Republican state committee members from around the state converged on Hershey today to rally the faithful in a tough election year.
Approximately 400 Republicans filled the Red Room at the Hershey Lodge to listen to Lt. Governor Jim Cawley, Governor Tom Corbett and featured keynote speaker Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
PA GOP Chairman Rob Gleason kicked off the evening with a well-received Obama knock.
“Are you ready to send a message to President Obama that Pennsylvania is a red state?,” Gleason asked.
The Lt. Gov. took the stage next.
“We hired someone to fix [Pennsylvania’s financial state]; we hired Tom Corbett. And he’s working hard for all of us. Let’s be clear, we are not going to give [the Democrats] another chance,” he said. “I’ll tell you what we are going to do, we are going to work hard every day we are going to knock on every door in this state we are going to talk to everyo one of our neighbors and tell them that Corbett has the right vision. And on November 4th we are going to be celebrating another four more years.”
Congressmen Glen Thompson, Charlie Dent and Tom Marino introduced the governor with a string of football metaphors and gave Corbett a football helmet, calling him their team captain for the “Pennsylvania Super Bowl” on November 4th.
The Governor finally took the stage after dinner, looking lean and jovial, cracking a few jokes before he introduced the guest of honor, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
“Jim and I, with your help, are going to win again in November,” he said, to great applause, before going into his full introduction of Barbour. “He has done it all, Haley Barbour. Let’s give him a warm Pennsylvania welcome.”
Barbour took the stage to a standing ovation as he recognized committee members with a warm, Southern drawl.
“We are a party that stands for individual freedom and personal responsibility. This is the party of freedom and I thank you for leading the party of freedom in this great state,” Barbour said. “I want to take a chance to talk to you like a party chair – you are the leaders of our party in this great Commonwealth and we’re all in this together because this is an important year for our party.”
Barbour applauded the work of Tom Corbett, talking about job creation, the failures of Obamacare and the role of the party in getting their friends to the polls in November.
He talked about the problems of conservative pure-ism, and also surprised everyone with a variation of a James Carville quote.
“We ascribe to the belief that Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle.”
Despite the warm reception Corbett received from committee members, it wasn’t a great week in polling for the incumbent.
According to Franklin and Marshall, only 23% of Pennsylvanians thought he deserved reelection. He did better with just Republicans, with 41% saying he deserved reelection, but another poll from Gravis found that just 38% of Republicans wanted to give Corbett a second term. While it’s unlikely that the Governor will have trouble in a primary, these numbers don’t bode well for the general election.
10 Responses
“Hailey Barbour is a lobbyist! The GOP’s keynote speaker is a lobbyist. Just when you think the Gop has stopped surprising you!”
Why would that be a surprise? Now old Abe Lincoln might be surprised someone like Barbour would be speaking at his namesake dinner…
Haley Barbour is former Mississippi governor.
Haley Barbour’s title is “former” Mississippi Gov.
Hailey Barbour is a tool. They should have invited Haley Mills to be the keynote speaker.
Hailey Barbour is a lobbyist! The GOP’s keynote speaker is a lobbyist. Just when you think the Gop has stopped surprising you!
Dear COS Leslie Gromis-Baker: What is the Corbett Administration’s policy on pardons? Who is handling pardons in Corbett’s office?
Dear Mr. Jon Micek: Great coverage of the PAGOP Winter meeting! My boys and girls said the event had the atmosphere of a funeral wake, well an Irish one for sure. http://blog.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2014/01/in_hershey_this_is_the_w
inter.html#incart_flyout_opinion
PAGOP CHAIR ROB GLEASON: Dismiss Bob Guzzardi at your own peril! He’s no RINO and he won’t run a racist campaign that damages the future of the GOP! http://trib.me/1cFhFok
Haley Barberian Pardoned Thousands of Criminals and Murderers on his last day in office I guess Corbett is going to do the same thing
“Are you ready to send a message to President Obama that Pennsylvania is a red state?”
Umm… Nope. The message is: “PA is Blue!”
“We are a party that stands for individual freedom and personal responsibility”
Umm… except if you want to marry someone you love or use contraception.