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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, June 09, 2017

NorCo GOP Has a Trump Problem

Northampton County's May 15 primary reveals that he county GOP may have a problem heading into the general election. Far more Democrats (13,140) voted than Republicans (9,972). A disputed school board and MDJ seat in Bethlehem means turnout in that Democratic stronghold should be higher than it was four years ago, when John Brown nearly won in the Christmas City.

Democrat nominee Lamont McClure is somewhat unknown. Though he is the Democratic party's standard bearer, 3,620 of the 13,140 Democrats who voted (27.5%) failed to cast a ballot for him. But Republican John Brown is in even worse shape He is the Republican incumbent, but 3,240 of the 9.972 Republicans who voted (32.5%) skipped his name.

Count on McClure to raise his visibility as he starts buying ads that portray Brown as enmeshed in a swamp of corruption, cronyism and callousness.  When the general public learns of trips to New Orleans and Vegas, to say nothing of $800 popcorn machines and no-bid contracts, Brown is going to lose votes When Democrats learn he was a big Trump supporter,  Brown is going to lose more votes. When they learn of his plans to build a new prison outside of Easton, he'll lose even more.

Despite the numerical superiority of Democrats, Northampton County turned red in the Presidential election last year. But there are growing signs of buyer's remorse with Donald Trump. Though his most rabid supporters are still with him, his polarization politics has alienated Democrats. His latest approval ratings stand at 39.6% by voters disenchanted that the presidency has devolved into a reality TV sideshow.

Like it or not, what goes on nationally has an impact on local races.

Brown and the rest of the GOP ticket are in trouble.

66 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you joking! Are you joking?? Lament Maclure cannot beat John Brown. Will LM even bother to show up to campaign? He is not a proven vote getter. John Brown is a seasoned and experienced leader as both Mayor and county Executive.

Does anyone even know who the Democrats are running for county council? They have even less name recognition than Maclure. We need people who know what the government is about, do any of them have the slightest clue about what the county even does? They are lap dogs of the Gracedale union thugs.

We don't need the ticket of Clinton-Obama we need a strong government run by conservative liberty loving Republicans who know the score!

Anonymous said...

This is just another slam piece on President Trump. the great Coomey testimony only proved that the President is not a liar and that Coomey is just a disgruntled employee. The Dem's are crying that their great plot failed.

I agree, Brown 2017, Trump 2020.

Anonymous said...

I hope former and current county employees get out and vote! John Brown and company have to go!

Anonymous said...

358....ah I believe Comey confirmed that he told trump he was not a specific subject of an investigation but would not say it publicly as the campaign was being investigated and it was too early in the investigation to determine where the evidence would go. If you listened to the hearing, you would know Comey said the office of the so called president lied about the state of the FBI, Comey support from within the FBI and said the president lied about not trying to "drop" the Flynn investigstion. He used the word "lied". This president has a credibility problem. I beleive Comey's testimony.

Anonymous said...

@2:26 AM - "... seasoned and experienced leader . . ." Get serious. The morale is at the all time low at the County. If he doesn't get rid of Trapp, HE WILL LOSE! Can't wait to vote along with my fellow employees and their families.

Anonymous said...

All the republicans that won 4 years ago were also unknown to everybody in the county. What are you trying to say, that the electorate actually pays attention to who they are voting for? If that were true Brown never would have won, even for dog catcher

Anonymous said...

As a registered independent, I have know doubt in my mind that I will not vote for the non-transparent, cronyism, devious, and deluded John Brown. From his initial communications debacle through his behind the door prison antics, including his regime powerhouse of Brown/Allen/ Trapp, there is no way I could support, vote for, and defend this clown and his associates. Likewise, his supporters on council got to go. President Trump's problems with the wicked alternate left and biased mainstream media assaults, do not figure in my calculations. NC is being served my the worst government entity ever. Whether R's or D's, they got to go!

Anonymous said...

Big Boy Brown And His Goonies Will Be Gone!

Anonymous said...

Not just John brown but the entire county council needs to go! Time for a change

Anonymous said...

The Democrats have far more problems now that their "Russia did it" excuse has gone with the wind...

Anonymous said...

Comey's testimony sure went well, didn't it?

Anonymous said...

Bernie O'Hare is a blog bully and is completely frustrated because, of course, bullies of any kind don't like it when people fight back and land punches big time. Nice try with the latest Trump hit piece. Neat photograph.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually just bought your attempt to pretend otherwise the testimony was very devastating . It showed that the president of the United States engaged in obstruction of justice it may not have risen to the criminal level but it certainly was very inappropriate

Anonymous said...

