He looked shell-shocked.Early this afternoon, I visited the dark and dank halls of the Governor Wolf building because Will Power , candidate for Northampton County Council, was having a press conference. Reason? To refute countless accusations, some of them twenty years old, hurled by his mean-spirited opponent, Lamont McClure.
Will knew this was coming. John Morganelli warned him. So did I. Even the oracle, BTNP, had predicted McClure would launch a nuclear strike against Power. But Will still seemed unprepared for the vicious nature of these attacks. He quietly called it an "all time low, at least in 2007."
Power has spent no money to deliver his message. But McClure, between January 1 and the end of April, has raked in a cool $16,500. And as he's done in his previous losing bids, he's relied mostly on special interests - big city lawyers, the DA's office (where his wife works), and an alphabet soup of unions. Very little of his money is local.
And McClure has spent this money to pummel a little guy - a bridge guard, father, and husband - into submission. It's been ugly. But whether he realizes it or not, McClure's negative campaign has accomplished what Power himself was unable to do - establish some name recognition.
At the end of a lonely hall, Power set up his briefcase, boom box and a laptop computer with a picture of his baby son as a screen saver. And waited. And waited. For the mainstream press -last refuge of little people bullied by the powerful.
Reporters Joe Nixon and Sarah Cassi answered Power's request and attended his press conference. They listened sympathetically as Power defended himself. "He tells only half the story at best." Whatever they write, which depends on other stories and limited space, will be Power's sole campaign ad. And it won't be enough. He'll lose Tuesday.
The saddest thing, at least for me, was a video broadcast, now seven years old. Among the many stones cast by McClure, Power supposedly assaulted his own disabled brother. Unfortunately, he has passed away a few years ago, so we listened to a surreal voice from the past on the laptop. "My brother never struck me or did anything to hurt me. I apologize for what I did. I love 'ya, brother." At times, he would use pet names I don't quite get. It was very moving, yet so very sad.
McClure would have easily defeated Power without a negative message. But that wasn't enough. He had to kick Power while he was down. Make sure he doesn't take your lunch money. Tuesday, McClure will be the Democratic nominee for Northampton County Council.
Makes you proud, doesn't it?
Lamont McClueless personifies everything that is wrong with local politics. He isn't qualified to work as a street sweeper, he probably couldn't read the instructions to assemble a broom.
ReplyDeleteAnd on Tuesday, he'll be the nominee for council in my district. Aren't I lucky?
ReplyDeletePolitics is hell. Power has to recognize his past will always come into a campaign. That's reality. It's not a good thing I would argue, but it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteI felt very bad for the guy, especially when he was playing the video of his brother. It was sad.
ReplyDeleteI know politics is hell. I saw that very clearly both yesterday and today.
Oh boo-freakin-hoo. If someone makes himself a public figure he should be prepared to deal with the consequences of his past. If he can't handle getting a little beat up in a primary election how could he ever handle a Northampton County Council meeting?
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:22, Spoken with great compassion! Am I related to you?
ReplyDeleteWell, if he played the video of his deceased brother in his own defense....shame on him. That's ill. Defending yourself in a campaign by your brother's voice from before his death. Where's the human decency in that? That makes me believe even more he assaulted his brother. What kind of person would sell the soul of a deceased disabled brother for his own personal gain. Way to go, Will. Just when I thought that politics couldn't reach any lower, you set a new threshold.
ReplyDeleteThe real bastard is in this little saga is not Will Power. You will eventually find out just how low politics can go.
ReplyDeleteyou're probably right..I don't understand much of this kind of politics. how much lower could it be? are you suggesting mcClure is doing more against will?
ReplyDeleteYes, I know nasty fliers were being delivered even today. For some reason, I'm not on Lamont's list.
ReplyDeleteOkay, well enough is enough. how many mailings does he need to get that message across. you're probably right--he's beating to death the proverbial dead horse and will power is not worth the fight or expense. he's not going to win and yet, the pummeling seems to keep coming. agreed, enough already. move on and stop slamming will power. you pointed out his "nasties" and that should suffice. A whole campaign of negative mailings is exhausting to the public and does give politics and politicians a bad name. Voters get the bad taste in their mouths that keeps them from polls.
ReplyDeleteHe could have defeated Will easily without going dark.
ReplyDeletePolitics sucks. I am always amazed by who is perceived as bad and good. It seems to be who is the sucker and who is the suckee. MaClure is no houshold name and never pulled great numbers. Two people McClure/Power who knows. He went negative. You can change your name but not your record. Power is a nut and you know that. Elections are funny things you never know what will happen. In 05 Reibman runs no campaign Stoffa and the press hammer him Stoffa wins. In the fall Nyce runs no campaign, Stoffa wins. Reibman could have slamed Stoffa on his failures in Lehigh County but ran an incompetent campaign. Nyce had a file on Stoffa but for some reason, some say a below the belt personal threat by the Stoffa campaign and Nyce ran an incompetent campaign. One mailer on Stoffas record and he may have never won. Point being never underestimate your opponent, hit first hit hard and Politics Sucks. There are no good or bad guys just degrees of grey. Save the sermons for the religious blogs
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:00,
ReplyDeleteNah, Don't make the mistake of embracing that dark side. There are very successful pols who NEVER have run a negative campaign. Grucela is a good local example. Rendell is a good example on a state level. Those guys have never run a dirty campaign.
by Will Power:
ReplyDeleteLook at Lamont McClure, Jr. and who he takes money from, and bend over, for you are being f#*ked.
