Maybe it is just wishful thinking that the final results of this commissioner race will be know today or tomorrow, but it should be getting very close now.
Predictions:
After the fat lady sings - Giangrieco, Warren and Allen will be the next Susquehanna County Commissioners. This is quite interesting as the biggest vote getter (Giangrieco) will be relegated to the position of Minority Commissioner. What a slap in the face.
Kelly will have to update her resume and get a job in January (unless the incoming commissioners do some crazy thing like make her Chief Clerk or economic development director). History shows us that things like this have happened before in our little county.
Baker will return to his normal life and probably try it one more time in four years.
Loomis, who, according to more than one resident, will continue to sell beer and laugh about it. He may be back in four years as well.
Jurista will also probably run again in four years as a Republican, Democrat, Independent or ??
Maybe there will be a court challenge if the write-in vote gets anywhere near 3,166 votes. This is the number needed to exceed the number of votes (3,165) the number 3 slot (Leon Allen) currently has.
There may be court action from another unsuccessful candidate regarding running new political ads after the legal cutoff period.
The Republican Party will (and probably should) form a circular firing squad. In the end, no one will be willing to accept blame, although those Republicans who pushed the write-in candidates RATHER THAN SUPPORT THE ENDORSED CANDIDATES are obviously EGO Driven rather than team members of the party. You are largely responsible for the outcome of this election. Maybe you boys and girls should submit your resignations before you embarass the party any more. Don’t know where you will go though - the Democrats probably don’t want you either. The Republican party better get its act together NOW before the 2008 elections are here and Susquehanna County votes in a national election in a way which has never been seen before. If that happens, the Republican party in Susquehanna County will start to know the way of life the Democratic party has endured for many, many years - that of being the party in second place. Currently, they are going to have to play catch up. Even with the majority of voters registered to the GOP, don’t think they are stupid. They are going to vote for the person, not the party. Many split their vote this time. The day of keeping the electorate in line has passed. This election has proven that. Let’s face it, through the actions of some, the Republican party has finally succeded in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (with appologies to Winston Churchill).
The Democratic Party, who has usually at this time after an election, assembled its own circular firing squad, this time will not. Why? Simply put, for the first time in history, they will be in control of the Commissioners office in Susquehanna County. Let’s see if they will be able to assume the leadership roll with some dignity and decorum which has been lacking in the office for many years. Time will tell. The incoming minority commissioner elect will probably attempt to sway the majority commissioners elect to his mindset as he is an ego driven attorney. He will possibly even attempt to get one or both Majority Commissioners to elect him as chairman. If the Democrats want to have ANY hope of having their candidates reelected in 4 years (2011), or have ANY credibility as a viable party from January, 2008 forward, they should flatly reject this nonsense, especially the “I am the lawyer, listen to me” approach and/or the Commissioner chairmanship, if this prediction comes to pass.
Oh yes, if the incoming minority commissioner continues to practice law after he is sworn in, look for members of the law community to offer free office space for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board to open a branch office in Susquehanna County.
Finally, the newspaper “reporters” who have overtly and covertly (so they think) supported Roberta Kelly in her failed bid to retain her employment have ruined their credibility as members of the media. Objectivity is not a word which has any real meaning to you does it? The incoming administration MUST NOT permit these “reporters” to become part of the story or even worse, advisors to the commissioners. Homework assignment for all readers of this blog - look up Yellow Journalism. See if that describes these “reporters” - if you have had enough interaction with them to form an opinion. If it does, you should contact their managing editors, publishers, etc. and let them know you don’t appreciate these “reporters” actions. Thus, the prediction here is that at least one “reporter” may become unemployed if this person’s managing editor or publisher has any sense of decency or interest in credibility as a media outlet in Susquehanna County.
The next post should be the final results of the 2007 Susquehanna County commissioners race. Are you as sick of it as the rest of us?
Time to move onto something a whole lot different…