Last year I would have been pleased to consider Pennsylvania moving primary day to earlier in the calendar year to give local voters a greater say in selecting presidential candidates. I’m not in favor of a national primary day, but Iowa and New Hampshire are afforded way more political sway than they are entitled to.

The Pennsylvania primary has unexpectedly become the next great focus of Obama and Clinton, and I’m still less than pleased. I guess it’s be careful what you wish for. I’m glad to have a meaningful say in the process, but I really wish it was already decided. The Democrats are playing a risky game without one clear candidate in the lead, ready to start the general election.

I would prefer a nominee by now even if it would mean that my vote on April 22 wouldn’t really count. There’s a lot of uncertainty at this moment and it is difficult to foresee how the Democratic nomination is going to sort itself out.

The situation is definitely cloudy. Maybe there’s a silver lining.

Cloudy

• Clinton and Obama may beat up on each other so badly that the Democrats enter the general election with a scarred candidate. Remember how the 76ers and Celtics sometimes fought each other so fiercely that the tank was empty when it was time to battle the Lakers for the national crown? I’d hate to think that the negativity will be fodder for McCain and that the Democratic nominee is seriously wounded before the general election begins.

• Who’s going to have time to pick a Veep? McCain has months to vet a running mate. He can throw a lot of names against the wall and see what sticks. Obama and Clinton may have as little as two days after they have the nomination before a vice presidential candidate needs to be nominated. And it’s worse than that. How does Clinton or Obama approach someone in the opposite camp at this point? Whoever they talk to might feel like a traitor to even discuss such a possibility in advance. It could be like giving up on your own side. Yet, more than geographic or any other kind of balance, wouldn’t it make the most sense for either candidate to pick a running mate that their primary adversary’s partisans would be comfortable with?

• Ill will. I’m really much less concerned that Obama and Clinton will wound each other than I am that their partisans will become disenchanted. I’m confident that Clinton and Obama supporters will vote for the Democratic nominee regardless of who it is. I’m much less confident that they will work their tails off for anyone other than their current hero. There won’t be any gimmes in November. We need everyone energized and doing their part way before November 11. If anyone sulks for long or sits the race out in September and October, McCain will literally have a field day in November.

Silver Lining

• The Democratic race is monopolizing the bandwidth. After each party has their nominee, newspapers and television will tend to give each side fairly equal amounts of coverage. Right now there’s only one race, so Obama and Clinton are getting more coverage than McCain. There is only so much oxygen in the press room. Clinton and Obama are news and newsworthy; McCain is much less so.

• Obama and Clinton are becoming battle tested. At this point, they don’t have to answer anything that they won’t hear again louder, more pointed and nastier in the fall. It’s like a series of practice exams before the final. Their primary experience will make them better in the general election.

• Record turnouts. Past performance is the best predictor for who will vote in an election. The Democratic primaries have seen a record number of first time voters. In November, they should all become second time veterans of the process.

Next - Part II: Who Act Local is Voting For

            A.L.  11 March 2008

So here is a small piece of irony for you.

It turns out that reporter Dan Kristie, recently moved from the Main Line Life to the Daily Local, and yet still publishing articles in all three local newspapers, has… wait for it… started his own blog! Yes, you heard me right. A blog.

All kidding aside, I look forward to seeing what Dan has to say when he is slightly less shackled to editor opinion and the burden of a journalistic mindset. Dan and I have enjoyed a bit of an email exchange lately, and I’ve begun to better understand some of the decisions he made in writing the pieces that I reveled in berating last Summer and Fall. It could be that he may also see the world a little bit easier through a local blogger’s eyes, as well. We still disagree on a lot of things. But there is more of an… understanding. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how deep he digs and in what direction when wearing his blogger’s hat as opposed to his journalist hat.

So, without further ado, check out Daily Local Dan at the Daily Local web site.

Best of luck, Dan.

Why Act Local?

Think Globally, Act Locally was a common t-shirt and bumper sticker slogan in the 70’s, with its roots going back to the Friends of the Earth, an environmental group still active today. Not quite as eternally relevant as Question Authority, it’s still important and a personal favorite.

Like many people, my interest in politics – what I like to think and talk about – centers on international and national issues: global economy, foreign affairs, diplomatic and military action (I’m no pacifist, but please, diplomacy first), the freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, liberal society. And these are the issues I hope to blog about.

The question for us is how do we take ideas & ideals and get them translated into policy. That’s where local politics becomes important. We live in a representative democracy. We can skip the high school civics lesson and just remember it’s all about electing people who will work towards the policies and goals you find important.

Interested in immigration policy; the effectiveness of the surge; whether the Democratic presidential candidates will harm each other sufficiently to elect John McCain? Great! Want to do something about it? Help organize our precincts right here in Tredyffrin; support and elect our local candidates; build a grassroots base. I chose the moniker Act Local because it all starts here. As we think and discuss (I hope future posts will elicit an occasional comment) the big picture, I will be careful to remember that our work is right here.

            A.L.  1 Mar 2008

With the election of a new, Ivy-league educated Mayor in Philadelphia recently, there is a great deal of hope and optimism about the future of the city. All the attention is well-deserved. Mayor Michael Nutter is a thoughtful and respected man who truly cares about Philadelphia and has a vision for the future of the city.

One of the issues he has mentioned repeatedly is the need to work toward a stronger connection between the city and the surrounding suburbs. He has stated that the challenges facing the city must be addressed at the regional level, because ultimately we are all interdependent.

Anyone who takes the R5 into the city knows how direct the connection between our neighborhoods and those in the city really is.

I think he’s right, by the way. Occasionally I talk with someone in Tredyffrin who says “I hope I never have to go to the city again. It is dirty and filled with criminals.” I always wonder about people who say that, because as I watch the trains at 30th street station disgorge every morning I’m struck by the fact that most of the people I see are the same people I see at SuperFresh in the evenings. Granted, if you stand at the Olney station on Broad Street at midnight you are foolish, but to paint everyone with one brush is too simplistic for me.

Read more »

The name change is long overdue.

Some of our more astute readers may have noticed that there has been a bit of variety in the posts lately - even variation in the attributions. That is because over the last month or so I have welcomed several new bloggers to the site.

My friends bring additional perspectives and ideas to the blog. They will help to bring missed news to you and uncover some of the truth behind the politics in our township. In addition, we hope to provide coverage of state and national elections as they relate to our community.

The change in our name comes with an update in the software that supports the blog. You may find new widgets and different ways to move around. The look may shift as we all get used to our new home.

Enjoy!