Hoeffel asked to drop out in PA...pro-choice, Dean Dozen.

[madfloridian]

I thought he was one of the good guys, but Rendall asked him to drop out today so someone else could benefit. Something about Lynn Swann, and I am not understanding it. Maybe just good politics, don't know. I just remember Joe as a very nice guy whom I emailed back and forth with.

He really cares about what he is doing, and he took time to write me in length about some concerns I had. This kind of makes me sad.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2280&dept_id=480247&newsid=16267167

HARRISBURG - Southwestern Pennsylvania asserted itself into gubernatorial politics Wednesday when former Montgomery County congressman Joe Hoeffel unexpectedly bowed out of the race for lieutenant governor. Gov. Ed Rendell urged Hoeffel to withdraw, he said, because two southeasterners on the gubernatorial ticket would fuel the fire of his GOP opponent Lynn Swann, who has labeled him the "governor of Philadelphia."

Rendell had been publicly supporting current Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll from the Pittsburgh suburbs, but until this week had said he wouldn't urge Hoeffel out of the race. That changed, Rendell said, on a recent trip to southwestern Pennsylvania.

"I heard this uniformly from local elected officials, mayors, council people, county commissioners, to the mayor of Pittsburgh," Rendell said. "People said we want to focus on what you've done. We don't want any red herrings in the campaign and they convinced me it was more of a problem than I thought."

I hear that Knoll is anti-choice, am I right on that?

"Hoeffel said he was running for lieutenant governor to support Rendell's policies, but clearly the office might have later served as a stepping stone to the governor's mansion. Hoeffel started his political career as a state representative from Abington in 1977, served as a Montgomery County commissioner, and in 1996 became a U.S. congressman until 2004, when he dropped out of that seat to run an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate against Sen. Arlen Specter.

He's also a member of the Dean Dozen, a group of candidates that actually number more than 12, endorsed by former presidential candidate Howard Dean and his Democracy for America organization, a political action committee supporting socially progressive candidates."

[The Magistrate]

1. It Seems Reasonable Politics, Ma'am

Pennsylvania politics has an east/west divide, centered on coastal Philadelphia and western Pittsburg. A ticket comprising figures only from one end of the axis is vulnerable to parochial feelings among voters in the other, and the Republican candidate is a former athlete very popular in Pittsburg, where he famously played. An analogy might be made to Florida, wherein a slate of candidates from Miami, say, might well have some difficulties up in the Panhandle in a statewide race. The advice to do this seems to have come from local Party figures around Pittsburg, and there does not seem any reason to doubt the account. The candidate favored by the action may not be as palatable to some, but seems to have a good state-wide draw, and is too old to be dangerous as an heir apparent to anyone.

[madfloridian]

2. I know you are an advocate of letting the party do the picking....

But Joe is pro-choice. The one he dropped out for is not. This is about the 6th Dean Dozen who has been asked to drop out lately, pro-choice, 2nd run.

So I guess I am putting on my :tinfoilhat: just because.

You find it easy to accept all this manipulation of candidates, but I find it hard to accept. Joe and I had a running communication via email, and it is PA's loss.

[The Magistrate]

5. The Initiative, Ma'am, In This

Seems to have come from local Party officials in the region: dare we call them grass-roots, even activists?

Mr. Hoeffel seems to be an excellent fellow, and does not seem to be kicking about the thing.

[SteelBird]

6. Another thing I like to mention is that

I hear a lot of talk here about how we should be fielding populist candidates that oppose things lke NAFTA, nothing against Joe Hoefel here but he supported it strongly but this new guy, I am betting is a stronger opponent of things like outsourcing than Hoefel. Hoefel's political career isn't over, if he wants to run for Governor in 2010 after Rendell steps down, so be it, and Hoefel is likely the establishment candidate here, he was in congress and ran for senate two years ago. Anyhow in my opinion, I thikn it would be a huge mistake to nominate two people from the same part of one state for the party's ticket of Governor an Lt Governor, it sounds silly that it matters but I think it will help Rendell more than it will hurt him to pick a more socially conservative but more liberal economic democrat as his running mate. I dont know much about the guy Swann picked otehr than that hes the brother of Chris Matthews and hes from the Philly area but my bet is that he's probably less socially conservative and Swann picked him so he could do better in the Philly area.

