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THE PRESS ROOM: Local blogs spring up to slam candidates
An occasional series of articles exploring how political campaigns are playing out in the media—in print, on the air, online and behind the scenes.
Think pa2010.com is catering to a narrow niche? Think again.
A plethora of new Web sites are sprouting up in the blogosphere, mostly as vehicles to bash candidates loathed by their authors, but sometimes just to cover a particular race from a certain ideological view. Whether these blogs will play any significant role in shaping the mainstream media narratives surrounding the 2010 elections remains to be seen. At a minimum, they serve as yet another window for journalists with larger editorial portfolios to get a ground-level look at the races they’re covering.
A site that might be most vocal in subjecting its subject to constant and withering criticism is Jr. Jim Cawley, which targets the Bucks County Commissioner who recently won the state GOP’s nomination for Lieutenant Governor. The site loudly proclaims of Cawley, “the more you know, the less you want!” At various times, the site has highlighted campaign contributions to Cawley from labor organizations, called him a “phony Tea Partier” and pointed out his long career on the government payroll.
In many ways, the site speaks for a small but vocal group of conservative activists who are unhappy that Cawley is running on their party’s gubernatorial ticket, but have little power to do anything about it.
“The only thing I would say is that most of what’s on that site is half-truths and quotations taken out of context,” Cawley said in a brief interview.
As conservatives become more mobilized online, Republicans seem to find themselves targeted from the right by these new sites, while Democrats have yet to engender quite the same level of localized vitriol. The Unvarnished Truth on Tom Marino assails the GOP candidate in the 10th District. StopLouBarletta.com has spared no criticism of the Hazleton Mayor and Republican candidate in the 11th District, and his primary opponent Chris Paige has used the site as a natural extension of his self-messaging strategy.
It’s not always obvious who runs these sites, though the Barletta critic, Wilkes-Barre travel agent Dan Cheek, has made no efforts to hide his identity, even recently launching an accompanying Facebook page.
Some sites simply offer niche coverage of local races, like PA-08, a blog covering the 8th District.
If nothing else, the sites are a manifestation of a vocal conservative constituency, even if it’s one that’s louder than it is sizeable.
“I don’t think it necessarily says anything about the conservative movement,” Cawley said. “I’ve known and have worked throughout my career with my fine conservative activists. I know that the vast majority of conservatives are honorable and committed individuals. It’s just unfortunate that in cases like this, whoever published that didn’t have the courage of their convictions to put their name on it.”
February 15, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Tags: Chris Paige, Jim Cawley, Lou Barletta, Lt. Gov., PA-10, PA-11, PA-8, The Press Room, Tom Marino
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Tom
Feb 15th, 2010
How do you know about the size of it, Dan? Polls show Corbett and Toomey destroying their Democratic rivals, so clearly something is up in the Keystone State and it’s not just a few vocal nutcases.
ItTrueDat
Feb 15th, 2010
Well Mr. Cawley, I served with conservatives. I know conservatives. Conservatives are friends of mine – and you sir are no conservative!
It’s a fact that Cawley – the Esquire – did not study much history or he wouldn’t malign our founding fathers such as Alexander Hamilton, Jay Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine and others who – in Cawley’s words, “…didn’t have the courage of their convictions to put their name” on the publications they published either!
Why didn’t our founding fathers put their names on their publications? For the same reason this blog is anonymous. The powers-that-be would attack the messenger. Cawley doesn’t dare refute these well documented FACTS regarding his record, rather he ATTACKS. (I am certain my failure to pay my library book fine in 6th grade would be brought up!)
Cawley says of this well researched and documented blog, “The only thing I would say is that most of what’s on that site is half-truths and quotations taken out of context,”
Since we provide our readers with your own words, newspaper clips, and documentation, please Mr. Cawley can you share exactly what’s out of context?
Mr. Cawley – we took ALL financial records from the Bucks County Comprehensive Annual Financial Review as mandated by Pennsylvania Statute and performed by the elected Bucks County Controller. He documents your 7.1 tax increase, your $70 million OVER budget and the $153 Million of debt you have created.
Question: When you said “Just for the record, anytime the federal government wants to give us money, I’ll take it.” Were you lying?
Question: When you took thousand and thousand of campaign dollars from the Unions, what did they expect for their donations?
Question: Why did you agree to meet with Planned Parenthood?
Your record will be scrutinized and your Dan Quayle-like credentials will make the Republican ticket a joke. Seriously, you have NEVER had a real job. No one seeing your resume would give you a glance in anything but a middle-level management job (and then on probation)
Welcome to the big leagues Mr. Cawley.
Wondering
Feb 15th, 2010
But PA2010 is the best by far. Wasn’t for this site, I would never have known about Sestak being in trouble with the feds. The people who post here keep everybody informed.
Lee Levan
Feb 15th, 2010
Oh please, Wondering. You don’t know that Sestak is in trouble with the feds. All you know is that a person who doesn’t like Sestak has made a complaint to the feds. The feds never comment on an investigation, or even whether there is an investigation. So neither you, nor anyone, knows that Sestak is under investigation, much less “in trouble”.
This rumor crap has no place in an honest campaign. It is, at best, wishful thinking on the part of thse who support Specter and, at worst, slurring a decent person with innuendo or false charges. It is the worst of our political system.
This is not even a case of someone being innocent until proven guilty. It’s not even a case of someone being charged with a crime, an ethical violation, or anything at all. It’s a rumor. That’s all it is.
Welcome to the old politics that so many people of all parties and all ideologies are rejecting more than ever.
Lee Levan
Feb 15th, 2010
Btw, to the best of my knowledge, this site has not reported that Sestak is under investigation or “in trouble”. It has only appeared in the comments of a few people who oppose Sestak.
Dan, feel free to correct me if I am wrong about that.
Autumn
Feb 15th, 2010
I’m always happy to see and hear opposing and supporting voices of people other than campaign staff or people on the payroll who are merely shouting about how great their candidate is and repeating the same one-sided “Vote for X” slogans and political campaign jargon. Yes, it can get nasty but so can the WSJ opinion pages. Keep it coming citizen journalists! PA2010, you do rock the blogosphere and twittersphere. Keep it coming.
Semper Fidelis
Feb 18th, 2010
Apparently, Robert Gleason does not believe in “Free Speech”. He has thrown down the gauntlet by forcing the people to accept Tom Corbett as the ONLY candidate for Governor. He and his ilk had better be ready to do battle. We take no prisoners.
Semper Fidelis
Nurse John
John
Mar 13th, 2010
http://www.pa2010.com/2010/03/two-ex-lawmakers-back-marino-in-10th-district/comment-page-1/#comment-12460
Eric
May 26th, 2010
Ittruedat has been identified as Ron Harper Jr. who is on trial for harassment and trespass in an incident that occurred on April 22. He is working with Bob Guzzardi.
Jube
Jun 19th, 2010
Harper also has a conviction in Montgomery County. It says he went to trial and lost. Is Harper working for any candidates now? They should be informed about his history before they are embarrassed by his past.