Like the seasoned and experienced president of the usa hahaha the republicans are a complete joke anymore they have no unity

Anonymous said...

How do you think Hillary stayed out of jail, obstruction of justice.

Anonymous said...

Such a shame that Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife did not win the Presidential Eleciton. Better take out the frustrations by beating up on those deplorable Republicans. I recommend a good Trump hit piece with a nifty photo.

Anonymous said...

The only thing Comey didn't leak was the truth.

Trump is not under investigation. He kept holding that as a secret while lying to his sources all kinds of garbage.

This is what you get when you're an Obama lap dog that does with Loretta Lynch wants. the entire Hillary Investigation was a scam.

Now what really needs investigation is Comey leaking FBI notes to the media. That's the only crime that all this has shown to have actually occurred.

Anonymous said...

It shouldn't surprise me that people have selective hearing in the testimony given by Comey, or they believe the "total vindication" line provided by Trump.
Why not ask Trump to answer the question that could prove who is lying. "Does Donald record the meetings he holds?"
If not, say so. If he does, provide the recordings.
Instead, the WH will only say, "No Comment."
I know when the CEO of my company tells me he "hopes" I will have a report (or whatever else he is "hoping") done for him, I don't believe he is expressing anything other than an order to do it.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Despite your vain attempts to spin this and to try to switch the subject, it is clear that Trump obstructed a criminal investigation. Whether his obstruction rises to a criminal level is a determination that will be made by an independent prosecutor. Comey makes clear that Trump is a deceitful and manipulative bully. His testimony establishes at least three Trump lies. When it comes to personal integrity, I'll take the G-man over the real estate swindler.

Anonymous said...

Lets try and stay on topic. Brown is a train wreak. The republican county council is a rubber stamp. While Bernie may love most of them, they should all be voted out. They ran on conservative principles and then put an unneeded 10% real estate tax just to fatten county coffers. They say how upset they are with Browns goofs, they do nothing.

Mr. McClure will make a much better county executive. As for the council candidates, which idiot said no experience? The top vote getter has more experience in county government than the others put together. Seriously, stop looking at Party labels and vote for people. The current republicans have not done a good job, that is why we need to change before it is to late.

My main concerns about the incumbents are;
The sale of Gracedale. Like before, they will wait until safely re-elected before again trying to dump the nursing home. The building of an unneeded new prison in lower Nazareth that will cost over $100million. Unneeded tax increases.

Finally, they are in favor of crony non-transparent government.

Anonymous said...

10:47 - prove it. Find a prosecutor who will buy your nonsense and press charges.

We are a nation of laws, not rumors.

Anonymous said...

Hey I'm Ruddie Murdock. As long as we have Fox News with our leggy blondes in short skirts keeping our old man demographic. As long as we use Breitbart and Drudge as our sources, we don't need no stinkin facts. We report with our guts.

Long live the stars and bars!

Anonymous said...

Yes Peg does have more experience than all combined, i'll give you that one, But Peg is losing her mind, and hearing. It's time to put the poor old Gal out to pasture I'm afraid

Bernie O'Hare said...

She will be top vote getter. Move on.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I find it appalling that an FBI Director is leaking confidential information.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Personally, I find it appalling that Trump leaked confidential information obtained from Israel to the Russians. So I presume you will support Trump's impeachment. The information that Comey leaked was leaked AFTER he had been fired, was not confidential, and was only leaked bc Trump had accused him of lying. He has a right to protect his reputation, especially when it is sullied by a dishonorable person like Trump.

Anonymous said...

Peg was the top vote getter on the republican side and Ron Heckman was the top vote getter on the democratic side.

Anonymous said...

5:24 Impeaching Our President will make Democrats more of a fool than they already are. First you've got to get a Senate majority, which is doubtful also

Anonymous said...

I had thought the big boys had stopped the left and right shit slinging and moved on to the east, west?

Bernie O'Hare said...

5:34, so impeachment is a partisan issue to you. You will defend shitty behavior so long as it comes from a Republican.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, isn't this post about the local Northampton County elections in November? What is the deal with the Trumpeters? They can't stay on topic.

Anonymous said...

