Though Northampton County has 33,000 more Democrats than Republicans, it now has a Republican Executive, a Republican County Council and even a Republican judiciary. You'll have this when you become a bedroom community for new jersey and New York commuters. Republicans swept the at-large Council seats this year and four years ago. Despite a Democratic edge, some politicos expect Republicans to remain in control of Northampton County for years to come. That's because, while commuters may vote in presidential and Congressional contests, they simply do not come out in off year elections.
Easton and Bethlehem are Democratic strongholds, but their Mayoral and City Council races are almost always over in the primary. Thus, Democrats do not come out in the Fall, when contested County seats remain to be decided.
Democrats may even start losing District seats. Scott Parsons and Lamont McClure are in Republican territory. Bob Werner has to hope for a contested mayoral race in Easton. Ken Kraft should be the safest in Bethlehem, but his victory edge two years ago was much closer than registration data suggests.
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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Thursday, January 30, 2014
22 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.
You may be right. Democrats are lazy voters. Their leadership is clueless as to what the citizens want. All you need do is look at their hotspot of Bethlehem. Rather than look at what the voters want, the Party decides for them what is best. An example is the open council seat. The people clearly voted for Dave Sanders but the party has determined the Latino woman be given the seat.
ReplyDeleteIn last years race the Party pushed their flawed sex child Johnny Callahan and he barley won his own city by under two hundred votes. He took down not only himself but county council candidates with him.
So while I think you can make a case to blame lazy democratic voters. They have a bunch of holier than thou insiders running their Party that seem to be more about kissing each others ass than actually winning elections.
The Republicans are in good shape and will take three out of four District seats next year.
To give you an idea of how out of touch the Demo's are, the leadership is saying they need to run hot young guys like Steve Barron or McClure again.
ReplyDeleteAny wonder why the Party is doomed in the county.
I don't think that Northampton County has seen its last executive from the Democratic Party. If they get a person to run that is a true leader they could easily win the seats back. That being said, if they can't get qualified people to run for the Council seats and keep putting up the reruns and the two odd ones, they will never win majority on council again. Thanks Walt Garvin for you ability to find qualified candidates.
ReplyDeleteThe Democratic Party gave this race their best Executive Candidate and three of the finest Council Candidates that you could ever want to serve in this high position and it wasn't good enough for the voters. You are right on target with your observation.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans have only won the Executive position twice. Both times there were Democratic Presidents in the White House with terrible job approval numbers.
ReplyDeleteBarron and McClure are finished. McClure never was all that likable, and his district changed after the last election to include more Rs. Barron is an ethical disgrace who is disliked by members of his own party. When I see guys like them, I vote R myself.
ReplyDeleteLook at the data, Kevin. Four years ago, Rs swept the Council, but ran no one for Exec. Eight years ago, R ran an Exec candidate against Stoffa whose campaign was half-hearted. I think this has been building up for some time. Yes, what goes on nationally has an impact, and I would have thought people would have vented at the Rs for causing the shitdown in this election cycle. So that can't be it entirely. I believe that changing demographics are the answer. The blue lever pullers in private sector unions are getting older and dying. The urban elitists like Jonathan Geeting are too important to vote in local races. So we end up with Hayden Phillips, who thinks the UN is trying to control our land use.
ReplyDeleteParty doesn't really matter in local politics, especially county politics. No one even knows what county government does except collect taxes.
ReplyDeleteAny wonder why the Party is doomed in the county.
ReplyDeleteWait, the Democratic party is doomed? Talk about out of touch. You just had 4 different Republican responses to the SOTU and you have Republican politicians putting their foot in their mouth every other day.
You don't get it. The writer did not say Dems are doomed in this country. He said they are doomed in the county. I think they are in trouble.
ReplyDeleteBrackbill was one term. Brown is acting like brackbill redux.
ReplyDeleteRun a competent campaign and Callahan wins in a cake walk albeit a narrow one. Or Boscola, Freeman, Morganelli, Heckman, Panto, Rooney etc all could win easily as could Callahan if he tries again.
It is a disturbing trend and it is apparent also at the local level specifically the Slate Belt where Republicans dominate the political scenery in nearly every locality. Quality candidates are few and far between or so the county Democratic party seems to think. They are dying but refuse to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape. Garvin has destroyed the party I call my own. I detest him and his sycophants.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteParty doesn't really matter in local politics, especially county politics. No one even knows what county government does except collect taxes.
8:25 AM"
Sure we do. We know that after they collect the taxes, they piss them away on swaptions and legal nonsense and making a select few people rich.
We know that the lanyard (the red badge of troughfeeding) wearing, gossiping snackers decide when they will break away from their gatherings, as those who pay them wait and wait and wait...
We know that they build monuments to themselves, pay a fortune for parking spaces and fail to maintain buildings and save money. We know they have pissing contests, sue each other, hold ceremonies, cut ribbons and pat themselves on the back for simply doing the jobs they are paid and pensioned for.
We know that they hire, promote and overpay concubines. We know they work other jobs while they are on our clock. We know that if a building is to close at 4:30 pm you can bet the door will locked by 4:20 pm.
We know all of this, and most of it we have learned right here. That which cannot be found on LVR is just a visit to one of our fine County facilities away.
As for D concern about the commuter R's: Don't get your panties in a bunch. Their brand of Republicanism is a lot closer to what you want than what you fear.
-Clem
Nice work Clem. I'm impressed with your take on things. D and R don't have as much meaning anymore locally as we face common problems and have similar solutions. But we remain a two party country and will for the foreseeable future and that fact alone trickles into local politics.
ReplyDeleteClem you need a psychiatrist.
ReplyDelete"Run a competent campaign and Callahan wins in a cake walk"
ReplyDeleteYou guys are funny. the guy is morally, ethically and talent challenged. He couldn't really win his city. Your clan is done.
Give it a rest.
I am not a callahan clan member of any standing. And yes he could win if he runs hard and a competent campaign. Moreover, he did win "his"city but not by the requisite margin. John is a decent man and the hate speech on this blog against him is absurd; however that is off topic.
ReplyDeleteAny number of Democrats i cited could easily win.
Callahan won HIS city he has been mayor of for ten years by 200 votes. There isn't a Democrat in the county who would have done that poorly.
ReplyDeletePlease, get a job with Faux News, they would love you.
Building your Party on McClueless and Barron von Footinmouth is like building your house on sand. Or sludge...
ReplyDeleteWe all hope Steve Barron runs for county executive. he i8s one of the top picks of the Democratic leadership and has countywide appeal as welll as youth.
ReplyDeleteBarron as CE? When were you discharged from the mental hospital?hospitalize
ReplyDeleteBrown is a nice guy but a one termer. He outworked Callahan who by the way anon 7;25 was not the best candidate for the Democrats. Sal Panto, Bob Freeman, Bob Donches or Rich Grucela would have beaten Brown. Sal Panto will win in 2017 mark it down you heard it here first
ReplyDelete