Quakertown and Richland Election Losses

Will the UBD leadership take any actions to analyze and address the crushing defeat of Darrel in Richland and the three council candidates in Quakertown this week.

Darrel was underfunded and undersupported. Quakertown candidates fought among themselves and urged folks to bullet vote.

I have been a life long Democrat and many others like myself that live in Richland Twp will continue to vote for Republicans in our Township until the likes of Brian Kline and Pat Murphy are removed.
They are an embarrassment to our party. I was so embarassed when I went to my polling district to vote and seen the negative signs that were hung on the walls about Tim Arnold. When I asked the lady at the table who stuck them on the wall she rolled here eyes and said "Brian Kline"
As long as they are involoved in Richland we will never win a local election

I am sorry but there was no fighting amongst the Qtown candidates. Dave, Erin and myself worked very closely with one another and to my knowledge non of us asked anyone to bullet vote.

I read a lot of crap on these blogs that people pull out of nowhere, but this is just plain ridiculous. We lost for several reasons but what you are posting is not one of them.

Let's be honest - You could put up a scarecrow as the Republican candidate in Richland and he would win.

If you are truly John Flynn, then I am impressed you have homestly identified yourself in the venue.

2 comment:
1 - I had a long conversation with Erin prior to the election and found him to be a nice young man. He seemed honest and forthright in his convictions.
2 - What are the several reasons you referenced for the loses on Tuesday? It can't be the misinformation or vitriol on these blogs. Nobody reads them (or admits to reading them) and our local paper has been useless for months.

Libby,

voter turnout was probably the biggest factor (in my opinion).

Additionally the Republicans put a lot more money and time into this race than in previous years and the candidates got out and hit the doors they needed to. They did exactly what they needed to.

Between Dave and myself, we had issues beyond the campaign that required our attention and we could not get out as much as we had hoped to for door knocking. Erin was the door knocking work horse, he definitely worked hard and his numbers showed it.

Additionally we had very little support from the local democratic committee members, especially in the 3rd ward. One of the committee members went as far to put out a republican yard sign.

Overall it was just a bad year for dems in the borough, but Qtown itself has 3 solid council members for the next 4 years in Rosenberger, Erwin and Williams, I still would like to have at least Dave Zaiser get re-elected he has done so much in the last 4 years but it is what it is.

John Flynn wrote:

Additionally we had very little support from the local democratic committee members...

Bingo!

John, thanks to you and Dave for running.

Get over it! Someone's person lost, and somebodies won! Get back to work and be productive losers.

I love the brass balls on people when they can say what they want without anyone knowing who they are.

Richland Democrat wrote:

I have been a life long Democrat and many others like myself that live in Richland Twp will continue to vote for Republicans in our Township until the likes of Brian Kline and Pat Murphy are removed.
They are an embarrassment to our party. I was so embarassed when I went to my polling district to vote and seen the negative signs that were hung on the walls about Tim Arnold. When I asked the lady at the table who stuck them on the wall she rolled here eyes and said "Brian Kline"
As long as they are involoved in Richland we will never win a local election

Without Kline and Murphy the Richland Democratic Party would not exist. Both are talented political consultants who have worked on state and national campaigns. You know, sometimes fault lays with the candidate, not the operatives behind the scenes.

JoHn Flynn thank for your response. Turnout is a factor that affects both parties.
When I went to vote upon being identified as a Dem I was asked to bullet vote for one candidate (not yourself). I said the slate needs our votes not just one and that is how I cast mine.
I gave up on UBD meetings because of the grumbling from the Richland clan but wish the boroguh clan would be more together.
The phone calls to write Nancy Roberts name in the box were ridiculous and hopefully no one threw their vote away on that case.

Howard wrote:

<quoted text>
Without Kline and Murphy the Richland Democratic Party would not exist. Both are talented political consultants who have worked on state and national campaigns. You know, sometimes fault lays with the candidate, not the operatives behind the scenes.

People would step up if they stepped out.
Kline has lost 2 Supervisor campaigns, quit one Supervisor campaign. and lost his State Rep. campaign
Murphy lost his Supervisor campaign and his Judge of Elections campaign.

I think Dave was a fine candidate. I guess the committee decided other communities were more important. That's unfortunate.

I'm a resident. I've seen all the hoopla about the elections but what i am really sick of is the number of political threads, good, bad and the ugly. They are overwhelming on this topix and they ruin legitimate threads and conversations from ordinary residents.

Thats the problem i have. I didn't vote. I actually think John Flynn has great ideas, I am just sick of politics all the time everyday.

Sorry to jump in, i just got agitated. Congrats to those who won in Quakertown. RT, i could care less, they are a lost cause.