Trumpsters are busy trying to convince themselves that they didn't screw up last November, no matter how hard Trump makes it on them. Blind allegiance no wonder people say the party has turned fascist .

oh and for you Trumpsters who can't look it up:

fascist |ˈfaSHəst|
noun
an advocate or follower of the political philosophy or system of fascism: he went to Spain to fight against the fascists | Eastern European fascists could win power only with support from the Nazis.
• a person who is extremely right-wing or authoritarian: fascists made death threats against immigrants and asylum seekers.
• a person who is very intolerant or domineering in a particular area: I'm a bit of a spelling fascist, but still have blind spots over words like “privilege” or “separate” | if I were being a culinary fascist, I would possibly moan about the overdone cooked tomatoes.
adjective
relating to fascism: a military coup threw out the old fascist regime.

Anonymous said...

Voters are fickle creatures. November is a long way off. This thing a toss up at the moment. Do either of these candidates really care? We shall see who wants it and who thinks they have it in the bag already.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever been indicted for hoping? Sorry not obstruction. I think Bernie is spreading Fake News. Just like Hillary was up 12% in the polls right before the election, the liberal media put that out in hopes of keeping Republicans home thinking it was a waste of time to vote. Same thing Bernie is doing, but don't fret Republicans will come out in droves. We will never let a regime like the last one come to power again. And it all starts at the local level. Trump was vindicated, liberals don't know which restroom to use or what gender they are. Its up to conservatives to lead by example and drain ALL the swamps. Besides, isn't there some march all the liberal freaks can go to wearing their pussy hats and vaginas around their heads?

Bernie O'Hare said...

5:55, no they can't stay o topic bc that are too busy defending the Orange Pumpkin. So busy they will lose sight of Brown and will lose the election. And 6:56, the swamp when drained will be full of Rs like Brown, who supports the Orange Blob. The difference between Dem and R voter registration is very real, and nearly a third of the Rs who did vote turned away from Brown. You have a problem, which is magnified when you allow insaniacs to work the polls.

Anonymous said...

Trump straight-up lied during the campaign, so if you voted for him I can "kind of" understand. His performance since he was sworn in has been despicable...so I respect those Rs who can admit they were wrong. As for the rest of you, the slim majority who are still defending this racist, xenophobic prick who clearly doesn't know the first thing about how our government works and couldn't care less about our constitution, you're just as bad as he is and you disgust me.

Anonymous said...

7:52pm LIKE

Anonymous said...

America just did NOT want crooked and corrupt Hillary Rodham Clinton. So get over it already. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

8:51...Fine, over it. She wasn't my first choice either. But can we all agree that Trump doesn't know what he's doing and is bad for our democracy?

Patriot2 said...

Brown was the precursor to Trump as a businessman defeated a consummate politician Callahan. He will win again for the same reason as McClure is the seasoned politician & Brown has demonstrated he can get things done.

You are kidding yourselves if you think Trump voters have remorse as he is doing what he said he would do except where Dems or swamp Republicans have to approve his plans.

Russia investigation is a joke & comey should have been fired for how he handled Clinton email investigation. Comey is a Clinton man out to set up Trump with notes from meetings instead of standing up & objecting to "hoped for" treatment of Flynn. Trump could have simply pardoned Flynn if he really wanted to stop the investigation.


Bernie O'Hare said...

1) I know that some Trump voters have buyer's remorse bc they've told me. The approval ratings back this up.

2) Brown was a businessman? Nesr as I can tell, he was a middle manager in the pharma industry who was squeezed out in the Great Recession. After that, he became a consultant, I.e. Unemployed.

3) McClure has never been interested in anything but county government. Brown, on the other hand, has bounced from Bangor to NorCo and ran unsuccessfully for auditor general. He views his county position as a stepping stone while McClure has a genuine interest.

4) Brown gets things done? Do tell. Raising taxes? Planning a new jail behind closed doors? Filing expense reports that rip off the county? Flushing county dollars down the drain for a $130 million fish tank. Screwing the county workforce? Buying an $800 popcorn machine? A bridge bundling project that is behind schedule and over budget? He's a disaster who you would fire in two weeks if he were working for you.

Anonymous said...

Write in Ron Angle for County Executive. Let's make Northampton County great again!

Anonymous said...

"Brown was the precursor to Trump as a businessman"

Now that is funny. Can anyone verify the "business" Brown was doing when he was elected county executive. Usually the general term of "business consultant" is the Republican term for currently unemployed.
You guys are too much. Stop with all the nonsense and start thinking for yourself and use your brains for something other than keeping your head round.

