Are Republicans Too Extreme?

Is the Republican Party too extreme to successfully govern the country? That is the one remaining issue standing in the way of a Republican landslide victory in November.

Governor Ed Rendell
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a Democrat certainly believes they are too extreme. Rendell believes the Democrats are coming home throughout the country in the last days of the November election campaign. The theory is that the Democrats are deciding to vote because of a relentless attack on the Republican Party which accuses them of being too extreme and by growing concerns about the consequences of returning the Republicans to power.

According to Rendell, the polls are closing all over the country, and the Democrats are catching up. In August, Democrats said they were not certain if they were going to vote. In the Senate race in Pennsylvania, Democrat Joe Sestak is closing the gap on Republican Pat Toomey.

In 1994, when the Republicans won big, voter turn out in the Democratic Party was too low. Rendell believes the Democrats realize the threat and will turn out the vote in November, and the Republican victory, if any, will be very limited.

How This Election Affects Me
As a Republican Committeeman, my job is to help Republican candidates get elected. The Democrats are in office during the Great Recession and the Republicans should have a big lead in the polls, but their lead is slim and is being seriously challenged.

In my view, the Republicans have a slim lead as most people believe they can develop new jobs, but too many people believe they are irresponsible as they do not represent the interests of the common working person and do not adequately protect the environment. So I am trying to help Republican candidates develop new jobs and be responsible at the same time.

At the Meet the Candidates Night at Republican Headquarters, I had an interesting conversation with Republican Mayor Lou Barletta. Mayor Barletta of Hazelton is running against, my Congressman, Democrat Paul Kanjorski. Mayor Barletta has gained national attention because of his stance against illegal immigration. I had a very interesting conversation with Mayor Barletta. I told Mayor Barletta that as Republicans our message has always been, limited government and limited taxes and that we have a lot of people in the district who are dependent on government for assistance in the form of unemployment compensation, disability assistance, social security, and medicare. So our message will not sell in the district. I recommended an updated message. We should advocate responsible, affordable government which will take care of the people in need, and still provide a favorable business climate. This will allow us to develop jobs, put the American People back to work, and allow us to keep our younger generations right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Mayor Barletta agreed with me and said he would campaign along those lines.

In Northeastern Pennsylvania, we are drilling for natural gas and the project has enormous economic potential with tremendous risks to the environment. I may have discovered a breakthrough. A reliable source told me it is possible to drill with traditional drills without fracking and introducing dangerous chemicals into the environment. I sent an e-mail to Republican Headquarters and our Republican candidates and asked them to research this. They have not gotten back to me as yet.

We Need Your Comments

Of course, I will continue to keep my readers informed about major developments in the campaign. We also would like to know what you think. Will the Republican strategy I recommended be successful? Do you know the safest way to drill for natural gas?

Source: 1. Mike Glover of the Associated Press, Rendell: GOP candidates motivate Democrats, The Citizens' Voice, October, 17 2010.
2. Charles Barbington, and Liz Sidoti of the Associated Press, GOP eager to seize upon atmosphere of discontent, The Citizens' Voice, October 17, 2010.
3. Julie, Pace, Obama tells Dems: Don't get discouraged, The Citizens' Voice, October 17, 2010.