PA GOV RACE BOMBSHELL!!!!!!!!! Hafer crossing party lines to back Rendell for governor

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Tuesday, September 03, 2002 2:14 PM | James O'Toole, Post-Gazette Politics Editor

[twigs]

I recently sold my house in Glenside and now reside in Bucks. (Much prefer Glenside!). I'm guessing that most of my Glenside neighbors vote Democrat (union, Teachers, etc.). Even when I worked for Montgomery County when you had to be registered Republican to get a job there, I'm willing to bet a number of my colleagues voted Democrat b/c of their social liberal views (pro-abortion)!

[twigs]

I DID vote for Peg Luksik! And will whenever, if, she ever runs again!

[Coop]

Does it strike anyone else as odd that Rick Santorum got more votes than Al Gore in the state of Pennsylvania and over 200,000 more votes than Bush, the head of the ticket?

No. Santorum was an incumbent. Dubya and Gore were fighting for an "open" seat. We saw a similar thing down here in VA. My district went for Bush by approx. 1100-1000 votes. Pubbie George Allen beat incumbent Dem Chuck Robb by only six votes in the same district. It was the same statewide. Bush won by 8 points, while Allen won by only 4.5 points due to the strength of incumbency.

I realize it's the reverse head-of-the-ticket thing, but I really think it's a result of incumbency.

[Holding Our Breath]

It used to be in Montgomery county thta to do anything political meant you registered Republican. God, how things have changed!

[Explorer89]

But I guess even without Baltimore, Gore would have swept MD.

WRONG! Take away Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, and Montgomery County from the famous blue/red map and MOST of the state went for Bush!

[oldironsides]

She is a cow and ugly to boot? Attitudes and crap like that are probably why this astute politician switched to Fast Eddie Rendell. The GOP in Pennsylvania has it's head up it's behind. What office holder may have been able to give Rendell a run for his money? Hafer? She paid her dues and seems to know her business. I will tell you that when I hear males calling females politians "bitches" and other names, I wonder why any women bother to run for office.

We have the leader of the PA Senate and he had his wife placed on the PA Turnpike Com. and she was put in a position that should have gone to another. People were furious and when her nude photos showed up on the Turnpike Com. computers they laughed because she earned it. He dumped her real fast. The GOP in Pa made a mistake on their choice for candidate for Gov. this time around. A really big mistake to ignore capable people and rubber stamp hand picked inner circle males.

Hafer will be a royal pain in the GOP butt and maybe they need exactly this type of thing to wake them up. I worked in the GOP circles for years and it really makes me irate to see the treatment of women candidate. Who in hell is Jane Earle anyway and how did she earn a shot at number 2 over Barbara Hafer?

[dan909]

Also, Philadelphia has just under 1.5 million residents. Assuming we chuck out about 300,000 as being under age, that leaves about 1.2 million. With roughly 550,000 people voting for president, that gives a rough voter turnout of 46%.

the PA dept. of state website gives the Philly voter registration in Oct 2000 as 1,025,529, giving a turnout of 55% or so. Pretty good, but still well below the state turnout of 63% (and not quite at that 100% figure that's been thrown around for the last 2 years).

Another oddity, somehow Bush managed to lose Delaware county despite there being _twice_ as many registered republicans there than democrats. And, like 10% of those confused voters backed Gore for pres and Santorum for senator- can't overestimate the power of incumbency...

[pittsburgh gop guy]

Your post doesn't make too much sense.

First you rip on the PA GOP for their treatment of female candidates, then you ask:

"Who in hell is Jane Earle anyway and how did she earn a shot at number 2 over Barbara Hafer?"

She is a 2-term State Senator from Erie, and earned a shot at #2 by not being the pro-abortion, one-issue bitch that Hafer is. Yes Senator Earle is pro-abort, but she is conservative on other issues and is not hated by just about every other politician in Harrisburg and former staff members - as Hafer is. And she provides some regional diversity on the ticket.

If you want the definition of bitch, it is Barbara Hafer. Her recent actions just prove it, but I have known her and her staff for 12 years and there are ample examples of her being a back-stabbing shrew, more than any other politician in PA.

Also - do you remember Hafer's crack about Casey in 1990 - that he is a "REDNECK IRISHMAN FROM SCRANTON!" ? Ah - a lot of people still remember that and will never vote for her for anything - having her on the ticket would have been poison for many reasons not just related to her personality. Geography is one. Sure would have been nice to have a conservative female from the Philly area on the ticket - but guess what - there are none that are in office.

"I worked in the GOP circles for years and it really makes me irate to see the treatment of women candidate"

When was this? Have you ever heard of Melissa Hart? First female Republican elected to a full State Senate term; and now she is in Congress. From liberal suburban Philly/eastern Pa? NO - from Pittsburgh. She wins in 60% DEM districts because she is a Conservative and a good candidate.

And your comment that Hafer would have given Rendell a run for his money, well, it makes me announce that your political acumen is nonexistent. Let's see: run a rabid pro-abortion liberal Republican (HAFER) against a rabid pro-abortion liberal Democrat (Rendell). Yeah - that would get all the conservative Republicans motivated. Not to mention the conservative Democrats.

Are you one of them "moderate"-liberal Republicans that yearn for the days of being in the minority in Congress and in the State House, and having a Dem governor? Are you one of them that praise Jim Jeffords for having the courage to switch parties? Sure sounds like the answer is yes to both.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

And I forgot this one:

"I worked in the GOP circles for years and it really makes me irate to see the treatment of women candidate" (sic)

You must then be REALLY, REALLY mad about how Rendell has treated Kathrine Baker Knoll. He has not campaigned with her and basically treats her like she does not exist. I did not notice one RENDELL/KNOLL sign today - there were only RENDELL signs. So, does that make you irate or is your ire for Republicans only?

[SuziQ]

Oh great, another Country Club Republican heard from. I hope Mike Fisher can rally his conservative base. This chick probably won't get Rendell many more votes. Those who are pro-abortion were going to vote for him anyway!

[Shethink13]

Western PA is pro-union anti-business and therefor votes democrat consistantly.

That is changing. Westmoreland County voted Republican for the first time in who knows how long in the 2000 election. Maybe not soon enough though.

[Theodore R.]

I said City of Baltimore, I did not mean the entire metro area. But isn't it that metro area that sends the liberal Representative Morella to Congress time after time?

[pittsburgh gop guy]

I think morella is retiring and a dem will take the seat.