016).

    However, the Delco Republicans have a consist (and wide) turnout lead. Nov 2012 was the only election where the turnout margin was under 10% (it was Rep-84% to Dem-79%). All other general elections tend to have a much wider gap (G11 38% to 24%, G10 64% to 50%, G09 35% to 19%)

    As a ratio, it’s it’s often 3 to 2.

    While there are moderate Republicans who vote for Dems in Federal elections (like president), they tend to come out only in the even years, and sit out the local elections. This leaves solid Dems vs solid Reps, with the Dems having a significant turnout disadvantage.

    Part of the GOP advantage is strong-arming county employees to show up at the polls and bring their families, under the threat of losing their politically appointed jobs. While the threat is likely idle (and unenforceable against wide-spread defections), it sure seems to work.

    But, Delco GOP corruption and the Delco courthouse/administration have gone hand-in-hand for a long time.

  3. INCREDIBLE, AINT IT: As recently as 2002, DelCo still had over twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats. In the most recent election, that edge had shrunk to just over a one-percent margin! Democrats claiming the registration edge there will happen next year (if not this one) and the gubernatorial primary will help ensure it.

  4. Sean-

    Actually, the Gosnell case makes the pro-choice point that women should have access to safe abortions, when they exercise their RIGHT to have them.

    As for late-term abortions, they represent less than 1% of abortions, as most (i.e. >99%) of women have already made their decision long before that.

  5. At least Rob McCord tried to shine some light on some local issues, like the candidates running in the County and the hotel being built on township land with township commissioners’ blessing using non-prevailing wage workers, degrading wages, benefits and standards in the area and hurting working families. Thank you Mr. McCord for shining light on local issues in Delaware County and not just using Delaware County as a stepping stone.

  6. http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/jennifer-morbelli-new-rochelle-teacher-died-of-complications-after-abortion-medical-examiner-says-1.4681091

    I guess the real war on women is being posed by the Leftist.

    Also, the method of Gosnell’s abortions would have been perfectly legal had the baby been still completely inside the woman. This is what late term abortions are and he did exactly that. He advertised on his website that he performed them. Here is a link to pictures from the case. http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/what-i-saw-at-the-gosnell-trial/article_c15d6904-cd3c-55b7-970f-f8e510182daf.html?mode=image

    As a former Abortion Clinic operator, Schwartz should have spoken up immeadiately regarding this case. She has a responsibility to respond because she was first a member of the industry and secondly a regulator in both the state and federal legistlatures.
    And finally, read the indictment from the grand jury. it reads like a horro story and contrary to opinion, this is exactly what pro-abortionist have always wanted, Gosnell Gave them that.

    This case is not a bigger story because the Abortionist know it will turn pro-choice people pro-life in an instant.

  7. Sean-
    Gosnell went beyond abortions, and that is why he is on trial. He also appears to have engaged in some practices that violated AMA rules/standards that should result in the loss of his medical license.

    I suspect that Schwartz’s opinion on Gosnell is abortions should remain safe and legal, and that Gosnell was not representative of abortion providers.

    So, Sean, you can try to be a provocateur about the issue. However Schwartz had no involvement with Gosnell and didn’t advocate his particular brand of medicine.

    By your reasoning (attempt to single out Schwartz), you would chastise former police chiefs whenever a rogue cop got caught.

  8. So a congresswoman who ran an abortion clinic shouldn’t give her opinion on the Gosnell Case where women were treated like animals and babies were born alive and murdered routinely?

    Wow, the leftist really are touchy about Gosnell. I guess the fact that he gave the feminist exactly what they wanted is irrelevant.

  9. Yeah Sean, because a criminal who abuses a practice that McCord, Schwartz etc. support is totally equivalent to a Senate candidate who degrades rape victims.

  10. How many questions did these hopefuls recieve about Kermit Gosnell and the severe baby heads he kept in jars?

    Romney was grilled about Akins, it is only fair as Schwartz herself was an abortion mill owner.

  11. ProudLiberal-

    Does anyone with a two or three digit IQ actually believe that Sestak takes long to make a decision?

    He decides WAY in advance. He’s just takes a LONG time to announce the decisions he’s already made, in order to play games and generate speculation (= free publicity).

    Sestak never intended to run for his old seat in 2012, because it was a “step backwards”. He ran initially to make a name for himself, for his real goal of Senate. But it was clear from his first bad vote (supporting Bush funding of Iraq War and violating campaign promise) that he didn’t want to be a congressman subject to criticism and two-year election cycle. (In 2007, he childishly responded to the peace movement criticism by threatening not to run again: i.e. take his ball and go home to Virginia)

    There is not a chance in the world that Sestak is running for Gov or even considering it. He’s not dumb enough to take on a large field of popular candidates (most of whom are better funded. better staffed, and are better regarded/liked).

    This is all a game. “Sestak for Gov” is like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown. The fools keep trying to kick the “football”. The key is to “kick” Sestak out of the game.

  12. I’m a big supporter of Sestak but he’s taking too long to make a decision — just like he did with running for his old House seat in 2012.

    I’m rooting for Schwartz. She has the fundraising potential and she will excite voters, especially women.

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