Schmidt and Featherman shows a resurgent GOP in Philadelphia

May 19, 2011 at 10:44 pm

Talk about a Republican revival tends to perk up every couple of years in Philadelphia, so it’s hard to know when to take it for real.   Nevertheless, there are signs this year the party’s corpse, so to speak, might be kicking again as this week’s primary approaches.

The most attention has been attracted by Al Schmidt, the insurgent candidate for City Commissioner.   Schmidt, who served as director of the Philly GOP and ran unsuccessfully but…

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Is it only four months since November?

March 15, 2011 at 10:46 am

Four months later, and the November elections seem a long time ago, indeed. Anyone heard from Nancy Pelosi or Christine O’Donnell lately? And what kind of money could you have gotten that New Jersey and Wisconsin would lead an assault on public unions?

The biggest surprise in PA is that there’s been no surprise. Tom Corbett as a candidate was earnest, a little boring, and talked about cutting spending and keeping down taxes. Tom Corbett…

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Early thoughts on Tuesday’s results – The Elections: Red PA but for how long?

November 4, 2010 at 1:05 pm

It will take a little time for Tuesday’s results to sink in completely, but here are a few early thoughts:

1.  What a difference two years make.  Pennsylvania, which seemed like the bluest of blue states a couple of years ago, will now have a Republican Governor, legislature, and a majority Republican House delegation.   No other state in the country swung so far so fast.

2.  How it happened is as interesting as what happened. …

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Why isn’t the Tea Party stronger here?

September 27, 2010 at 11:23 am

What accounts for the difference between Pennsylvania, where establishment GOP candidates seem to be cruising to victory in statewide races, and states like Delaware or New York, where Tea Party-backed insurrections have thrown the party into confusion?

Laura Vecsey

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Are Republicans getting overconfident?

September 15, 2010 at 8:45 am

As has been said innumerable times, this looks like a much better year for Republicans than anyone thought even just a few months ago.

But the signs of overconfidence are in the air already. A few particulars:

• The expectations game: A few months ago, the GOP was talking about winning 20-30 seats and maybe, just maybe, gaining control of the House. Now it’s who will be the Speaker when we win, and can we…

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What’s changed, what hasn’t

September 2, 2010 at 7:19 am

Back from a little vacation, and now we’re just two months away from the big day.

Some things have changed, some things haven’t.

• It looks like the Democrats are in even more trouble than I imagined they’d be. Who would have thought both Tom Corbett and Pat Toomey would be flirting with double-digit leads, and that Democrats would have a real chance of losing up to half-a-dozen House seats in Pennsylvania alone? No one…

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Catching up…

July 27, 2010 at 10:45 am

I’ve been taking a brief vacation from Pennsylvania politics, and am leaving for a real vacation next week. But I wanted  to get in a few comments before I left.

• Things looks even worse for the Democrats, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, than I had thought. Instead of moving back to the center, Democrats have pretty much doubled down on their liberal agenda, like shoppers who know the store is closing and have to cram…

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Over-the-top tactics unnecessary for GOP

June 21, 2010 at 12:13 pm

I read with some confusion of pIt seems to me Republicans have a clear, simple argument to make in the 2010 elections. President Obama was elected…

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National results: A kinder, gentler GOP?

June 11, 2010 at 2:35 pm

Democrats have been hoping, and Republicans fearing, that a hard-right, Tea Party-based GOP would squander its many advantages heading into this fall’s elections in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. This week’s primary results suggest that fear—if it remains real—may be somewhat exaggerated.

Victories by

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The Sestak job offer: Just a distraction?

May 31, 2010 at 3:40 pm

I agree and disagree with Nathan Shrader’s pYes and no. Obviously the story will boil over, and the race will ultimately be decided…

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