| I had a few final comments towards the end of yesterday's PA Dems meeting but the internet connection times out on me and I couldn't post them before leaving. It took about 5 hours (including a stop for something to eat) to get home so I apologize for just getting to this.
The resolution brought up yet again and voted down firmly (Tom Herman was the only vote to continue) in the general session granting the State Party full authority to tell the voters for whom they should vote was an ugly spectacle of power politics. Herman actually said they were the leaders and needed to tell the County Committees, and Democratic voters, what to do.
I have news for Democrats: the voters have been telling you, repeatedly, they don't like your candidates. Wake up. If you insist on dealing with a top down approach then change your name because you're no longer "democratic."
Why even have a primary election? Shove your choice down their throats and watch while your members leave you en masse.
Barbara Ernsberger didn't show up illustrating the sign that Kathy Bookvar is the nominee for Commonwealth Court. Dan McCaffrey attended but followed Patrick Murphy around like a puppy dog Friday evening. He isn't a serious Attorney General candidate if he doesn't have the confidence to do otherwise.
Seven Springs was a beautiful place but this meeting was lightly attended. I heard some speculation Friday that there might not be a quorum though there was Saturday. Jim Burn wants to sprinkle these events around the Commonwealth but the Party isn't a tourism board, they gather to do their business and if they're meeting at venues where many Committee members cannot attend they doing a disservice to Democrats statewide. The fall meeting will be September 9-10 in Gettysburg just after I return from my trip to Santa Fe. Will there be a civil war within the Democratic Party as usual? The promised progressive caucus was promised a year ago and still isn't formally approved. I'll bet it never sees that promised budget either. The conservative central PA Democrats want nothing to do with progressives and make that clear at these events with their derisive personal snides and comments. Since it is mostly liberals and progressives who have quit the Party and not voted in 2009 and 2010 I wonder what they think of the face of new Party: Tom Corbett, Pat Toomey and Daryl Metcalfe in power? Five Congressional seats flipped and a bloodbath in the State House? The Pennsylvania Democratic Party needs to take a good look in the mirror and recognize the ugliness that took hold this weekend with their disgraceful endorsement resolution. They need to rebuild their grassroots not take an authoritarian top down approach. |
