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Salena Zito’s Big Miss about Pennsylvania’s Midterms
American Thinker.com ^ | May 24, 2022 | J. Robert Smith

Posted on 05/24/2022 3:18:37 AM PDT by Kaslin

Salena’s Zito’s latest analysis for the Washington Examiner (“The conservative populist coalition has grown in Pennsylvania. What that means going forward is important”) correctly describes the trend that has been ongoing in the Keystone State for the past decade. What it misses, though -- and it’s a big miss -- is that Democrats are at it again in the commonwealth’s 2022 midterms elections. They’re tilting the playing field in their favor.

This autumn, the “No Questions” mail-in balloting returns have the potential to blunt a favorable GOP trend with a deluge of Democrat ginned up mail-ins, which will impact critical statewide contests and competitive congressional and state legislative races.

Why should American Thinker readers elsewhere care about what happens in Pennsylvania? Because Republicans aim to capture a majority in the U.S. House and Senate.

The GOP is very likely to pick up enough seats across the country to win the House. But gaining a majority in the Senate may hinge on the Mehmet Oz or Dave McCormick-John Fetterman matchup in the autumn. Ironically, the outcome of the razor thin Oz-McCormick fight is bogged down in ballot errors and counting an undetermined number of mail-ins. Per Amac, “it is a mess.”

Thanks to a ruling by the commonwealth’s Democrat-controlled Supreme Court, wide open mail-in balloting was restored. The Court claims there’ll be further review toward a final decision, but who wants to bet that the 5-2 Democrat majority upholds the current law?

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: americanthinker; jrobertsmith; paping; pennsylvania; salenazito; townscrawl
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To: Robert DeLong
Ultimately, it doesn't matter what the governor and PA secretary of state did with the ballot standards after Act 77 was passed. There was absolutely no compelling reason for the PA legislature to pass a "no excuses" mail-in voting process into law in the first place.

Mastriano is a moron, and I expect him to see it firsthand when he gets his ass kicked in November. Personally, I'll be surprised if he gets more than 40% of the vote.

21 posted on 05/24/2022 7:27:59 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: jdsteel
See Post #21.

Nobody in Pennsylvania with half a brain has ever been able to explain to me why it was so imperative to adopt a "no-excuses" mail-in voting process under state law in the first place.

22 posted on 05/24/2022 7:29:08 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: FroggyTheGremlim
One of Mastriano's campaign promises is to "work with the General Assembly to eliminate 'No-Excuse' Mail-in voting and Ballot Drop boxes." This is right from his campaign website. These idiotic voting processes are only used today because Mastriano himself voted for them as a state senator in 2019.

That campaign promise isn't a reason to vote for Mastriano as governor. It's a reason why he should resign his seat in the PA Senate in disgrace and just disappear.

So, yeah ... I'm calling him a clown.

I expect him to be one more in a long line of Republican candidates who gets my vote, but loses in a landslide.

23 posted on 05/24/2022 7:32:39 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Timber Rattler

See Post #22. And say hello to Doug for me ... and ask him to please just go away.


24 posted on 05/24/2022 7:34:30 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Alberta's Child

Check post 20 by Timber Rattler. Then go away.


25 posted on 05/24/2022 7:44:20 AM PDT by FroggyTheGremlim (I'll be good, I will, I will!)
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To: FroggyTheGremlim
I saw it.

In other words, we should give Mastriano a pass because he was an inept state legislator.

That's a pathetic way to deal with elected officials who are supposed to work for their constituents and not some party apparatus in Harrisburg.

26 posted on 05/24/2022 7:46:46 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Alberta's Child
Mastriano is a moron

He would be a moron if he failed to realize that it was a mistake, but he did realize it was a mistake. I have no idea why you folks keep singling out Doug, when every Republican was responsible and voted yes for Act 77. Doug had been in the legislature for 2 months when he voted yes, and most likely went along with the rest of the Republicans as a result of that brief time frame. What we are not privy to is what he might have done to hopefully make it a better Act.

You are throwing the baby out with the bathwater, which makes no sense whatsoever. Your position is like cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

It is time for all Republicans to stand behind Doug Mastriano now, not continue to further spread doubt about him. Especially since he has been a strong MAGA Republican all along. It's akin to those who continued to spread doubt about Donald J. Trump after he became the Republican candidate for President in 2016.

27 posted on 05/24/2022 7:57:16 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Alberta's Child

I think you’re the one who needs to go away...such bitterness and blindness...you’ll cut your nose off just to spite your face.


28 posted on 05/24/2022 7:59:03 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Robert DeLong
I have no idea why you folks keep singling out Doug, when every Republican was responsible and voted yes for Act 77.

I hold the entire state GOP in contempt over this.

I can't speak for anyone else here on FR, but I'm only "singling out Doug" because he's running for governor.

Doug had been in the legislature for 2 months when he voted yes ...

If he was unprepared for what he was dealing with after two months in office, then perhaps he should have abstained from voting on it at all.

Personally, I rarely have much enthusiasm for someone like this who has spent his entire adult life working in government. On several occasions (like this one) Mastriano has demonstrated that he is ill-equipped to deal with anything important.

The guy brags on his website about being a student of history and strategy ... and then votes for a bill that enables elections to be stolen right in front of his eyes?

I hope he wins in November only because he's a thousand times better than the @sshole he's running against, but when he loses I hope he leaves public office for good.

29 posted on 05/24/2022 8:15:42 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Alberta's Child
Give me a break. I suppose your are Sir Lancelot, the most prefect human to ever walk the earth.

