In a recent letter to the editor, Palmer Township tea party activist Mathew Benol claims that "Our district can provide better leadership than [Charlie] Dent. His voting record proves he is not a conservative Republican."Apparently, Benol considers himself that leader. According to his own Meetup page, he'll be challenging LV Congressman Charlie Dent in the Republican primary. Local conservative Chris Miller congratulates Benol. "I was happy to see you step up and announce that you are going to challenge Charlie. Charlie has a great smile but he is not a conservative. I do think he has stopped getting invitations to the White House."
I don't know much about Benol, having just found out about him late yesterday afternoon. When I do, I'll let you know.
37 comments:
As a champion of the underdog and freedom, I am sure you will support Mr. Bendol.
He's got to be right though, eh, Bernie?
If a Democrat like yourself supports Dent, how could he really be standing up for Republican values?
I've stated this repeatedly.. The Republicans are looking for some wins coming up. Then along comes this "Tea Party" which will split conservatives' chances of unseating democrats.
The thorn for liberals are/where the Green Party (Nader) & Patriot Party (Perot) so shall too be "The Tea Party" for the conservatives.
Dent: a mediocre politician for a mediocre community.
Rylock, Dent is a good representative. The fact that he pisses off both you and the far right tell me he agrees with the other 80% of us! Give me that anytime over any of you radicals, left or right.
Having said that, I am glad that there is interest in a 3rd political party again. We need it desperately as the problems we have now were a joint effort by Ds and Rs. If anyone went back and looked at all the facts, that comes out very clearly.
The Banker
Heard shameful Republican commercial yesterday attacking Callahan. Calls Callahan "beady eyed." What has happened to the Charlie Dent we knew.
LVCI may be right. Remember
when Allentown's Emma lost because another D competed against her. Republicans may split the vote and lose.
Rylock, He is right. Charlie Dent is no conservative Republican. He is basically a centrist.
Anon 8:19, That "shameful" commercial is posted here.
"Dent: a mediocre politician for a mediocre community."
Posted by Jonathan Schall, Callahan's Florida, NY, Iowa and California campaign manager?
Surprisingly, I agree with the Banker. Dent is more of a centrist or moderate. That's why he chaired the Tuesday Group. Very influential and courted by both parties. Most residents of the Lehigh Valley are centrists and hate the radicalization of both parties. That's why Dent wins. He represents that. If another centrist appears, THEN, you will have tight election.
LVCI, I'm w/ Banker on this point. While I hate to see Dent challenged, even by a Democrat, I understand the importance to democracy of the perspective provided by third party candidates. Lincoln was a third party candidate. Unfortunately, most third party candidates are not Lincoln, although they think they are King Leonidas.
I saw it written on this blog yesterday and couldn’t agree more, the goal of every conservative and moderate voter should be to defeat the Democrats next fall. The Democrat Party now having full control of the government is showing its true and extreme colors.
Scott Armstrong
Scott, I do not think the Democrats are extrmist any more than I think Republicans are extremists and would look at each candidate on his or her own merits.
Having said that, I see your point. Right now, we are hurling ourselves off a cliff at 90 mph. I appreciate that Rs are suggesting we slow down and think. So is the Senate.
I'd like to see Obama put together one bipartisan bill.
Bernie,
There are of course many reasonable Democrats but who can reasonably defend what the Democrats in Washington are engaged in now, on many levels, in many areas, and with multiple pieces of legislation. Unless you are on the far left you have to be concerned.
Scott Armstrong
Bernie can't you simply forward Rylock to Villa's blog. In fact rylock sounds like Villa. Or as an alternative I am suggesting that rylock set up his own blog. Really, I am tired of his bantering all the time about Dent. And if he is so rightous, why won't he sign his real name to his posts. rylock, give me a break.
Bob Romancheck
Bob;
Rylock does have his own blog.. "The Progressive Process."
Bob,
Rylock, Jonathan, Jacob and anyone else who wants to defend Obama or his policies are always welcome here. They force me to defend my views and I force them to defend theirs. Rylock has not hidden his real name, and does have his own blog, to which I link.
The strength of a blog is interactivity. People with different views are free to express themselves, so long as they can keep it from deteriorating to the personal level. May the better argument win.
Rylock, Dent is a good representative. The fact that he pisses off both you and the far right tell me he agrees with the other 80% of us! Give me that anytime over any of you radicals, left or right.