It is a world full of great needs and apathy at the same time. More people apply at McDonalds for a job in a day than decide to run for office in the great USA. These people take a shot at the middle to bottom of the totem poll, and that’s their game. My game is aiming high...some can say it’s been since I was 22, and ran for Mayor of Bethlehem. Along the way, I’ve learned to take it easy and count my blessings, so I stay involved in politics because I see the need, but I won’t take it so seriously so as to neglect the more important things in life, among them is personal integrity.
You see, I have a first class wife and son, and live in a neighborhood where I have many times cut my neighbor’s lawn (they don’t vote) and had another neighbor (who is a Republican) not only help shovel out our car but even help push my wife’s car a whole block until it was unstuck in the snow. If only politics could be as pure and caring and as close to Jesus’ great commission to love your neighbor as you love yourself (the 11th Commandment in the New Testament) as my neighborhood is.
I’ve worked with a lot of cut-throat people and witnessed the lowest of lows in the higher you go up society’s food chain…go figure. It is so nasty out there, you got to be willing to take the punches like Rocky Balboa. I can take a punch, trust me, and the reason why is because the words of Jesus who told us in the Bible that (paraphrasing) they came to destroy me because I bring light and they belong to the world of darkness, and darkness just doesn’t want to cooperate with light.
So as I continue life’s journey, I get stronger as the competition grows, and still fight the fight by the rules I hold myself accountable to. For example, in the blog world so many chumps out there only write anonymous comments, not allowing the reader to consider the source…which has everything to do with the “facts” they portray, which certainly may not be true, and are so very often just their biased spin. How can the reader know without knowing the writer of a comment if the writer is reputable or an ass???
Anyway, I can see we are losing America to capitalistic influences that aim too much at profits for the few and the direction towards poverty for the rest. Yes, capitalism is good, but why in the USA, and even more so in the world are their far too few with all the “capital” and far too many with the just the “ism.” ???
Nationally it is Republicans like Bush and Cheney…warmongers using your tax dollars to cut your services for your children and your grandchildren’s schools lying to you about how they want to spread democracy to the Middle East after they stole the 2000 election and further perverted our democracy in a myriad of ways.
Who, locally, is taking advantage of the system and keeping you down??? Look at Lamont McClure, Jr. and who he takes money from, and bend over, for you are being f#*ked. I wouldn’t take your money for my campaign, I’d only fight for you to keep more of your paycheck, and to pay less taxes. The crooks in government have taken too much from us already!
- Will Power
Will 2:28
ReplyDeleteBend over, F@#$, asses. Would Jesus say those words. For a religious guy you still sound like an angry young man. I wish you well but not as an elected official.
Bernie!
ReplyDeleteI personally know ALL of the parties involved in this skirmish. So I will only comment in a general sense to provide you and your readers with a cold-hearted, trained political assassin's point of view . . .
What we are witnessing here really defies the fundamental laws of political physics.
It also runs counter to the traditional, sacred incumbent playbook.
That means Lamont's advisers know something we don't.
1) You NEVER attack your opponent unless you are behind. (Unless you are a spineless shitbag like Charlie Dent and panic at the mere thought of having any opponent, because you know full well how shitty your polling numbers really are.)
2) A well-funded incumbent should NEVER acknowledge that he or she EVEN HAS an opponent--especially an opponent with no money, no record of accomplishments to run on, and no political base.
3) You NEVER burn money in the Primary unless it's absolutely necessary for you to survive and advance, because it will always come back to bite you big time in the General Election in the fall;
4) You NEVER level a personal attack against a family member of a 3-term, sitting, senior State Senator who was just re-elected with 73% of the vote unless you have such a serious, irrational death wish that you WANT to commit political suicide; and
5) 3 negative campaign mailings right before the election cannot win more hearts, minds, and votes than a solid record of hard work, a passionate commitment to stand up for over-burdened taxpayers, and the ability to fight every single day for what is best for the people you represent, without a shred of hesitation or fear.
I have a hunch that all is not what it seems to be, just because of the tell-tale signs mentioned above.
We will, of course, have much more information to help us connect the dots and draw different conclusions next Wednesday morning.
Semper fido!
Bernie Takes NO Prisoners
Will Power wrote:
ReplyDeleteAllow me to clarify two things here:
1) The voice that was played on the Ron Angle show and in from of Bernie O’Hare and Joe Nixon and Sara Casi was that of MY BROTHER.
It was his voice saying to me and addressing whoever was listening that I, Will Power (aka Darin Stofko) never struck him, my Brother Dave Stofko, and it was Dave’s own testimony that he called the police and told them things out of revenge that were not true about me. He further told how he, David loved me and was sorry for what he done. One may think by the way you wrote it B. O'Hare that it was I who was talking in your quotes, so people should know it was my brother Dave stating what you quoted.
2) Lamont, you can’t get away with your lies and dirty campaigning. I am slowly but surely looking at a civil case against you now, and it just may be filed at a time you and Joe Long don’t like, and it may haunt you for quite a while. You may want to file for bankruptcy in your near future so I don’t take all of your campaign school tuition savings along with your house.
BTNP,
ReplyDeleteYou're right. McClure is a nasty person. The more people get to know him, the less there is to like. But he may very well be the next county councilman. I can't see Will beating him. I understand the R in this campaign, although a nice guy, has a lot on his plate and may not be able to campaign.
Your boss released a statement for the press. You could have emailed me that statement and it would have been published here in its entirety. Right now, all I have is one sentence from Joe Nixon's story.
I think Larry K. a smart guy who has been around, summed it up the best. He is usually right on about people. You may not always agree with everything about them but most importantly what's inside, their heart and soul if you like.
ReplyDelete