Not posting does not equate to not reading. I get it now.
I didn't realize that until reading the responses sent in during the past couple of days. Thanks for reading my column in Monday's edition of The Times Herald and then taking a few minutes to come online to let me know you're still out there.
I hope I didn't sound too desperate for responses.
The majority of you agree with me about the Montgomery County Republican Party being fragmented.
And how about those numbers in today's Times Herald?
Not only are the Dems signing up more registered voters, but now they're also raising more money.
I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure this one out folks. The two are pretty much the barometer for winning elections.
'Greybeard' thinks county Republicans are fragmented because they don't present "clear, cogent arguments for people to vote for them."
'Jim' believes Republicans didn't show up to the candidates forum at the Carver Center because the Democratic base in Norristown is simply too large for them to waste their time.
I couldn't disagree more, Jim. I think there are plenty of Republicans in Norristown and I think it would have been wise for both Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews to come to the forum.
'Anonymous' thinks the Dems have been very noisy of late and that's why they're getting all of the attention. "Cacophonous is a good word."
Guess what 'Anonymous'? I happen to subscribe to the squeeky wheel theory.
Anyway, those are just a few tidbits from recent posts.
I happen to believe that things just don't look good for the county Republican Party right now and it's a shame.
I will agree with a portion of the post left by 'Anonymous', and by the way, just leave a fake name if you don't want to leave your real name. 'Greybeard' is at least creative. Anonymous said Republicans must have honesty and integrity. I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.
So let me hear from the honest Republicans in Montgomery County. Be proud that you're an honest Republican. Because if you don't start making some noise pretty soon the only people left to listen to you will be your family and friends.
15 comments:
Are you telling us that there are "honest Republicans"??????
As you can tell, I am and have been a Democrat all my life and it's about time the Democrats are showing some muscle.
Thanks for the tip, Stan. Now you can call me Tirebiter.
If our county Republican leader really cared about the party, he would step down and give Bob Kerns a crack at it, just as you suggested. If the party doesn't have a strong leader to rally around it is doomed to fail and that's where we are right now. At the very least, would somebody tell Ken Davis to put his shirt collars down? That fashion is for preppy college boys, which he's not, or sleasy salesmen. 'Nuff said.
There just seems to be too much strutting and posturing and not enough real work getting done at the grass roots level. To add to another blog comment, no committeeperson ever came to me, either, to check on my registration status, or whether I could get to the polls or not, or whether I'd be willing to get involved or volunteer. Volunteer for what? Of course working at the polls or canvassing your neighborhood with a candidate in tow is important, but what about just volunteering within your community and letting folks know you're doing it as a Republican who cares? I've seen local D's organize cleanups for Earth Day and other such noble causes and get their picture in the paper for it, along with a caption that they are D's. When do the Republicans do things like that? What happened to Geo Bush Sr's idea of 1,000 points of light? The Republican light is out, it seems, and the D's are running with the torch.
Sometimes leadership comes just by setting an example.
I kind of think it's what's going on Nationally. Look at the last election.
Sorry you are lonely in the blogosphere, but that must be the price of progress. With the new format and all the hoops, it is difficult to get to the right place to read your blog, and more difficult to add a comment--in fact this is obviously a comment on a different subject from the title above. What's up? It's not enough to say we are supposed to change our 'favorites' setting.
Davis must go. Otherwise, there won't be much of a party left to fight about.
To go with your article about how the Dem's have raised more money than the Republicans, has anybody noticed that two of the Republican candidates for Methacton school board, AND who are endorsed by the Republican Committee in Lower Providence, were, as of late '06, registered as DEMOCRATS? Apparently the Republican committee either didn't notice or didn't care. With tactics like this (party switching, endorsing essentially Democratic candidates) is it any wonder the Democrats are gaining momentum? So-called Republicans are handing much of it to them on a silver platter...real Republicans AREN'T standing up. Of course this is the same committee that endorsed and helped fund the campaign of a supervisor candidate 2 years ago who was a party-switcher from Philadelphia, so this should not really be a surprise to those in LP, should it?
Wow Stan, xenophobic paranoia still exists in Lower Providence. How ridiculous a statement “celticwarrior” makes about folks changing their minds, parties or affiliations. People change their minds and grow in their understanding of things every day. Why should they be locked into a choice they made previously which maybe they can’t agree with or support today? People grow and learn and change everyday, at least most humans do.
The term “celticwarrior” uses, “real-republicans” or “real-democrats” for that matter or “real-anything” is a weak attempt to diminish and insult the intelligence of voting public. No wonder he/she hid their name because it implies the voters are too stupid to know who they want to represent them. It harkens back to the good old days, you remember, Germany, mid-thirties, when Hitler and the Nazis intimidated, and went after anyone who didn’t agree with them.
Today in LP we hear Mr. Dininny and Mr. Lomire use the term “like-minded” individuals, it’s the same thing really. You think the same (take orders) or you are the enemy. Maybe it’s just that people saw what the Lomire - Dininny – Dougherty team did to LP and they don’t want a repeat with the Lomire – Dininny - Mollick team on the school board. The local Republican committee members are actually elected by their neighbors to represent them to the party as are all local committee people of all parties. The voters are smarter than many give them credit for and especially demeaned by those who fear losing power or control and forget that they are supposed to serve the public, not themselves.
Sounds like sour grapes and a desperate attempt to distract the public from clearly evaluating each candidate on their qualifications, positions, and leadership ability. The voters are smart, let them decide, not a few wanna be “real-anythings” in a smoky back room. Please vote on Tuesday, May 15th.
PS – How long do you have to be a “real-anything” before you learn the secret handshake?
