Cambria County commissioner candidate John DeBartola has posted on Facebook of the possibility that a county Republican poll is indicating DeBartola and running mate Joseph Taranto are doing “better than expected.”
DeBartola alleges that as a response “outside money” will be used to raise awareness for a wallflower establishment Republican candidate in order to beat down the unendorsed DeBartola/Taranto primary challenge.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The bigger issue here is what can we expect from this DeBartola/Taranto effort in terms of their chance for success?
My brother told me the other day he has voted by mail for them, mainly because voting for the traditional Republican menu has done squat for the area. But, he was prompted to look at DeBartola and Taranto due to my urging. Alas, my circle of influence is relatively small, so I’m not sure I’m going to help produce many votes beyond my brother and me.
And I fear the DeBartola/Taranto message, which just might ring true to disaffected Republicans, is not getting enough exposure to garner the necessary votes.
I have yet to see a yard sign for the two. By way of contrast, my area (Southmont, Westmont, Upper Yoder) sports a disconcerting number of signs for the incumbent candidate who writes Facebook posts like English is his second language.
Some very savvy political types I know, in the lead up to the first Trump presidential election, noted to me his extremely wide edge in signage, indicating informed and motivated voters who might carry him to a surprise win over The Hillary.
It’s getting late in the election run-up for DeBartola and Taranto to mount any kind of advertising, direct mailing, or campaign rally effort.
Where Trump in his first run had national media that, like him or not, couldn’t ignore him, DeBartola and Taranto are being ignored by the local media.
They have a strong Facebook presence. But, as hard as it may be for Facebook warriors to digest, there still are a lot of people (read: voters) who do not frequent Facebook.
How DeBartola and Taranto can mount a late charge to graduate from doing “ better than expected” to winning is uncertain.
I hope they are out knocking on doors, pitching themselves as best they can. I hope their Facebook fans will take it upon themselves to tell the DeBartola-Taranto story to five or 10 people, in the pursuit of gaining votes.
Time is short, but the potential of a DeBartola and Taranto win sticking it in the face of our Republican keepers and telling them that we as an electorate are not satisfied with the same old stuff, would be glorious.
Sam Ross Jr's site 