Anonymous said...

Orange Pumpkin and Orange Blob? For someone who looks like both a pumpkin and a blob, you are not one to talk O'Hairy!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yeah, but I'm not the Prez. He's so narcissistic that when he has sex, he fantasizes about himself.

Anonymous said...

Your take makes perfect sense until one reviews your hilariously poor record on political prognostications.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, allthough reel men can toss of faster than have the act take place with parterner, you and I both know that if the whitey made pill is not involved at our age in life the act is irrelavent and a nightcap for our types without elderly illnesses that give us the headache!

Now having the act with nue partner for first time will not leave us in cardiac arrest until round two if our headache didn't set in before we rolled over and go out like a light! It is too early about jokeing on such a irrealavant act when political panderance and pontification thereof are the reel issues underlieing here at home and abroad throughout the nation and world as we all wait for this weekends terrorists attack to hit the news and be twisted into an advertismentalist headline? The comments were a little better than the story this week but thank you for you undieing commitment to the public you serve, and as for the assklowns most are even more repulsive than the word itself.

Anonymous said...

McClure is an arrogant jerk along with his wife

Bernie O'Hare said...

An arrogant jerk who has seen the rating for Gracedale drop to just one star? That is all John Brown. At the time John Stoffa and Lamont McClure left the county Gracedale was on the way up.It even had a four star rating very briefly. It is now just one.The arrogant jerk responsible for that? John Brown.

Anonymous said...

You have absolutely no clue how the rating system works that hands out "stars" to nursing homes. In fact you have no clue about most of what you write , except to spew whatever hate agenda your multiple personalities dictate on any given day.

I will not waste my time trying to explain it, other than it is done by random samples of patient data. Therefore, one year you may get lucky, and another year you fail. There are nursing homes that are listed with 5 stars, that deserve to be shut down. It all depends on the pot luck lottery picks that the surveyor must review.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I know exactly how the rating is done, and will be writing about it on Monday. Another Brown success that you can attempt to explain away. A GOP council that is more interested in money than in taking care of the residents, too.

Anonymous said...

Gracedale was doing great and on the way up when Stoffa came into office but he fired the nursing home consultants and let it wither since he wanted to sell it and reap the cash infusion. How is he different than Brown? You talk out of both sides of your mouth. You really don't understand the nursing home rating system. Anon 12:56, apparently has a good grasp of the topic.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I don't know about the hatemongerz and gloryhole gatherers that stalk your blog? But in the early 90's I had done a report on this very topic it spewz about! the ones I had reported on were under staffed and overfunded and that doesn't even mention the homeowner clients that were philphered in the dynamics to the failure of this commonwealth intrests? That said I really love the plagerismz in the lower case wordings of articles writtin by one in the same too these very same are now working the other end of the spectrum at many different levelz, criminal and civil, public and private sectors as well as street levelz.

These it out here trying to redesign a designed failure are all one in the same very similar to your stalking pig lady!

Patriot2 said...

I would support Ron Angle--He is an even better Trump kind of candidate that tells it like it is without politic correctness. Incidently, Loretta Lynch was exposed by Comey as clear obstruction of Justice stopping the investigation despite clear criminal actions to destroy evidence. Trump only suggested stopping Flynn investigation which didn't happen while Lynch forced Comey to close Clinton''s "matter"!!!

Anonymous said...

"kind of candidate that tells it like it is without politic correctness."

Basically for the alt-right, telling it like it is means use the most obnoxious, rude, lewd and hateful words that come into your head at any moment. The alt-right are so terrified of the world they look under their beds at night for illegal alien zombies. They are terrified of the speed of the modern world. So if you like to talk like a four year old having a temper tantrum, you fit right in. Most of us had parent who taught us how to grow up and talk and act like adults. What a bunch of whining babies.
Grow the hell up. There is nothing refreshing about using the most crude language you can to hurt or diminish someone. Saying something crudely doesn't make it true. Go back to grade school for lessons.

Anonymous said...

and the alt-left wears black masks and hoods and breaks store windows and sets things on fire and wears vagina hats and carry signs that say "fuck trump," and make isis-like trump beheading photos. perhaps they should grow the hell up, too.

Anonymous said...

In todays America you can only vote for Republicans. The idea of voting for the others is just not realistic. They have sold out.

Anonymous said...

Give Trump what he really wants and you will only be able to vote for Republicans in his New Amerika. Loyalty to Der Trump!

