Author Archives: Mike Shortall

Romney clearly the winner in Round 1!

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Wow … Was I impressed!

I do not normally watch presidential debates.  I find them full of platitudes and generalizations.  And this was true of tonight’s debate at times. But I watched anyway, knowing this election is an important one.  (There’s also that thing that if you’re going to blog about politics, you ought to pay attention.  So watch I did.)

Frankly, I thought by the end of the debate, the President looked tired and harried … almost disheveled.  He was strongest early in the debate; but I thought Mitt Romney constantly out-pointed The President on the Economic issues.  (Something I have been convinced he would do if given the chance.)

Mitt Romney looked more energetic, animated, and decisive.  He definitely proved that he has the presence and weight – personality wise – to be presidential.  

Romney was clear on his message; rejected the continued attempt at misdirection by the President; and demonstrated that he is extremely comfortable speaking on the Economy.  He was clear in his explanations of his framework for getting the country out of its Economic Malaise; reducing the deficit; and improving healthcare.

All-in-all Mitt Romney decisively took Round 1 of the Presidential Debates!!  He surprised me with the strength of his performance and his grasp of the solutions we need.  

Well done, Mitt!!

Lost Weekend in Williamsport

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That’s my boy!

Lost weekends occur for a number of different reasons, many of the reasons bad.  Much of our September 15th weekend in Williamsport was lost in a blur of wedding activity, waves of emotion, and the excitement of having so many people – important to us – celebrating alongside.  It was a weekend we had waited so long for, yet in the moment we were simply swept away in an emotional tsunami.

There was – or so I’ve been told – copious amounts of fine spirits, some wacky dance moves (Guilty as charged!), and a DJ that could be heard in State College.

There was one bizarre episode … involving a diabetic dog … a six-hour lap to the Philly suburbs and back … and one pissed off FoG (Father of Groom) at 0630 hours Thursday morning. Yet, I was proud I even answered Carol’s cellphone even when I KNEW – deep down – it was Disaster calling.  Older dogs – like aged parents –  do not like disruptions to their routine or their surroundings.  And no, best not ask me WHY we had to go all the way back.

The real fun started Thursday night with the kind of scene fathers and mothers spend their lives working for and long remember when – and if – they occur.  A chance for just our family and Mike’s soon-to-be, Janelle Lynn to have a quiet dinner with a few close relatives.  We took the opportunity to welcome Janelle to the Shortall family.  (She’d been warned a few times in the past.  This was her last chance!)

But for Carol and me, the highlight of the night was being able to look across the table at the three boys men we raised and what – to this point – is the fruit of all those efforts.  The scene was much warmer and satisfying than words can describe.  And yes, I’m probably over-dramatizing a bit; but for me, it was a fantastic feeling.  Being together in one place just doesn’t happen as much as it used to.  And being able to look across the table at three upstanding young men was enough to give both of us the kind of feedback that says … Hey, we did alright!

My proudest accomplishments

On Friday, the really serious prep work began with the pre-positioning of supplies for the reception, including the aforementioned copious amount of booze along with linens and decorations that would take into the wee hours of Saturday morning to install once the rehearsal dinner was concluded Friday night.  The Pennsdale Civic Center, a nondescript but roomy community hall, was the venue for Saturday’s reception.  The bride’s family took responsibility for transforming The Center into an appropriately decorated wedding hall.  And they did an exceptional job that included an elegant, lighted backdrop for the head table and wood-framed lighted columns that marked the corners of the dance floor.

Rehearsal dinner at The Valley Inn

Our turn – as the groom’s family – came Friday evening with an excellent meal following rehearsal at The Valley Inn in Duboistown, just across the West Branch of the Susquehanna River from Williamsport.  The Valley Inn offers little to impress from the outside, aside from its intricately carved woodcraft sign.  But the sign itself gives just a hint of the carpenter’s treasure inside.  The amount of intricate woodwork throughout the establishment is enough to cause even the most experienced craftsman’s jaw to drop.  And besides all that intricate woodwork, it also houses its own microbrewery, Abbey Wright Brewing Company.

Our meal for roughly 40 people was nothing short of impressive.  The food – though simple – was well-prepared, delicious (The garlic mashed potatoes were a HUGE hit!) and well-attended, not only by a sharp, quick-serving staff, but also by proprietor, Jim Wright, who was there to make sure our party was a hit!  I would highly recommend The Valley Inn should you be in the Williamsport area, looking for a quiet dinner or a venue in which to hold your next party or event.  (The sports bar is not a shabby place to hang out either!)

Saturday – of course – was The Big Day!

Janelle, the bride chose yellow and a deep pink as the Colors of the Day, with the groom sporting the first Calla Lilly buttoniere I recall ever seeing.  The ceremony was bright and joyous, and officiated most appropriately by Msgr. McGouth at St. Lawrence’s R.C. Church in South Williamsport.  The happy couple seemed happiest when they exchanged vows on the First Day of the rest of their lives.

After pictures at the church and atop a scenic hill owned by members of the bride’s family, it was off to the reception.  One of the proudest moments of the day, besides watching my oldest son take his vows, was enjoying the sight of Mike dancing with his mother in the obligatory mother-son dance.

There’s a certain pride one feels when the mother of your child expresses her pride and – in a symbolic expression – recognizes that in no small way her relationship with her son has changed.  The change can be fraught with uncertainty, maybe even a touch of nostalgic longing, but it need not be a source of anxiety if the bond is solid and the love is strong.  From where I stood at that moment, there were no doubts that their relationship will be as vital as it was when Michael was but a wee lad.

