tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post3477872606235776184..comments2019-08-14T13:05:16.713-07:00Comments on Voice of the Mountain: Electioneering IIShawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-26148725298383384142013-02-17T00:33:05.330-08:002013-02-17T00:33:05.330-08:00I think that anyone does a disservice to brand any...I think that anyone does a disservice to brand anything arbitrarily as Democrat versus Republican. My late father was hired as a salaried employee at Hammermill in Lock Haven as a power superintendant many years ago and suffered for having to go into work during the strike, because he was not a union employee. When he learned that they were locking out the union employees, he called and warned them. I was in high school at the time and lost contact with a dear friend, because he was not 'allowed' to communicate with me, given the nonsense of the strike. Being conservative and demanding accountability of human behavior does not arbitrarily make me a Republican, as Shawn can attest (we registered Green together). He chose, as a responsible father and husband, to go to work to provide for his family. I find that the nonsense of political correctness feeds only the lawyers, looking to make a buck....Howie Piatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582333382622784371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-46747101917624450222013-02-09T07:20:48.257-08:002013-02-09T07:20:48.257-08:00A wise old pol named Tip O'Neill said that all...A wise old pol named Tip O'Neill said that all politics are local. And boy, was he right. By controlling things at the local level, the GOP maintains power in state houses in these swing states. <br />Oh, and by the way, our esteemed Governor currently has the lowest approval ratings EVER! <br />Not just 'ever' in his term, but 'ever' in the historical sense. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09858636080095980932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-30195862316483257892013-02-07T13:01:55.002-08:002013-02-07T13:01:55.002-08:00SW
The statistic is neither misleading nor "...SW<br /><br />The statistic is neither misleading nor "technically" true. It's just true. I pulled it from the Pennsylvania website. There are 8.2 million registered voters in Pennsylvania. 3.05 million are republican (37%). 4.12 million (about 50%)are democratic. That leaves 13% who identify as other. You might be libertarian and I wish the republicans would listen to the wisdom of the libertarian reasoning. I am a very odd duck, being "green" party because I'm all about the environment. But there are plenty of people who choose an independent stance, like I do, that leans left and plenty who choose an independent stance and lean right as, perhaps, a libertarian might. Still, according to Nate Silver's article (linked) Pennsylvania is one of the least "elastic" states in the nation, meaning we don't vote across party lines very much. Enter Mr. Pileggi, who wants to get some electoral love regardless of the majority. You might dislike Pa. going democratic in national elections, but you enjoy a republican hegemony in local elections.<br /><br />siShawn Inlowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-50977788576718268232013-02-07T12:31:15.919-08:002013-02-07T12:31:15.919-08:00I'm not willing to wait for other states to gr...I'm not willing to wait for other states to grow a brain stem, got enough to worry about just trying to get my own state in line. Pileggi is doing this for party political reasons for sure, but it's something that should have been done long ago so I'm pretty much taking the stance of "Do it Faster"<br /><br />Also tossing that 37% number around will get you a job with MSNBC. It is misleading while being technically true. The DNC doesn't fare much better in polls that ask party name, and if you take away the issues and simply ask policy questions neither party does well. Shawn Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-67442515889392499482013-02-07T11:05:43.892-08:002013-02-07T11:05:43.892-08:00Good comments, Mr. Wilson, and I agree with you pa...Good comments, Mr. Wilson, and I agree with you part way. Pa. is a critical state in the coming elections based on some of Nate Silver's writing which I linked to. So Pileggi's effort is strategic. Nobody's recommending the same thing in states like Texas or Mississippi or Louisiana or Kansas.<br /><br />As it stands, almost no states do it the way Pileggi wants to do it. And I, for one, am tired of being represented by one party when most of the votes are for the other. The republicans in Pa. have gotten so audacious with the gerrymandering process that they're ensuring a permanent republican rule in our state when only 37% of the voters identify with them. Having consolidated that power, they wanna export it to the national stage. In total, it's dirty pool.<br /><br />If they wanna do it here, I suggest they do it everywhere and then I'm fine with it. But don't pull that junk in swing states when you know Alabama democrats are not getting the same treatment.<br /><br />siShawn Inlowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-82000011976776583042013-02-07T10:53:59.656-08:002013-02-07T10:53:59.656-08:00Can't agree with you on this one. (not the jer...Can't agree with you on this one. (not the jerrymandering issue, which BTW both parties do. Check out some of the seats in New York, California and Mass.) Electoral votes should be based on Congressional districts in every state. Why should our votes here in Central PA be made meaningless due to the simple fact that Philly is inside our borders? I was against Nebraska going winner take all a couple of years ago just to keep the DNC from getting the Omaha Electoral vote, I am for PA making my vote meaningful.Shawn Wilsonnoreply@blogger.com