Incumbents rarely lose an election unless plagued by some sort of scandal, so nobody expected State Rep. Karen Beyer to lose a primary against political newcomer Justin Simmons. But she did. That's why we have elections and horse races.Democrats, who have fielded another political newcomer, Michael Horton, are surprised, too. Horton, unlike Simmons, had no primary opposition and has been conspicuously absent from summer events like this Summer's Latin Extravaganza, held in Jordan Park. An Allentown Democratic committeeman has asked me, "Where is he?"
What I've heard is that Horton is being pressured by the state party to withdraw in favor of a more formidable candidate. Allentown City Council member and Jennifer Mann legislative aide Pete Schweyer is the Golden Child, but has not committed.
If Horton intends to withdraw, he must do so by August 9.
37 comments:
simmons only wins if he is up against Horton. If Schweyer gets in to this race, he destroys. Schweyer will knock on as many, if not more, doors and he is generally well regarded on the south side.
Why bother having primaries? For that matter why bother with elections? Let’s just let the Mullahs in Harrisburg and DC tell us simple people who are representatives are.
Typical Democrat politics.
Simmons can only hope that Schweyer enters the race. Then Schweyer can defend his rubber-stamp votes that have made Allentown what it is today.
This is power-politics at its worst.
The Dem bosses want to replace an African-American, West Point grad with a political "yes" man who was mentioned in BonusGate for doing political work on taxpayer time?
Why? To keep their power.
They should be ashamed!
So, let me get this straight... Party voters gave Horton the nomination, and now Democrat leaders want to force him aside and install a political puppet? Ethical.
Any democrat who took the time to vote on primary day should be outraged.
Democrat voters across the district should contact their committee people, county chairman and state party chairman to tell them:
It's our choice, not yours!
Horton won fair and square - he (and the voters) shouldn't have this stolen from him by political bosses.
Both parties pull this crap and it's how we end up with the worst performing, most criminally affiliated legislature in the US. In many states this would be called an affront to voters. In PA, it's called Monday.
Ok how would a 23 year old, with no real experience at paying a mortgage, ( Ala Frank The Entertainer who also lives in his parents basement right) or a 23 year old working a real non political job, win against a West Point/ former Corp executive.
Beyer's loss,primarily because of the Tea party's hatred of incumbents plus he had a funny commercial I must admit ROFL
But I MUST KNOW did you overhear this plot Bernie? ..or was it just a fun jab at Mike Horton because he didn't make the event....
Because Beyer's loss gives the D's an easy win ..Bill White called it ..I thought Karen was the logical call but the Tea Party gave R's no real choice ....
I heard it from two politicos this AM and it was later confirmed. But I do not know if Schweyer wants to run.
Horton's camoaign is supposedly going nowhere bc he doesn't listen, won't door knock, and generally doesn't get it.
So the feeling is that, if Schweyer steps in, he'll work his ass off to win.
Also, if Scgweyer runs and wins, there goes D'Amiore's potential competition for the Mayor's slot.
Guess who takes a shot at Mayor and wins?
Or so I'm told
Let's just hope that Schweyer is not planning on knocking those doors while on the State payroll or we're in store for Dem Bonusgate The Sequel.
That's funny because I think Schweyer is Mikes future Campaign Manager for Mayor there is no competition there, they are in the same camp....
This sounds like the workings of the Politicos with the combined 2intials of F.S.C.M.R.P.O. am I right?
I find it funny that Horton hit over 2500 doors during the primary (per his email updates I got one 2 weeks ago he's doing allot) and continues to hit doors and no politicos are talking about that ..hmmmm
.He's going directly to the street to meet the voters instead of sucking up to the local politicos or playing their games right? hmmmm
The stuff he gets is, don't waste time talking to local politicos and don't report to the wrong chain of command, after all he was fighting for our county when Jusin Simons was getting out of his Huggies..
he's talking to the voters bypassing the politicos and it seems they don't like it....
attempting to use you and your blog in the process to sew seeds of doubt and call for a draft Peter.S.
That would make it a real competitive race....because right now who in their right mind would vote for a 23 kid vs a 46 year old West Point grad/Corp exe....there's no competition
but add a young beaurocrat with no industry experince, outside of politics against Simmons and then there is a race...both young both without real jobs...I DONT GET IT BERNIE....
Hey I hope Horton stays in the race, but am passing along what I've heard.
I got the initials right . you can confirm by denying it
OT; How will you spin the destruction of Gracedale by Angle and Stoffa. It did not have to come to this but this was their plan all along.
A very sad day for the sick and elderly on Northampton county.
I am confirming or denying nothing, and have no idea what all those initials mean anyway.
Anon 6:30, You are OT. I will have a separate post about the lease or sale of Gracedale, and you can fire at will there.
Another devious Democrat snell game. Lift up one shell and find Horton; lift up another and it's Schweyer. Do yourself a favor and find out why Martin Luther King was a Republican, and you will understand the true ugly history and nature of the Democrat party. Democrats lied to us about Medicare taking care of us in our old age after paying into it all of our lives, but the Democrats are now rationing payments to providers and the rationing is accelerating with ObamaCare. Democrats lied to us about the Social Security, and the Democrats put the "trust fund" into the general budget in the 1960s and it's going broke like Medicare. The Democrat party is the party of the Four S's: Slavery, Succession, Segregation, and Socialism. Did you know that the KKK was formed as the terrorist arm of the Democrat Party? So much for Democrats and "trust".
"Do yourself a favor and find out why Martin Luther King was a Republican"
This is the most egregious statement I have ever seen on this blog...