He is our the nominee for Governor. get over it and start backing him. This is the same type of nonsense that I heard about Donald J. Trump too.

Remember that his election to become a Senator in Pa., was his first political office. I meant 3 months, but mistyped 2 month, that was the extent of his political lifespan when Act 77 was passed. It's not like he was a seasoned politician. He was a complete newbie who had retired as a Colonel from the Army. He did run for Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district in 2018, but was defeated in the primaries.

Your argument is as weak as these arguments presented by the Ukraine/Zelenskyy cheerleaders. Neither are productive, but is instead very counter-productive to this movement, as the conflict is dangerous to American interests.

It was one thing to make your point during the primary, but it no longer should be a point going forward, unless you are secretly working for Shapiro to become Governor.

30 posted on 05/24/2022 9:23:18 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Robert DeLong
He is our the nominee for Governor. get over it and start backing him.

What does that mean? I'll be voting for him in November.

I am not a registered Republican, so I did not vote in the PA primary and I have no idea what "our" means in your statement.

31 posted on 05/24/2022 9:32:12 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Alberta's Child

It means, the MAGA candidate.


32 posted on 05/24/2022 10:56:02 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: jdsteel

Why?

Will he win on $6.00 gas; 8% inflation; empty baby food and other food stuffs shelves?

How about the sea of illegal aliens that will pour into America- will that get him elected?

How about the Monkeypox hoax they will pull?

Do you think that will wipe out there own generic poll showing them down 8 points in Battleground states - will that get comrade fetterman elected?

How about Civiqs numbers showing Joey - the face of the rodent party- at 45% Hispanic support, 64% Black support and 21% Independent support? and here’s my favor - women support Joey and his party at 38%, will that push comrade fetterman over the top?

How about Mastriano at the top of the ticket? Do you think he will just fold his arms and watch the rats cheat?

Youngkin taught Republicans how to beat them by flooding the polls with Republican watchers.

This is the end of May and the rats have nothing to run on - fttermasn and many many others will lose big time.

Please do some research and stop the Surrender Monkey stuff.


33 posted on 05/24/2022 2:53:42 PM PDT by jmaroneps37
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To: Alberta's Child; Robert DeLong

Because you are starting from faulty information.

I am repeating myself but it seems too many people don’t know the true story of act 77.

The original act was passed by the Senate and House in Pennsylvania. Democrats sued, and a deal was struck between the PA Supreme Court and Democrat Governor Wolf which changed act 77 to include unfettered mail in ballots, drop boxes and the rest of the unconstitutional nonsense.

That’s right, the bill was changed by the court and the governor. And what’s worse, they in essence tried to change the state constitution with a bill which is also unconstitutional. It stunk to high heaven from the get-go.

Mastriano fought against it, and the PA Supreme Court basically said no one has been harmed yet. You have to wait until the election once someone is harmed. When that came to pass they said latches, which means oh sorry too late.

Act 77 was recently found, correctly, as unconstitutional by a PA court and repealed.


34 posted on 05/24/2022 2:58:42 PM PDT by jdsteel (Do I really need a /sarc?)
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To: jdsteel

The actions of the governor and state courts just made a bad situation worse. There was never any damn reason to allow that unlimited mail-in voting process in the first place.


35 posted on 05/24/2022 3:10:00 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Robert DeLong

He’s such a strong MAGA. candidate that Trump didn’t endorse him until three days before the election when it was clear he would win.


36 posted on 05/24/2022 3:13:51 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It's midnight in Manhattan. This is no time to get cute; it's a mad dog's promenade.")
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To: Alberta's Child
Can't blame Doug, that is on Trump. I guess Trump was looking for a gimme. 🙂 Either that or he was so torn between Doug & Lou, that he waited to see who would become the dominate one with the voters.

And yes, the Pa. Supreme Court is controlled by Democrats. I guess Republicans needed to break out their crystal balls to see that the plandemic was coming, in which the Democrats could change Act 77, and get away with it. Better yet, they should have thought about the fact that Democrats are cheaters. Always have been and always will be.

But again, the blame hardly falls solely upon Doug Mastriano for Act 77. But he was the one who fought the hardest against the theft of the 2020 election.

Remember the other guy, Lou Barletta lost to Tom Wolf by 17.1%, who also is/was a strong Trump supporter.

There is no guarantee that he would have beaten Josh Shapiro, just as there is no guarantee Doug will beat him. In fact, be prepared for the same shenanigans in that election and perhaps other elections happening in that state, as occurred in the 2020 election.

37 posted on 05/24/2022 3:33:46 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Alberta's Child
BTW, I had not heard that ruling, so I looked it up:

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has found the commonwealth’s no-excuse mail-in voting law, Act 77, is unconstitutional.

According to court documents, 14 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives filed a petition to block the 2019 law that would allow any qualified voter to vote by mail.

The decision, by a five-judge Commonwealth Court panel of three Republicans and two Democrats, could be put on hold immediately by an appeal from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to the state Supreme Court.

So far, I see no evidence that Wolf has appealed. Probably waiting until it is closer to the actual midterm elections.

So, how do you think that ruling will go in the state Supreme Court, if he does file an appeal in say late October?

My guess is that it will be overruled just in time for the midterm elections.

I further guess that the case will never make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Al least not in time to actually overrule the state Supreme Courts ruling, thus leaving it in place for the midterm elections.

38 posted on 05/24/2022 4:05:00 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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