A model for winning Hillary districts
Earlier this week, I sat down with Lou Barletta, the mayor of
Hazelton, PA — just named
PA’s Mayor of the Year — and the GOP nominee for Congress in
PA-11 against Paul Kanjorski, an old-school, corrupt, machine
Democrat. I know a little bit about the region, as my mom spends a
bunch of time with her cousin who lives just outside of the
district. At the end of June, I spent the better part of the day at
the Anthracite
Museum, where I learned about the coal mining industry that
used to be the economic core of the district.
About 15 seconds into talking to Barletta, I thought “wow. This
guy has something special.” I am very cynical about politicians,
especially Congressmen. They don’t have to be very charismatic or,
often, smart. Barletta is both. And I was disinclined to like him
because I disagree with
his hard-core immigration position, which could well put him over
the top in this race.
Throughout the conversation, I learned more and more about the
district, Barletta, and Kanjorski. I think that we can win
this seat with this guy, even in this environment. His campaign
released
a poll that shows him up 47-42, which the DCCC believes enough
to put up
ads against him.
The upshot is that if you want to the GOP pick up a seat,
give
Lou Barletta some money. If you want to stop illegal
immigration, give
Lou Barletta some money. If you to get rid of a
corrupt Democrat who gives taxpayer dollars to his campaign staff
and family, give
Lou Barletta some money. If you want to
highlight Democratic use of earmarks, give
Lou Barletta some money. if you want to
stop a Democrat who admits to lying about the war for political
gain, give
Lou Barletta some money. If you want to stop a Democrat who
says
one thing about our security in Washington and another at home,
give
Lou Barletta some money, If you want to send a message to
Congress that we need to develop more domestic energy sources,
give
Lou Barletta some money. Or if you want to support
a model of conservative government at the local level, give
Lou Barletta some money.
But there is a very deep thing going on here that might be the
best reason of all. If you want to send a message that playing
along with Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi is no way to represent
god-fearing, hard-working, working-class values, then give
Lou Barletta some money. Barletta may offer a concrete model of
how to win in a district like gave Hillary Clinton 75% of the
Democratic primary vote.
I am going to write a lot more on Barletta. I think that he is a
model for how we can continue to cut into Democratic districts in
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. But in the mean time, give
Lou Barletta some money.
Cross-posted from
The Next Right.