Would the honest Republicans join with the 11 Republican Representatives who met with Bush Tuesday to tell him to start getting realistic about Iraq before he takes down the Republican Party, our military, Iraq, and our country with his foolhardy stubborn Iraq policy.
Tom
Very soon the Democrats will outdo the GOP in arrogance, and it will have taken nearly 160 years for the D's to control Montgomery County. It, unfortunately,won't be the bipartisan, objective union that we've all hoped would occur. There's no longer a "doodlebug"to assure a continual revenue source to match the past graft of Republicans. Now on, it will take honesty and political competence with hard work to maintain control of the Court House.
Warpeace1
Are you telling us that there are "honest Democrats"
Why, at the local level, does party get so involved? We are a nation divided by a political system. And as long as there is political bickering and everyone is afraid to step closer to the middle then nothing will ever get done.
John Lomire hasn't been on any public board or office in almost 2 years and last I heard Mr. Dininny wasn't running for School Board. Might be time to hit a Township meeting.
Here's the latest on the desperation of the Republican party in Lower Providence. Today, a postcard was mailed to Democratic voters stating that the 5 endorsed Republican school board members were "Democratic Supported". Who are they kidding? The Democratic PArty has 4 excellent endorsed candidates of their own; Carl Santoro, John Williams, Jim Foster and Ted Chylack. We certainly don't endorse or need any of the Republican 5. Between the opinionated emails and flyers from the Home and School Association and this latest last minute false statement, Republicans certainly seem desperate and obviously don't feel confident enough in their own endorsed candidates. Resorting to this type of misleading information once again only shows that Democrtas are the ones with higher standards and have the best interests of all residents and students at heart. I certainly don't want my school board being run by a bunch of cowards who can't stand on their own 2 feet without misleading the public. This is a new low for the Republican Party. It's ironic because Republicans usually want to disassociate themselves from the Democrats. Now, they want you to believe were all on the same page. It's hard to believe they have stooped to such a desperate level over school board candidates. Really, what are they thinking?
John Q Audobon sounds more like Jimmy D VanHorn or Doug D Hager. The D stands for Democrat. Oh I forgot Supervisor Chris D DePalo who was a real live registered Democrat at 1 time.
"Hitler" "Nazi's" "Going after people who disagree with them"
"Xenophobic paranoia"? John Q, I think you need to look up the term "projection"-- It fits.
Celtic Warrior has it right, and appears to have hit the mark by the way John Q just about had a seizure, and is now practicing internet psychology.
It is a fact that 2 of the 5 Methacton School Board Candidates who were endorsed by the Lower Providence Committee were Democrats and changed their party registrations several weeks before they filed their REPUBLICAN nominating petitions. Not just one but BOTH candidates.
Coincidence? I guess they were both together at the "IT'S TIME TO GROW CONVENTION" when they saw the light and had their conversion experience and said lets become Republicans 2 weeks before we file our petitions!!
Joyce Petralskus was a long-time DEMOCRAT until she changed her party registration on 1/26/07. If that wasn't bad enough, one of the first names on her nominating petition for Methacton School Director was that of LP Republican Committee Chairmen Doug Hager who then circulated that petition for her. Either Hager new about Petrauskas's flip flopping or maybe even worse, he didn't. He should RESIGN.
Michael Simeone was a Republican, changed his mind and became a Democrat only to change his mind again to become a Republican in early February 2007 to run as a Republican. Who will he be next year? Did he or Petrauskas tell Hager or Bustard? If not, why not.
Did Hager and Bustard tell our party so that the voter could "clearly evaluate each candidate on their qualifications, positions, and leadership ability."
John Q then attempts to rationalize the flip flops (John Q, that's a psychological term) because people can "GROW", "LEARN" and "CHANGE" everyday. What did the 2 Democrats learn just about 2 weeks before they filed their REPUBLICAN nominating petitions. What growth spurt did they experience? Were they just reborn or maybe it was an out of body experience. (John Q, in case you didn't know, this is sarcasm)
The point. We need REAL Republicans. We REAL Republicans know what that means and its more then the "secret handshake". It's core values, a philosophy, and a way of life ---- Less government, fiscal conservatism, with less regualtion and taxation.
I have been a Republican all of my life and know that our philosophy is very different from that of the Democrats.
The electorate deserves to KNOW who the candidates are, what they stand for and whether they have ever "GROWN".
John Q, translation-----They deserve the truth.
John Q. No charge for the couch session.
The Truth Detector (Not much in LP's Republican Committee)
To Anonymous,
There was a concentrated effort from a certain group of Republicans to endorse these particular 5 school board candidates. All this panic over Jim Mollick. I think these 5 Republicans have shot themselves in the foot with both R's and D's. I know that our Republican committee people at our poll were not happy with the misleading postcard mailed by these 5 candidates nor did they like the fact that the candidates were telling voters they were both Republican and Democratic endorsed ( which they are definitely not!!). The Democrats certainly won't be taking kindly to Joyce Petrauskas and Michael Simeone either...especially since all Joyce Petrauskas could say when asked about her platform on election day was that she "was for quality education and keeping your tax dollars low." That's the most brilliant statement I've ever heard from a school board candidate!! Come on! Where are the candidates who have fresh ideas and can stand up to Van Horn and question his decisions??? Where are the candidates who will get progressive curriculum for our kids and apply for grants to pay for it??...there's tons of money sittng on the table that we never even apply for! The Republicans can keep Petrauskas and Simeone as far as I'm concerned...they just seemed to be "fillers" to outnumber Jim Mollick and his crew which they did a great job doing. I don't think I want my school board being run by this block of 5...I'll definitely pick and choose from the menu come November.
This is great info to know.
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