This from Tea Party members that appear to be sensitive about the political party of M L King...he voted for Kennedy...Do you think Johnson would help a Republican?....Stop using the name of Martin Luther King or making these false claims ,,go to the library and read a book on the civil rights movement and understand it had nothing to do with partisan politics...then find a person that doesn't look like you and try to make a friend
xoxomf
Oh. This is such BS. If PS wanted the position why didn't he enter the race.
This Is why Allentown is in the shape it is. Just a bunch of yes men. They have no cajones to take a stand.
City council meetings are a joke. A bunch of clowns acting like they think they no what they are doing.
They know diddle. All is well and they are allowed to play politics as long as they are the good little boys the party wants them to be.
Meow! Meow!
Horton - do not quit! Screw these goons.
If this is how Mike Horton's campaign responds to a little political pressure then they are a bunch of children. By putting this out there that his campaign is getting pressure it does not make him look like the outsider fighting the "man", it makes him look like "a weak candidate who will not get any support from the Party so why should I give him my money or support?" This is Amateur night at the comedy club. And Bernie, even if his campaign did not give you this story I know they have been leaking it to anyone who will listen in the media. Instead of whining like a 5 year old that nobody likes me, run a damn campaign. This shit is not rocket science. He is not raising money or talking to people who live in his district who have offered him help. He is also not knocking doors as he falsely states in his emails as there is no evidence of this and he is claiming he is knocking on hundreds of doors per day which is bull. I am a Dem who really wants to win this district and I have personally offered to help Horton in anyway on numerous occasions and have been ignored. I also know plenty of others who have been blown off as well. This guy thinks that all he had to do was get on the ballot and that was it. My prediction is that Horton will loose by around 7-9 points at this rate. I hope I am wrong but it is to late to start and have any hope of winning.
When Horton was the sole Dem on the ballot and he was largely regarded as a sacrificial lamb, that was ok. But now that a Dem actually has a shot at winning, is he supposed to step aside for someone who did not run in the primary?
Actually, I don't know Horton and have heard the same complaint as you are making about his campaign, but this should really be his choice, don't you think?
Bernie, I don't disagree with you. But as it is his choice, it is also the responsibility of the House Democratic Campaign Committee and the Party leadership to do everything possible to win each and every house seat. Let me ask you a question. If you were in charge of this group and you had a candidate who is not doing any of the work in a district that is winable especially with Simmons weaknesses, wouldn't you talk to him or her and see if they will step aside for someone who will do the work to win? And for the record the Party can not force him out. Only he can remove his name from the ballot at this point. They can however say to him if you don't do the work we will not give you support which is not only there right but their duty. The HDCC spent thousands defending Horton in a legal challenge in the primary. They would not have done that if they did not want him to run at the time.
Two points.
First, anon 8:37 please share your magic mushrooms with the rest of us. I haven't heard that much of a psychedelic distortion of history since watching Oliver Stone's "JFK".
Second, Bernie this is the classic tear down strategy. Those that want Horton out will now start the," he does not work, he is lazy" routine. Whenever some folks want to discredit someone or give a reason why some master plan didn't work the thing to do is to claim the candidate "didn't work". I have seen it used on others and I believe that is part of the strategy here. Start to disrupt Mr. Horton's campaign from within the Democratic power clique. As far as lazy. What the Hell has Schweyer done. He has been and is a political operative that now sits on city council. The guy just happens to be part of the Allentown Dem inner circle.
Mr. Horton should just run and let Schweyer, Mann and the rest of the Allentown Dem's pound sand.
The Cardinal
Schweyer is a good man. He would be great in the job if he wants it. It would be Allentown's and Jenn Mann's loss, though.
Schweyer is far from a rubber stamp council person. He does everything possible to help Allentown. If we had more people like him in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown would be a better place.
It's funny watching Tea Party infiltrators starting obvious sabotage...I'm not taking the bait but some people are...
D'Amore has no shot a being Mayor.
The guy has no executive experience and is actually quite dangerous to the city because of his strong pro-union ideology.
I never would have thought of the Dem party bosses pushing this story, but it does make sense. They need him out, so start making him look bad.
Mike Horton -- keep on running and tell the party hacks to stay away!
At this point, you shouldn't take their money and should publicly state you don't want them coming into your district with or without your cooperation.
Show them what a real Democrat, committed to the right issues, can do!
"Show them what a real Democrat, committed to the right issues, can do!"
With no party support, and no infastructure of his own that would be lose badly.
Horton is all fluff and mirrors. This guy is a joke. Best thing for the Dems is to replace this guy with someone that has a chance to win.
I just talked to the Rick Daugherty Chairmen of the Democratic Party and he stands behind Mike Horton.
This whole nonsense is conducted by Democratic cohorts that will sink to surprising new lows just sowing seeds of discord in the Party..
or it's teabaggers causing trouble again..
Ok, if you talked to Rick Daugherty and you are so in the know who is behind this nefarious horrible plot to actually win an election?
Who's behind this nonsense....you use rather big words...here is a big word for......
Proactive........
Beware Justin! The slimey Democrats are about to Torricelli you!
Typical dirty politics.
Horton was a VP of 2 fortune 500 companies and he left that to help people as a Constable. Really?
This guy is a Joke. He has already had 2 campaign managers in a week. Pete is the only chance the Dems have.
Schweyer is a snake. If he wants the job run in two years. end of story. I assure you I and many other Democrats will vote for the Republican if this nonsense continues.
This is why the Allentown Democratic machine is despised by many rank and file democrats and Independents.
After all, the message to the Salisbury part of the District is, if you love Allentown you will love Schweyer.
Wesley Clark went to West Point and I wouldn't vote for him to be DOG CATCHER. I agree this guys a joke. Run Pete Run
That is all we need: more reasons for Schweyer's head to swell and for him to be pompous; and more power for Jennifer Mann.
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