[The Magistrate]

7. The 'New Guy' Seems To Be An Old Woman, Sir

Already sitting as Lieutenant Governor, and with a certain cachet as the first woman to hold the office.

[SteelBird]

8. embarassed here thanks

Thanks for the correction but I think you and I understand ticket balancing, its been around for ages, and it works in both state and national elections.

[The Magistrate]

9. No Problem, Sir

It is, indeed, part of the art....

[Ramsey]

15. That's incorrect

The current Lieutenant Governor, Katherine Baker Knoll, the person Hoeffel was going to challenge in the primary, is pro-choice.

The person running for Senate against Rick Santorum (which has nothing to do with Joe Hoeffel) is Bob Casey, and he is anti-choice.

This is all about balancing the ticket and not having two Philly area people on the same ticket, which tends to turn off voters in the western part of the state. I'm not advocating it, but it has nothing to do with choice.

[madfloridian]

16. I was going by the article. Says she is an abortion opponent.

"Bucks County Democratic Chairman John Cordisco said Democrats in his county are very comfortable with Hoeffel because he's pro-choice and holds progressive views on taxes and education. Knoll is an abortion opponent. But the party would probably have endorsed Knoll if Rendell had spoken out earlier."

[SteelBird]

3. Yep thats how it works

Pittsburgh btw but other ways good points, Swann could make a major impact in the western part of the state, I am a Steelers fan and love Swanny, wouldn't vote for him but I can see why many Western Pennsylvanians would be more inclined to vote for him if Rendell didn't have a Western Pa running mate. I talk to Western Pennsylvanians a lot so I kinda understand their frame of mind, they feel that Rendell hasn't paid much attention to their part of the state, and they would support Swann in huge numbers if Rendell kept Hoefel. It's not that I dislike Hoefel, fine man but ticket balancing has been going on for ages, most famously shown in the 1960 election with JFK and LBJ, the Boston-Austin alliance or if you've seen the film Road Trip, the two cities Tom Green gets messed up. PS Swann is doing the same exact thing, his running mate, the brother of Chris Matthews is a Philly area politican.

[madfloridian]

4. So women get another anti-choice PAer.

I think we should just be honest and open though, that elections are just about meaningless now. The best man won't win unless it is accidental, because it is all fixed.

[wiley]

10. Sad to see Hoeffel leave

but not completely devastated. He is, however, a Senate and/or House level candidate.

[tsuki]

11. An old time politician once told me that when you run for office,

don't get involved in anybody else's race. No need to make enemies where there were none. And there is always some blowback when you tinker.

Dems need to concentrate on winning races, how to, not controlling them.

"I heard this uniformly from local elected officials, mayors, council people, county commissioners, to the mayor of Pittsburgh," Tight little group he has there. Wonder where the unwashed are?

[wisteria]

12. It was purely a political move.

We needed a balanced ticket because the Southeastern portion of the state gets bent out of shape about anything Philadelphia related. ( Most of it stems from the local rag newspaper,who finds fault with everything our good Governor does and despises Philadelphia because it is a Democratic strong hold), but feelings run deep there and they would actually vote against experience and for that idiot Swann if they felt they weren't being represented. That representation comes from Catherine Baker Noll who was born and raised in Southeastern PA.
I would however suggest that everyone say a prayer for Governor Rendell's continued good health-Catherine Baker Noll is past retirement age by more than a couple of years. I can't imagine the termoil if she should be placed in the position of becoming Governor.

[mrgorth]

14. You mean she was raised in the southwestern portion

of the state. Just clearing it up for others.

[mrgorth]

13. I love Joe Hoeffel

Met him personally a couple of times but Rendell has a point. More, Rendell is very pro-choice and the Knoll in question is like 100 years old. You have nothing to worry about MF. But worry, I'm sure you will.

[madfloridian]

17. Hey, doesn't bother me at all. Not my territory.

If people in PA like people who oppose abortion, and they like politicians choosing their candidates...fine and dandy.

Fine with me. At least a lt governor doesn't get a national vote on my rights as a woman.

Glad you are ok with it. I see other things in play, but that is just my paranoia..is that the fav word? Or political naivete' or inability to read.

I always post when the party chooses one over the other, in fact I just posted about a race in Florida this week.

Not my state, PA gets to pick. BUT I will continue to express my disapproval. And I will continue to be called paranoid, illiterate, and naive. That's ok, though. Oh, and I forgot worrywart.