In order to have a shot at winning this race, Lehigh County Executive candidate Tom Muller needs to have more voters in Allentown than are typical in an off-year election. To that end, a small army of volunteers is at work. These include 210 canvassers, 70 people working the phones and 300 people at the polls. Is the strategy working? Preliminary indications are positive.
As of 10 AM, voting appears to be up slightly in Allentown, West Bethlehem and Whitehall. It is down slightly in North Whitehall, which was tea party central four years ago.
According to Muller campaign manager Mike Fleck, about 10-15% of the turnout should be in by this time of day.
UPDATED 3:30 PM:
1) Muller canvassers in South Allentown were able to rescue two people from a fire, after which they went back to work. I'm told Channel 69 has hopped onto that story. So those of you slamming these people, accusing them of "knock and drag," might want to rethink the hate.
2) Turnout in Lower Macungie is high. Ordinarily, this would be a good sign for the Republicans, but not this year. Residents are angry at Ott over his refusal to vote for a TIF that would bring a Costco to Hamilton Crossings. Rightly or wrongly, they think Ott might cost them a Costco.
3) Turnout in Lynn, Lowhill and North Whitehall is incredibly light. This is the tea party heart of Lehigh County that nearly ousted Democrat Don Cunningham four years ago.
4) Turnout in Allentown and Bethlehem is just slightly higher than it was two and four years ago.
5) There are 740 absentee ballots in Lehigh, with a higher percentage of Democrats than two and four years ago.
UPDATED 3:55 pm: Voter #409 just left in Upper Mac 4 Total registration is 4,508 so turnout there is less than 10%.
UPDATED 6:25 pm: The Morning Call is now reporting that turnout is slightly up in Lehuigh County. This is a positive sign for Muller.
UPDATED 6:30 pm: 880 in Lower Macungie 2, meaning it is headed to a 25% turnout. In the Primary, there were under 600 voters.
UPDATED 7:23 pm: 480 in South Whitehall 5 at 7:15 pm, which represents a 23.9% turnout.
UPDATED 8:31 PM: In one Lower Macungie District, the tally is in! Muller - 341; Ott - 215.
Lower Mac 2: Muller - 458; Ott - 506 (unofficial).
My next post will be when results are more certain.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Tuesday, November 05, 2013
49 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
"Volunteers." You mean people Fleck finds off the street and pays $100 each to drop paper at people's doors? Ask Reibman how that strategy worked in NorCo.
ReplyDeleteI am the person who first chronicled that effort. Fleck no longer trolls the homeless shelters. What he is doing is precisely what anyone can do. It is called political speech and is fundamental to democracy.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I saw no army at the polls for Reibman, so your analogy is skewed.
bernie, when they worked to get votes for gracedale, they were goons. now, that they're working to get votes for muller, they're volunteers for democracy.
ReplyDeleteMM, the word "goons" is one i ue for a particular subset of Gracedale fanatics, led by the fake rev. They are a despicable bunch who have turned on everyone. I did not use that term to apply to the many people of good will who wanted to keep gracedale. You know this, and have seen these people in action. Your argument is dishonest, and you know it is dishonest. You embarrass yourself when you disparage democracy itselfin an effort to elect ott.
ReplyDeleteBernie, they are not volunteers. Fleck NEVER uses "volunteers." Whether or not my analogy is skewed, that point is not in dispute. Calling them volunteers is misleading. Volunteers are just that. Rather, he pays people he finds off of Craigslist/elsewhere to do menial campaign tasks on election day. If he invested some actual time into building organizations, his candidates would be better served.
ReplyDeletebo grasping at straws again
ReplyDeletetwo faced as the day is long
1145 I am a volunteer from 7 am to 8 pm.
ReplyDeleteMany folks giving thbs up for Muller. Two suggested Republicans are ruining this Country.
MM keeps on defending the same people who reject pass through grants. Wonder if he would feel the same way if the grant was to preserve Robinhood Dam?
Exit polling in Northampton County shows massive Republican turnout. A sweep appears inevitable
ReplyDeleteTo set the record straight the dems get out the vote effort is a mix of paid and volunteer staff. You cant expect volunteers to work all day. Its their choice. Poll workers are also paid with some volunteer assistance. Woodman would be better off if he used his resources more effectively. Its no secret the Norco and Lehigh dems have a better get out the vote effort. We will see how Bar and Martin do today.
ReplyDeleteFleck also knows the garbage collection schedule for every dumpster in the two county region.
ReplyDeleteFlecky just offered me two rocks to smoke if I voted for Muller four times. I counter-offered five for three and he accepted. I love politics and may register to vote some day.
ReplyDeleteGOP just can't get it together on the street work on election day. Money for mailers doesn't cut it anymore. TV doesn't have a big impact in LC.
ReplyDeleteGOP used to have good computer systems for election work, but social media is the top gun for now. GOP just doesn't have a technology program.
Right now, across the valley somewhere, a senior is benefiting from meals on wheels.
ReplyDeleteRepublican vote totals adding up-. Northampton County is in for a massive upset!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal balls must be like televisions. Everybody tunes to a different channel to see what they want to see.