Patriot2 said...

The alt left has hijacked the Democratic Party. The Russians hacked the DNC to put communist Bernie in the White House vs Hillary. Trump came along without a chance & saved the Republic when the Russian interference didn't work with Bernie. Debbie Wasserman Schultz admitted the DNC stacked the deck against "Bernie the Communist" despite Russian efforts to expose that. Russian hacking had nothing to do with Trump!!

Anonymous said...

Brown should send his trusted, sorry twisted, sidekick Allen back out to Gracedale to turn it around. By the time she's done Gracedale will have NO stars. But at least 10 of her friends will have new jobs there.

Anonymous said...

Gracedale should have been sold. Most counties have gotten out of the nursing home business. Gracedale is why we can't have nice things. You can rearrange the deck chairs in the Titanic all you like. It's going to be expensive and not end well. Many of us have known this for years. Stoffa was right. He knew it was an albatross. Now we pay and pay and pay.

Anonymous said...


"Stoffa was right. He knew it was an albatross. Now we pay and pay and pay."

Buillshit. Keep selling that crap. Everyone knows the republicans have a plan to sell it if th3y win in November. They will not win. Stoffa wanted a quick buck ay the expense of the elderly and his plot failed.

Larry Williams said...

Too much Trump bashing on this blog. I'm moving to Molovinsky's blog.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Of the 63 comments here, there are 18 pro-Trump comments and 18 anti-Trump comments. The rest are amazingly either on target or full of rants about something else. So basically, both views have been hosted, but that's too much for you to bear. It makes your head hurt. So have fun in Molovinsky's echo chamber. I would not want someone participating in discussions here who is intolerant of views other than his own.

Anonymous said...

Bernie only brought up Trump as a segway into the local elections. The point being will feelings about Trump pro or con, work into the local elections in November.
After that the usual nut jobs from both sides went crazy. Sorry to be a hater but the pro-Trump folks are really incensed if you even mention the guys foibles. Please stop bringing up Clinton or Obama, they are both long gone. We are all in Trump's little hands now. So we will see what we see. As for the local elections, I do believe their will be an impact. I just question how much of one.

Anonymous said...

The Republcans spent 7 years and 7 million dollars on an actual "witch hunt," i.e. the Benghazi "investigation" which was really a prolonged attack ad on Hillary, who, despite Russian collusion, won the popular vote by 3 million votes and probably should be president when it's proven Trump and his folks intentionally hacked our election and spread fake news and false stories about Hillary and her supporters. Once the Truth comes out, that Republicans love Russia more than they love the USA, and that they'd vote for Hitler if he had an "R" after his name. Yet they put flags on their suits and call themselves "Patriots," willing to sacrifice the lives of other people's children for Oil. The more the Republicans alienate the world and the peaceful Muslims and hard-working immigrants, the less Free we become. The "health care" bill is nothing but a tax cut for Trump, who ironically won't show us his taxes. The self-described sexual predator is so Narcistic, Bernie's right, he probably does think about himself when in full rut. His agenda is nothing, really, just attempting to undo and/or tarnish the legacy of Obama, which he will never be able to do, because Obama is a real Man, not a man-child like 'trump,' Obama has more presidential ability in his pinkie then "trump" will ever possess, indeed, if trumpy dumpty lasts through his term. Without Fox spreading the Republican agenda/propaganda, they are left with the "alternative facts" of Breitbart and Alex Jones, a lovely duo of certifiably insane sputum of hatred. But "trump's" bottom line is getting fat, all the brands are making money, probably b/c Republicans are buying his crap and going to his gaudy overpriced "resorts." Trump leaks on himself, and gets mad at others for reporting the facts. He leaked to the Russians, the Phillipines, and who knows who else. He loves dictators, but alienates Germany, UK, France, Canada, Australia, NZ, etc. who are our true Allies. He's a semi-literate reality "star" who represents the wicked wealthy, single-handedly will destroy the earth's environment. So go on you Patriotic flag loving Republicans, keep trickling down destruction on America and the middle class that made this country great. His cabinet "meeting" epitomizes everything wrong with him and his followers, and if it didn't make you puke, then you clearly live in the alternative universe of the racist white supremacy world that is trump's world. But does NorCo have a "Trump" problem? If there is a God in Heaven and if Truth still exists, yes, they will have a problem unless they come to their senses and denounce a Traitor in White House, a True Ugly American Idiot.