Where to start when it comes to Pennsylvania elections? Firstly, I would just like to say that I am happy that this assignment excludes gubernatorial races. It is a relief not to have to discuss the ridiculousness of the fact that my current governor, Ed Rendell is being challenged by former Steelers receiver, Lynn Swann.
My Senatorial race, though much more dramatic, does make me a bit more at ease, assuming that election day goes my way. Senator Rick Santorum, my Senator since 1995 is being challenged by Robert Casey, former Auditor General and current State Treasurer. Santorum is a Republican Junior Senator, who wears his Christianity based, conservative leanings on his sleeve. He has taken controversial positions on homosexuality and sexual privacy rights, and has taken criticized positions on Social Security, intelligent design, and the Terri Schiavo case. Bob Casey Jr., to the dislike of many fellow Democrats, is very conservative. As a religious Catholic he is against reproductive rights for women and he also opposes most legislation on gun control. Though seemingly aligned on certain issues, with Santorum in the mix, I personally find this decision rather simple.
It has been interesting to see how the media has portrayed this election. Just like any other horserace, as the election-day approaches the polls have gotten closer. Today, the Franklin and Marshall Keystone Poll, as quoted in blog and newspaper alike, reported that Casey, who originally had a much more commanding lead, now only leads Santorum by six points. Whether this is true or as Leighley asserts, more of a strategy to get more people interested in the ”game” aspect of the election, tension is in the air.
Here in Pennsylvania, this election has turned into a bit of a mud-slinging festival, with Santorum taking the lead in slinging the mud. Santorum’s ads have been accused of spreading untruths. Santorum is now getting the slack for it. But even beyond the media taking a dislike to Santorum’s advertisement ethics, they have also jumped on him, for the revelation that the Penn Hills school district, where his children live are paying for their cyber-charter schools. This has brought media attention concerning whether in fact the Santorums are actual residents of Penn Hills.
It is interesting to note that part of the appeal of this particular election in the media is purely because of the persona of Rick Santorum. The New York Times has even run four article series about this election. This election is also appealing because of the state of Pennsylvania in general. My home state is confusing, to say the least. Pennsylvania, a long time swing state is a bundle of contradictions. We went for the Democrat candidate, Kerry in the past Presidential election. We have voted in two Republicans to the Senate, one of them being Santorum, one of the most conservative Senators, number three in the Republican party, and Arlen Spector, one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate. Pennsylvania is a traditionally conservative and religious state, prime ground for the Republican Party. As a Pennsylvanian native, it is tough to foresee the outcome of any election, and this one is no different.
Even with the media having a field day with Santorum or the Republicans calling Casey unintelligent, I have no idea what will happen. To add more confusion into the mix is Lynn Swann. People are known to vote “down the line,” i.e. to choose their gubernatorial candidate of choice and follow through with that party. Swann, who brings little to the table and to date is trailing Rendell somewhere in the double digits is only hurting Santorum. A potential roadblock for Casey, as noted in this morning’s Patriot News is that of Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli. He is having trouble getting enough signatures to be put on the ballot. Casey supporters are concerned that his presence on the ballot will draw voters from the Democrat candidate and are trying to disqualify some of his signatures. What a horserace this has become?
The media attention is now turning to their spending and funds. The main headline of the front page of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Patriot News for today was,” Spending Time: Santorum, Casey save up for stretch run.” The article analyzed their campaign’s financial standing, who their money is from and where it is going. The conclusion of the article highlighted one Philadelphia based law and lobbying firm. Though usually a supporter of Republican candidates, this election they have decided to support both candidates financially. I think that this fact sums it all up. Nobody knows who will win. Many are disillusioned with Santorum but Republicans are known to have better voter turnout. Casey is a fresh face who has done a lot for the Commonwealth, but Santorum is a high-ranking Senator who has a lot of political clout. As evidenced from the end of the above-mentioned article, even the media is unsure of the election results. But, unlike me, they are loving it! Those darn profit-seeking media!
