Game On

PA House Reps. Ryan Aument and Gordon Denlinger both announced that they are running for the vacant PA Senatorial District 36 seat.  News flash.  They are only running in the sense that they are busy trying to convince local GOP committee members that they should get the endorsement of the party.  Once the endorsement is secured by a pre-determined number of votes among the committee, the local GOP will almost insist that the loser bow out of the race.  The result?  Registered GOP voters that reside in district 36 will be able to choose between...one and only one person.  

Since I began meeting with people (now approaching 80) over the past year about a potential run for Congress, almost everyone has told me that having choices in elections, especially in primaries, is paramount.  

On numerous occasions, however, I have been told that one must cater to, cowtail to, smooze and not upset any local committee member if they ever want to run for public office.  I was also told to wait in line, like at a deli counter, for my chance.  I have been told that a certain person has already been chosen to succeed Rep. Pitts, so therefore, I should think twice about running in the future.  Start small.  Get in the queue.  Your number will be called in time.  

Forget the fact that I want to bring a choice to the people by having open primaries.  Forget the fact that I want the candidates to have open, honest discussions with other candidates.  Forget the fact that I want all candidates to take their message to the voters directly. 

Aument and Denlinger are playing within the rules created by the local GOP.  However, when they say that they are running for office, it is a joke.  Rather, they are running for the approval of some 200 people who seem to hold the all the cards.  You want to know why we can't get candidates to run for office?  It's because the deck is stacked against them before the cards are even dealt.  In Lancaster County, primary candidates are "selected - not elected".  There have been those rare occasions where open primaries have been held; however, in those instances, there were so many candidates that the committee could not get a consensus of choosing one candidate over the others.  The result?  The candidates had to campaign and take their message to the voters. Novel idea.

- BELIEVE that choices in elections allow for open discussions and problem solving
- ACT by encouraging candidates to stay in races beyond the endorsement process 
- SERVING others is why we hold elections and not merely to fill a parties' coffer

Over the past year, I was informed on numerous occassions that if I ever wrote a blog post like this that I would be branded as someone who is not a team player and would have no chance in local politics.

Fear is always an opponents last resort.  By posting this, I'm letting the world know that I am not scared.  I have a wonderful wife and children and God has blessed me beyond belief.  No matter what the establishment thinks about me, talks about me, does to me, they can't take those blessings from me.

Game on.