Saturday, June 21, 2014

Reading Eagle lacks vital political coverage

Doesn’t it suck when incumbents run unopposed?

In Berks County, the Democrat who planned to challenge the Republican state representative in the 130th District has abandoned the race, saying he can’t get support because no one thinks he can win. The district, entirely in Berks, comprises Amity, Birdsboro, Boyertown, Colebrookdale, Douglass, Earl, parts of Exeter, Fleetwood, Oley, Pike, Rockland, Ruscombmanor, and Union.

In a one-source story on Page B3 in the Reading Eagle, no-longer-hopeful Russell Diesinger said support and financial help, even from the local Democratic party, were lackluster.

This is important!

Does it mean democracy is over? The Republicans win without a fight? I hear people complain about the worthless state government, which can’t shrink itself, reform property taxes, impose taxes on frackers, properly fund schools … .

For the story about Diesinger, why didn’t the Eagle reporter ask Democratic Party Chairman Tom Herman why the local Democrat organization didn't do more for its challenger?

The Lancaster newspaper knows this stuff is important – it ran a front-page story this week about the Lancaster County GOP’s new chairman.

The Lancaster reporter frames the issue: “With five chairmen in the past four years, the challenge for the county GOP has been to find leaders who are willing to stick around long enough to provide some continuity. Republican registration in the county has stayed at about 53 percent during that time.”

“Kirk said his tenure as chairman will be focused on getting voters to the polls on Election Day.”

What are Berks parties doing to improve Berks’ pathetic voting turnouts?

In the Eagle:

“As for the lack of funds, Diesinger said he suspects many people and groups get discouraged about supporting a candidate going up an incumbent. With the recent redrawing of district lines, incumbents have an even stronger advantage, he said.”


“I think it's the fact that people don't believe you can win,” he said.

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