It was important to see them all on stage. Once done, it became real clear that Cawley and Watkins are the 2 left who have the tone, temperment and political posture to support Corbett in what will be a very serious run by the Democrats in a nationalized election for Pa. Gov.

Cawley and Watkins are same ole politics. I wont go with anyone this party endorses because THEY are part of the problem. The State Committee shouldn’t be endorsing anyone, the people of the Commonwealth of PA should be deciding who they want on the ticket. Has this party forgotten Obama and the dems won on CHANGE? CHANGE is what the people want and eventually we will get it, even if we have to do it slowly, one by one.

Joe Watkins is refreshing to watch. Hope he’ll stick around. Did well on the stump:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16kBipjHbAo

This event was a waste of time. Everybody knows that Gleason chooses the candidate. That’s how the PAGOP works.

Watkins came off yesterday as an Obama wannabe by trying to play on his race. My son came home during the presidential elections saying he was voting for Obama. I asked why. He told me he wanted to be a part of history by voting for the first black president. I explained to him that voting for someone based on the color of their skin was just as wrong as voting against them based on the color of their skin, then took him out of school for every McCain rally I could find. Watkins should take note…

So did any other candidates pledge to cut wasteful spending other than Steve Johnson?

To PaGop’er,

You are a sadly misguided anachronism and do not reflect today’s Republican Party. From what is being told from people who know is that he was being boxed out POLITICALLY from a certain caucus and functions in certain counties. Not racially.

Get a grip!

Joe Watkins is mercifully a mature leader that would do this State, and our party proud, especially your son, why, because the man is ready.

To Stop Wasteful Spending,

Johnson lost his credibility when he filed his campaign report and showed that more than half his money went to an insider who only garnered him 15 votes in Caucuses no good “Outsider” would have attended becuase he would have taken it striaght to the people. Talk about wasteful spending…

Anonymous,

soooo… did any other candidates pledge to save Pennsylvanians money by (1) not living in the Lt. Gov. mansion and (2) not taking a pension?

What Steve Johnson does with his money is his business, what the candidates do with MY MONEY is MY BUSINESS and the pertinant issue here.

To Stop Wasteful Spending,

The two points Johnson made will do how much damage to a $29 billion budget??? The perception that he’ll say one thing and do another is backbreaking. That yours and my business….

SEPA Nugget

PA GOPer may represent more of today’s Republican Party than you think.

Watkins made a big mistake using his ethnicity as part of his platform. It is too bad teachers resorted to this tactic with some of our children.

One can only hope we’ve all learned from these mistakes and will vote for the best candidate to represent US.

Anonymous:

At the very least, it has to start somewhere…

It is good to see a candidate pledge good sound business practice for PA government, for a change.

I think he will follow through

To Stop Wasteful Spending,

When, exactly did Watkins use his race?? I’m confused. If you’re talking about yesterday at the candidates forum, you really missed his point completely. He was talking about something political.

Otherwise, please show us when this person who has by all accounts has never used the race card, used it?? I think you’re just mis-reading something.

Or you and Pa GOP’er are dreaming it up to marginalize a very decent, non-race baiting candidate. Facts will hurt you here. Looks desparate to me. That’s all.

Now to Johnson, at the Tea Party event of a few days ago, at the caucuses and anyplace he goes, Johnson polls very low and now at State Committee (notice he was in the room looking for the endorsement??), no traction there either….. Can’t tell you why.

Nice enough guy….but when you have to give the guy a pass on what seriously looks like hypocrisy on the surface, and then 67% of his budget is spent on an insider and not a rally, or events for the people or canvassing to get out the vote, or anything a real “Outsider” would do…you have to wonder if he’s ready for prime time….A lot of establishment moves for an anti-establishment guy….

Joe Watkins is a teacher, I thought he was a Pastor and a businessman and TV pundit?? And as I said before to Pa GOP’er…Watkins was talking politically not racially.

Remember the SEPA Caucus?? That was brutal. Anyone involved who is willing to talk will tell you that he, along with other LG candidates were shut down, but it was especially bad for him as he’s from Philly. It was embarrasing. That was political, not racial…..

Looks like Watkins is definitely staying in if his staffers are being ordered to spend so much time on internet chat rooms

To Tommy Tamlonsen,

Sorry to disappoint ya’…but I’m not on the Watkins team…just commenting like you. It happens that I follow this race close enough to have a horse I like. And I vote, so like you, I care.

Watkins could have done more to close the deal, and the caucus of the SE sure did not help. Who knows if he’ll keep running??

But Johnson, all by himself, has proven to be a “Buyer Beware” kind of candidate. And folks are taking notice whether HIS team likes it or not. They’ve got their work cut out for them.

And no one seriously thinks Cawley can help Corbett seal the win in November….and Bieler? Well, draw your own conclusions. So hopefully folks will give Watkins a swift kick in the pants, and keep him on the trail.

Hey Anonymous – I can’t stand it when a candidate says, vote for me because I’ll be the first African American Lt. Gov., same with Pepper, who felt it necessary to point out that she’d be the first Republican woman. Who cares?

I know I don’t care about voting for someone because they are African American and any respectable African American worth his/her own salt doesn’t spout off about their ethnicity being a reason to vote for them. I don’t care about voting for a woman over a man either as that is the way it should be.

I also don’t care what the PAGOP State Committee members think. They are supposed to be representative of the people, however it looks as if we can both agree – they aren’t.

I can guarantee this much, Cawley will not get my vote, Watkins will not get my vote, Pepper will not get my vote. Beiler needs to say what he really means and not show his fear of the political machine. The PAGOP made a big BIG mistake endorsing before the primary and they will pay for it…they obviously did not take note of the people’s temperature… do mases.

….If you like Pat Buchanan, you’re gonna LOVE Steve Johnson.