ReplyDeletebernie, i made no effort to elect ott. my only efforts have been directed to counter what i consider distortions about ott in the blogosphere, by you. furthermore, in regard to gracedale, or anything else, i may be mistaken or confused about something, but never dishonest; that would require writing something i know isn't true.
ReplyDeleteBernie, I know this post is lehigh county but I had a question about Glenn Geissinger in NC. Did he spend time physically overseas or was he one of the accountants in payroll. I can't find any clarification and I'm undecided.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry but I cannot answer that. Hopefully someone who can will see your comment .
ReplyDelete11:45. A large portion of this army is a volunteer army. But yes, payments are made just like Charlie Dent or Pat Toomey will also pay people to canvass. That's part of electoral politics.
ReplyDeleteMM, relax. Bern's gotten himself particularly worked up over this one. The race baiting was particularly desperate, and ironic. He'll eventually have a good cry and eat a pint of Cherry Garcia and feel better. I'll bet he's sorry already. Nobody knows how to apologize like a recovering drunk.
ReplyDeleteMM, when you suggest falsely that I branded every Gracedale poll worker a goon, as you just did, you are a liar. You know that is untrue and know very well I used that word for a very select group of what I would still call goons, who interrupted public meetings and even cursed in front of Boy Scouts. So I believe you wrote something you know to be untrue to make a point in a political contest.
ReplyDeleteMike M is really pulling out the stops for Scott Ott. It's painful to watch.
ReplyDeleteMassive voter fraud is taking place in Lehigh County God bless MM for bringing this to our attention.
ReplyDeleteLatest from the street is that exit polls confirm a Republican sweep in Northampton County. Will update as necessary.
ReplyDeleteI think the real absurdity is the ability for each candidate / organization to pay $100.00 to each person they recruit to "work the polls". It's a normal procedure but has people waving signs and passing out paraphanelia for the money NOT because they believe in the candidate but because of the money they are guaranteed. Meanwhile lesser known candidates who have TRUE volunteers are left lacking. When I ran for city council 2 of my volunteers were approached by two individuals and asked how much they were being paid to promote my candidacy on election day. When they replied "Nothing", they told them that they had a phone number they could call that would guarantee them $100.00 if they went and passed out leaflets for the rival candidates. Money in politics cannot equal true democracy....
ReplyDeleteAlfonso Todd
bernie, you should read my comment again, i never wrote that you called every poll worker a goon. you're the one who checked every signature and filed a lawsuit. you're the one who coined the phrase goon at the time. your over-reaction is to call me dishonest and a liar?
ReplyDeleteMM's working overtime on the Scott thing. I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteMM, go back to your very first comment. It is inaccurate. You state I called poll workers who worked to save Gracedale goons. That simply is untrue, and as someone who followed that matter from your perch in South Whitehall, you know it is untrue. You do things like that while accusing others of distortion.
ReplyDeleteBernie considers only union members to be all goons. Only some of the Gracedale supporters are union members, therefore he does not think every Gracedale supporter is a goon. Only those that support their union.
ReplyDeleteThat should clarify any confusion regarding previous statements regarding the Gracedale goons.
The term was used for the subgroup I already mentioned, not the fiction described above
ReplyDeleteMM is upset because he is Always on the losing end of political races....including his own.
ReplyDeleteI don't think MM is "upset" and have no idea whether he is on the losing or winning end. I do know that people who deride others anonymously tend to be losers. They're the same kind of people who steal campaign signs.
ReplyDeleteUpper Mac 4, the largest precinct in Lehigh County, has just over 4000 registered voters. As of 7 PM, when I went to vote after work, I was voter number 636.
ReplyDeleteThat is turnout between 15 and 18%. All we can wonder is WHO turned out.
I would expect Upper Mac to be Ott country, so s light turnout there means there is little enthusiasm for his message from the party faithful.
ReplyDeleteWFMZ Reporting 8% in and Muller over Ott
ReplyDeleteLehigh County has 4 districts in and Muller up, but those are Allentown.
ReplyDeleteWord has it that Weiss lost to Bresylin over in Beth Township.
ReplyDeleteHard to say. Depends on the write-ins.
ReplyDeleteThe raw write ins were supposedly tallied and Breslin still had more votes.
ReplyDeleteNot good. But Bresslin did not win. Atiyeh did.
ReplyDeleteMezzacappa is out.
ReplyDeleteHudak won by 40 or so votes.
ReplyDeleteI guess the Dems in Northampton County like taking orders from the teapublicans.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Brownie is pulling this one out of the hat!! Wow.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for Bethlehem. Only 68% tallied there.
ReplyDeleteWFMZ is calling Brown the winner.
ReplyDeleteCallahan loses!!
ReplyDeleteCallahan has reportedly conceded.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans will rule the roost in Northampton County!! Look out Gracedale and other County services. Austerity is looming. We will get to see some Tea Party action up close and personal. County Exec plus five Council positions. The entertainment value of this will be worth it!!
ReplyDelete