Thursday, November 10, 2005

Reason knows not why

Pity poor Russell Nigro. The Legislature votes itself and the state judiciary an obscene pay raise in the dead of night, and voters decide to take out their rage on Nigro, who claims innocence. Nigro calls the voters "irrational" for doing this, but it's actually quite rational. Legislators weren't on the ballot this year, so voters used Nigro to send lawmakers a message. Think of it like a bank robber in a movie, killing a hostage to let the cops know he means business.

Now, you want to know what's really irrational? It's voters in the city of Pittsburgh who continue to blindly elect Democrats, even though one-party rule has taken this city to the brink of bankruptcy. And it's a Republican Party that can't be bothered to invest time or money to nominate serious candidates in Pennsylvania's second-largest city.

5 Comments:

Blogger fester said...

The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat has some ideas similiar to those that you are expressing over at this place. The most interesting is the proposal for an Ellsie Hillman or any of the other, highly respected, well networked and old-school Heinz type Republicans in the city to run for Mayor. I am not sure if she could win but it would make November 2009 actually interesting.

11:09 AM

 
Blogger Jonathan Potts said...

I actually think a stunt like that could make things worse for the local GOP. Ellsie Hillman is well-liked in certain circles, but a lot of blue-collar neighborhoods would see her as a stereotypical rich, elitist Republican. A few years ago she backed a school board candidate during a primary in a district that included Greenfield, the South Side and parts of Squirrel Hill, and it hurt more than it helped in my opinion. (The candidate lost to a more traditional Democratic candidate.)

I don't think the key is to nominate a superstar and hope to get lucky. I think they need to start grooming good, young candidates for city council and county council seats within Pittsburgh. It won't happen overnight.

9:15 PM

 
Blogger Ol' Froth said...

I still cannot get my brain to accept that Tom Flaherty is going to be a judge!

Maybe a few beers will help.

12:15 PM

 
Blogger Jonathan Potts said...

I'm sure it took a few for him to get used to the idea, as well.

2:18 PM

 
Blogger Ol' Froth said...

I think it took a few for him to see a judge, at least at first.

4:46 PM

 

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