My Senatorial race, though much more dramatic, does make me a bit more at ease, assuming that election day goes my way. Senator Rick Santorum, my Senator since 1995 is being challenged by Robert Casey, former Auditor General and current State Treasurer. Santorum is a Republican Junior Senator, who wears his Christianity based, conservative leanings on his sleeve. He has taken controversial positions on homosexuality and sexual privacy rights, and has taken criticized positions on Social Security, intelligent design, and the Terri Schiavo case. Bob Casey Jr., to the dislike of many fellow Democrats, is very conservative. As a religious Catholic he is against reproductive rights for women and he also opposes most legislation on gun control. Though seemingly aligned on certain issues, with Santorum in the mix, I personally find this decision rather simple.
It has been interesting to see how the media has portrayed this election. Just like any other horserace, as the election-day approaches the polls have gotten closer. Today, the Franklin and Marshall Keystone Poll, as quoted in blog and newspaper alike, reported that Casey, who originally had a much more commanding lead, now only leads Santorum by six points. Whether this is true or as Leighley asserts, more of a strategy to get more people interested in the ”game” aspect of the election, tension is in the air.
Here in Pennsylvania, this election has turned into a bit of a mud-slinging festival, with Santorum taking the lead in slinging the mud. Santorum’s ads have been accused of spreading untruths. Santorum is now getting the slack for it. But even beyond the media taking a dislike to Santorum’s advertisement ethics, they have also jumped on him, for the revelation that the Penn Hills school district, where his children live are paying for their cyber-charter schools. This has brought media attention concerning whether in fact the Santorums are actual residents of Penn Hills.
It is interesting to note that part of the appeal of this particular election in the media is purely because of the persona of Rick Santorum. The New York Times has even run four article series about this election. This election is also appealing because of the state of Pennsylvania in general. My home state is confusing, to say the least. Pennsylvania, a long time swing state is a bundle of contradictions. We went for the Democrat candidate, Kerry in the past Presidential election. We have voted in two Republicans to the Senate, one of them being Santorum, one of the most conservative Senators, number three in the Republican party, and Arlen Spector, one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate. Pennsylvania is a traditionally conservative and religious state, prime ground for the Republican Party. As a Pennsylvanian native, it is tough to foresee the outcome of any election, and this one is no different.
Even with the media having a field day with Santorum or the Republicans calling Casey unintelligent, I have no idea what will happen. To add more confusion into the mix is Lynn Swann. People are known to vote “down the line,” i.e. to choose their gubernatorial candidate of choice and follow through with that party. Swann, who brings little to the table and to date is trailing Rendell somewhere in the double digits is only hurting Santorum. A potential roadblock for Casey, as noted in this morning’s Patriot News is that of Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli. He is having trouble getting enough signatures to be put on the ballot. Casey supporters are concerned that his presence on the ballot will draw voters from the Democrat candidate and are trying to disqualify some of his signatures. What a horserace this has become?
The media attention is now turning to their spending and funds. The main headline of the front page of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Patriot News for today was,” Spending Time: Santorum, Casey save up for stretch run.” The article analyzed their campaign’s financial standing, who their money is from and where it is going. The conclusion of the article highlighted one Philadelphia based law and lobbying firm. Though usually a supporter of Republican candidates, this election they have decided to support both candidates financially. I think that this fact sums it all up. Nobody knows who will win. Many are disillusioned with Santorum but Republicans are known to have better voter turnout. Casey is a fresh face who has done a lot for the Commonwealth, but Santorum is a high-ranking Senator who has a lot of political clout. As evidenced from the end of the above-mentioned article, even the media is unsure of the election results. But, unlike me, they are loving it! Those darn profit-seeking media!
posted by juliafm at 11:31 AM
1 Comments:
There's LOTS of great information and some sharp observations here, but it meanders more than a little -- how could you tighten this up into a focused, persuasive Op-Ed? And what's your main point, exactly? Are who are you supporting? You've perhaps buried the lede. . . . .
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