It must be comforting for you to have absolutely no convictions. Let me guess, your favorite flavor is vanilla and you drive a Honda Accord?
I saw it written on this blog yesterday and couldn’t agree more, the goal of every conservative and moderate voter should be to defeat the Democrats next fall. The Democrat Party now having full control of the government is showing its true and extreme colors.
Scott Armstrong
It's called the DemocratIC Party. It's no wonder why our country is in such a crisis after being led for 8 years by people who don't even know things such as this.
Being far left or far right is no evidence of conviction. More often than not, it is evidence of intolerance.
Centrism is a legitimate ideology, based in realism.
Scott, and so the pendelum swings.
Centrism is non-committment. It is certainly not an ideology.
Anon 11:11,
I one time felt as you. I no longer do. I find too much intolerance in the views promoted by far right or left. It represents a belief that we, as finite human beings, do not have the answer for everything, and need to listen to each other.
Another word might be realism or "can do." What has distinguished this country, in previous years, has been its "can do" attitude. No one considered too much about whether it wasa left or right idea. What they thought about was whether it would work, whether it would solve the problem at hand.
It is Hegelian, and can be summed up by the dictum that "the rational alone is real." I consider it a legitimate ideology.
Bernie,
Where is the pendulum swinging from, the far right? For all of the hatred directed at the last president he was very moderate in his approaches to foreign and fiscal policy. Before the left has an aneurism here just let me remind you that the Democrats voted twice for the war in Iraq, voted three times for the homeland security legislation that included surveillance of Americans…in other words there was consensus on G.W.'s foreign policy moves and legislation when they were made and written. The exception to this was the surge which by every measure saved Iraq from a long and bloody civil war. Fiscally George Bush grew government, increased spending on domestic programs, created the largest new entitlement in decades…George Bush was not far right or even to the right of center.
During his two terms conservatives quietly loathed G.W. but kept largely silent because of the two wars. These engagements were in the view of many conservatives the paramount issues and they felt compelled to support the president in spite of their many concerns.
One more reminder, if my memory is correct, when the Republicans held the Senate by only the vote of the vice president they allowed Democrats to co-chair important committees. That is quite a contrast to the closed door, no Republicans allowed practice of the house and senate Democrats.
Scott Armstrong
Scott, I think the pendelum is swinging from left to the right. Mid-terms should prove that.
Rylock, forget about the labels. Should I remind you we have a failed two-party system. Look at the ideas and values of the candidates.
Bernie O'Hare said...
Scott, I think the pendelum is swinging from left to the right. Mid-terms should prove that.
Watching the global warming conference going on in Denmark, the swing can't happen far enough and fast enough. Americans need to be protected from their government.
.
The phoney job bill that was passed last night by the Democrats in the House is an insult to the American people (as was the second Stimulus Bill).
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We have a president that let's no platitude pass. He needs to be politically neutralized.
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My fear is the Tea Party types may split the vote in favor of the Democrats.
The GOP is more concerned with party purification than Ds. Dent will have a serious primary problem with GOP core voters who, unlike Charlie, are conservative and pro-life. Bendol has a much better shot at knocking off Dent than whatever joke Ds serve up next. If he runs third party, Dent will be flushed quicker than one of the aborted fetuses he seems to have no problem with.
Mr. Bendol should look at his own voting record first. I don't want someone in Washington who shows up less than half the time.
Karl Rove, a free-thinking Independent type of guy, says
Tea Party candidates at present are enjoying a 40% voter slide.
"My fear is the Tea Party types may split the vote in favor of the Democrats."
Just another thing right wingers have to fear. The sky is falling, the world is ending...etc etc They love it.
I am glad a real Republican is running.
The Tea Party, helping Democrats get elected since 2009.
Anon 10:22 - I think it was our President who recently resorted to scare tactics to try and pass his joke of a health care bill, no? What leadership. I hate to say it, especially since I voted for the guy, but he's WELL on track to be worse than Bush.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,...
Jeff from Macungie
Bullshit, none of the racists here claim to vote for Obama. Some of you teabaggers would never vote for an African-American.
Anon 11:36 pm - I guess that's directed at me? I'm certainly not a 'teabagger.' Far from it actually (I'm a registered Democrat). And if you look at the polls I think that you'd see there is a growing majority of American's who feel as I do. But I guess it's just easier to try and attack me than address my comment.
Jeff from Macungie
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