Landalub wrote:

JoHn Flynn thank for your response. Turnout is a factor that affects both parties.
When I went to vote upon being identified as a Dem I was asked to bullet vote for one candidate (not yourself). I said the slate needs our votes not just one and that is how I cast mine.
I gave up on UBD meetings because of the grumbling from the Richland clan but wish the boroguh clan would be more together.
The phone calls to write Nancy Roberts name in the box were ridiculous and hopefully no one threw their vote away on that case.

Unless it was the candidate himself or a committee member asking you to bullet vote that really isn't fair to the dems. Some of the people at the polls are friends and family of a candidate and they are entitled to support just one person if they choose. Both parties had people out there asking voters to support their chosen candidate, so this practice wasn't just a dem thing.

Annoyed wrote:

<quoted text>
Unless it was the candidate himself or a committee member asking you to bullet vote that really isn't fair to the dems. Some of the people at the polls are friends and family of a candidate and they are entitled to support just one person if they choose. Both parties had people out there asking voters to support their chosen candidate, so this practice wasn't just a dem thing.

It wasn't a family or friend.

Howard wrote:

<quoted text>
Without Kline and Murphy the Richland Democratic Party would not exist. Both are talented political consultants who have worked on state and national campaigns. You know, sometimes fault lays with the candidate, not the operatives behind the scenes.

"talented political consultants" come on brian..let's see
with murphy and kline... vic stevens loss to staats
with kline and murphy... murphy loss to orloff
with kline and murphy..kline loss to peterson
with kline and murphy..tribue loss to arnold
CAN WE SEE A TREND!!!!!!!!
With kliney and murphy the richland democratic party will never exist..these guys are a joke they think they can run a campaign in upper bucks like they do in chicago..it doesn't work ask poor darrell..the last weekend of the election Arnold's team had 24 door knockers (8 of which were D's)..tribue only had him, murphy and kline..and when other d's were asked why they did not help the response was the same "kline and murphy"
why do you think the 2 demoratic inspectors have resigned and do not want their name on the ballot as richland d's?
WAKE UP RICHLAND DEMOCRATS..WE NEED CHANGE

Get over it wrote:

I'm a resident. I've seen all the hoopla about the elections but what i am really sick of is the number of political threads, good, bad and the ugly. They are overwhelming on this topix and they ruin legitimate threads and conversations from ordinary residents.
Thats the problem i have. I didn't vote. I actually think John Flynn has great ideas, I am just sick of politics all the time everyday.
Sorry to jump in, i just got agitated. Congrats to those who won in Quakertown. RT, i could care less, they are a lost cause.

By all means jump in...but don't add to the negative spin that some of the bloggers on here like to add. You are obviously above that, considering your last reply.

Thanks by the way, it is nice to know that people out there support some of the things that were said over the last couple of months.

John Flynn wrote:

Libby,
voter turnout was probably the biggest factor (in my opinion).

Thank you, John. An actual real answer on these vicious blogs. I agree with you assessment.

Yes, you are correct. Voter turnout was an issue this cycle. Always is after a general election. Problem is that local politics affect our lives more than national politics (in many, many ways.) Money is the mother's milk of politics and local elections are won on porches. We all know this.

I sincerely hope the elected candidates do a fine job and I sincerely hope that none of those elected are the vicious people who post this blog.

P.S. Sort of creeps me out knowing I may be walking and talking in town with those I find despicable posting this blog. I wish people would treat each other thoughtfully and only speak here what they would say in public to a persons face.

Perhaps we will meet sometime. I'll let you know who you are speaking to, if we do.

ho ho ho wrote:

<quoted text>
"talented political consultants" come on brian..let's see
with murphy and kline... vic stevens loss to staats
with kline and murphy... murphy loss to orloff
with kline and murphy..kline loss to peterson
with kline and murphy..tribue loss to arnold
CAN WE SEE A TREND!!!!!!!!
With kliney and murphy the richland democratic party will never exist..these guys are a joke they think they can run a campaign in upper bucks like they do in chicago..it doesn't work ask poor darrell..the last weekend of the election Arnold's team had 24 door knockers (8 of which were D's)..tribue only had him, murphy and kline..and when other d's were asked why they did not help the response was the same "kline and murphy"
why do you think the 2 demoratic inspectors have resigned and do not want their name on the ballot as richland d's?
WAKE UP RICHLAND DEMOCRATS..WE NEED CHANGE

Three of the four races you cite are off-year elections where Democratic turnout decreases. As for the 2008 145th state rep Dem primary, Kline smashed Peterson in Richland with 64% of the vote. Kline and Murphy are couple of smart guys who introduced real political strategy to Upper Bucks. Aside from Murphy, what other supervisor candidate had a billboard strategy to increase his/her name ID?