The guvs race... who do ya got???

[PADEMJES12]

Is it Jack Wagner.... the leading vote getter in the history of Pennsylvania? Dan Onorato, the Allegheny County executive...
progressive Joe Hoeffel, who rightfully just slapped Ravenstahl's knuckles for vetoing a prevailing wage in Pittsburgh...
to up and coming Chris Doherty from Scranton?

Putting together a big name ticket is critical to being successful in the November elections. That said, who do you
feel will be the best candidate for guv? And what will happen at state committee?

[JPZenger]

1. Onorato

I think things are coalescing around Onorato vs. Corbett.

As an eastern PA person, I haven't had first hand experience with Onorato, but I like what I see - a moderate who realizes there is a need for great care with fiscal matters.

I also like having a governor who has actually run something big. Allegheny County is the second largest government in PA after Philadelphia.

[PADEMJES12]

2. Is onorato the big name we need on the ticket?

[blue neen]

3. Please, please, please don't tell us it should be Arlen Specter!

;) Actually, I don't know what to think of the governor's race. I don't know strong Dan Onorato will be in the rest of the state.

[PADEMJES12]

4. lol blue neen...

No 2 races allowed :) I dont know how strong dan will be in western pa, let alone the rest of the state. He has 8 million though as i guess they claim. Thats alot of clams its seems. Will he have to spend it all in the primary? Its a fair question.

[femmocrat]

8. IMO, Onorato will ensure a Corbett victory.

And Corbett could pull Toomey in with him.

:scared:

[demodonkey]

6. Onorato is highly unlikely to get the State Democratic Party endorsement.

I predict the State Committee will vote for open primary, or simply not be able to come together on an endorsement, even with Tom Knox throwing whatever support he had drummed up to Onorato.

Dan Onorato is not well-liked statewide, or even in Western PA. No, actually he is hated by many here. He's made many enemies in Pittsburgh with his Drink Tax, the G-20, and other blunders.

Speaking frankly, Dan Onorato surrounds himself with yes-men, he's arrogant, and he does what HE wants.

Dan Onorato is Rendell's hand-picked successor and most of Onorato's money comes from Rendell's efforts to get him support. But Rendell is truly hated these days in much of PA outside Philly. Corbett will use this to his advantage to win most or all of those areas.

Onorato is hated SO badly in some places, many Dems in my county are saying they will vote Corbett if Dan Onorato is the nominee.

Onorato is horrible on election integrity. He was the one responsible for choosing paperless touchscreen voting machines for Allegheny County. His first choice for voting machines was DIEBOLD; that should tell you something right there. Only because hundreds of citizens fought his first choice by lobbying others on his Election Board were we able to stop Diebold. But after that he ignored the citizens' pleas for voter-marked and voter-verified paper ballots including those of disabled voters and several PhD Computer Scientists from Carnegie-Mellon University.

And we haven't forgotten that.

[PADEMJES12]

7. I guess Knox backed out and is supporting Onorato

Will this help him alot....

[Grand Taurean]

9. What county do you live in?

[PADEMJES12]

10. Armstrong, and you?

[Grand Taurean]

11. Montgomery.

[Grand Taurean]

5. Wagner got the most votes in state history

and understands how to balance a checkbook.
Onorato does have good executive experience though.
Corbett is a partisan hack to took a few Rethugs out to look good for this falls race.

[reynolds1863]

15. Wagner

Wagner has the ability to appeal to a broad range of demographics. Has Knox given any of his campaign money to Onorato? If Corbett gets in the Commonwealth is screwed. Everything will stop in it's tracks. Except for conservative social agendas being signed into law.

[demodonkey]

12. GREAT quote from Jack Wagner @ State Committee Caucus meeting today...

After Dan Onorato spoke, saying things like "...first I bought the steel mills, and then I cleaned up the brownfields..." (etc etc etc), Jack Wagner stepped up to the podium and in his speech he delivered this GREAT quote:

"We don't need a candidate that's all about me, me, me; we need a candidate that's all about we, we, WE."

That pretty much sums it up IMHO.

[PADEMJES12]

13. WOW.... it looks like their could be some real fireworks in this one

That was quite a smack.... Wagner is the much more skilled retail politican. Onorato is a very skilled manager and executive. Both do know a thing or two about budgets and finance thats for sure.

Do you think this will emerge as the top race. I do like what Hoeffel's done recently w the prevailing wage, but all in all i think its too early to tell. Im impressed w Doherty too. Thanks for sharing with me, i should say we :) demodonkey.

[PRETZEL]

14. Read about Hoeffel's budget dealings

and his dealt with insurance coverage for county employees.

Then re-think this.

[lifeinpa]

16. Onorato declares 'Marriage is only between a Man and a Woman'

Here is my letter to Dan Onorato:

Dear Mr. Onorato,

Shock, energized and opening my checkbook - this was my response when I read this morning's PG article on your comments made at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit.

First let me say that I am a moderate Democrat, and even the thought of being called progressive gives me an uneasy feeling. I believe in fiscal discipline, smaller government, and most importantly I believe in upholding the words and underlining vision of the United States Constitution.

Now to your comments made at the Progressive Summit yesterday. As I began to read the article I was not surprised to see your continued support for the archaic State Liquor Store system. After all, you were speaking at an event organized by Labor, and you are a true at heart Pennsylvania politician, so your support of a Union run aging dinosaur, and a system that is an embarrassment to the people of Pennsylvania was not a surprise.

My shock and surprise came in the second to last paragraph – ‘Mr. Onorato said marriage was between a man and a woman’. These are the same words that I hear coming from the minority conservative Christian Right, the Republican Right, and the Tea Party. These are the same words used to further division in our country, these are the same words used by the Republicans in the last decade to promote fear in their Guns, Gods and Gays campaign. This was a campaign to gain votes from the uninformed and uneducated voter by the use of fear.

Mr. Onorato, your position on the subject of same-sex marriage has made it very clear to me that you are not a leader, but instead you lag in concepts and ideals. Even the Republicans have backed down on their stance on this social issue, but either you or your advisers are living in the past. The facts today are that 10% of the States in this Union have legalized same-sex marriage, and that number will grow. Take a look at the many Republicans in California who only last year supported Proposition 8 – but now they have reversed their stand and are now in support of the Federal Courts in the overturning of this proposition.

I can only come to the conclusion that in your quest to be Governor, you have made the decision to base your platform on getting votes from those in this commonwealth who are uninformed and uneducated. You may win the voters of Central Pennsylvania on your marriage stance, but YOU WILL loose Southeast Pennsylvania and many voters in Allegheny County. You should step up and be a leader instead of playing to the fears and prejudice of the voters – this commonwealth should no longer be living in the past.

As I said in the opening of my note to you, I am energized, and that energy is going to be directed to supporting other candidates in this election, and in getting the word out about why not to vote for Dan Onorato.

My checkbook is now open, and the check is NOT being made payable to Don Onorato for Governor.

[Pat Riot]

17. Well, that was one hell of a first post.

Welcome to DU.