After ironing out a few complications with the liquor supply (Don’t ask!  But a tip-of-the-glass to Vince, Bob and Steve for the Save!), it was time – finally – to relax.  Yes, there might have been a touch too much “relaxing”; but what the heck, it had been months of preparation, emotional reflections, and nervous energy.  Something had to give, and it gave in a big way!  There are – no doubt a few incriminating photos floating around on the internet, and I have but one defense … It was Party Time!

It was – in the end – a day and night to remember.  The newlyweds, who will not be taking their honeymoon until later, had a wonderful send off into married life.  Their parents – if I may be so bold – did an outstanding job of ensuring their most important life event to date was a rousing success.

The Shortall entourage of family and friends had a wonderful time, and came away with very favorable impressions of the Williamsport, PA area.

Weddings can be glittery, elaborate, painstakingly stage-managed affairs.  They are all unique in their own ways and, if done correctly, reflect the personalities of the happy couple.

In another sense though, weddings also provide a foundation for the inevitable challenges and difficulties these intertwined lives will face on their journey as a couple.  The Foundation is represented by all those friends and family who surround and support the newlyweds on their big day.  Because even as they party and celebrate the new union, there is an unspoken promise to be there when times get tough; when advice is needed; or even just to listen.

The Irish have a blessing that goes like this:

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

The blessing invites one to understand the journey of life.  It offers the hope that life’s travels will be easy, fruitful and safe from pain.  The concept of the rising road sets forth the hope that the road through life will take one into higher and higher levels of personal and spiritual development.

From the look of things during that Lost Weekend in Williamsport, Janelle and Michael will face no shortage in those who care most deeply for them and who truly wish for the best in their lives together.  And you can’t ask for anything more than that!

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10,000 served!

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Earlier this week, Cranky Man’s Lawn hit 10,000 page views!

As blogs go, it’s a very modest achievement, as the Big Boys on more serious media networks probably accumulate multiples of what has been slowly collecting here in a matter of hours or days.  But given this blog about nothing, written by a bit of a nobody, it’s a nice mark to hit.

I take a bit more credit for the number of readers added through some of the local media websites, like Patch, where many of the posts seen here are reproduced.

In any case, thanks to all those willing to listen to guy who vents a bit too much and whose biggest concern most days is the color of his lawn!

Half correct on 47% still tells the ugly truth

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It’s imperative that write something today, just to break the lazy hangover I have enjoyed all week following the frantic, emotional stress of Mike Jr.’s wedding last week.  I promise to follow-up with details and pictures of the great time we had; but that would require sorting through 8000 photos (my estimate) to pick those that would best tell the story of our Lost Weekend in Williamsport.  (Trust me.  That title connotes a very favorable experience within the crazy motions and emotions of a son’s (or daughter’s) wedding.  More on that later … )

I could write about my recent lawn treatment.  But that would require an uptick in my Lawn Geek Level that I’m not willing to invest in this Sunday morning.

And so I’ll turn to more recent news, and one of my favorite pastimes … Cranky Political Observations.

First, let’s look at Mitt Romney and some of the absolutely ridiculous claims President Obama‘s campaign and supporters continue to make when it comes to Romney’s wealth and tax history.  The important thing to keep in mind is every minute spent defending Romney against such nonsenseical attacks is time diverted from hammering away at the sorry state of The Obama Economy.

Afterall, with almost four years of President Obama’s stewardship, the Economy – or lack thereof – is rightfully his to won!  (You only get to blame your predecessor for so long, and certainly not through a full term in The Oval Office when – as President – you have shown no Leadership whatsoever on Issues of Economic Recovery.)

Now Mitt admittedly caused himself a self-inflicted wound with his meanderings on the “47% of Americans who do not pay taxes”.  Not paying taxes does not automatically make you a slouch.  There are plenty of people, rightfully classified as disabled, aging veterans, etc. who fall into that very broad 47% category.  Mitt might have bitten off more than he could chew; but let’s be honest, he was at least 53% correct about that 47%.

Regardless of the dangers associated with judging-by-percentages into which Romney stumbled, we ALL KNOW what he meant.  Within that group is a hardcore class of people who have not the slightest interest or desire to break their dependence on the REDISTRIBUTION of other people’s hard work and income!  And within that sub-class is another that not only shows little-to-no interest in self-sufficiency, they REVEL in their status as Economic Sponges!

Even Bill Clinton recognized the need to fix this when he joined with Congressional Republicans to pass the Welfare Reform Act of 1996.  So this is not news to even the most hardened of Liberals.

Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer attempts to make the claim that REDISTRIBUTION of income is not a “bad word”.  They try to soft sell this idea by stating that REDISTRIBUTION is used for small business loans, Pell Grants for college education, veterans’ benefits, etc.  Of course they also throw in food stamps and welfare, but almost as an afterthought.

Intelligent, reality-educated people can distinguish between good uses for REDISTRIBUTED INCOME and other programs that simply rely on the toils and work ethic of the majority of Americans to fund the never-ending cycle of handouts to perpetual non-contributors.  And that’s what MOST objectors to the Welfare Mentality think of when they hear INCOME REDISTRIBUTION … not Pell Grants, small business loans and taking care of aging veterans.

Liberals – and Obama supporters – KNOW this; but it suits their intentions in this 2012 election year to make it about the whole of benefits that come from INCOME REDISTRIBUTION, not the perfectly acceptable Social Contract that expects those who work at good jobs to provide TEMPORARY assistance to those who need a hand up in tough times or even those with legitimate long-term disabilities and maladies that prevent even part-time employment.

Do not allow them to suggest that there is no difference between Good Income Redistribution and the ugly realities of the Welfare State of Mind!

As for Mitt’s tax records, one observation is enough to put that entire subject into perspective.  If President Obama’s proxies, like the half-baked Liar from Arizona – Harry Reid, are so desperate as to criticize Romney for tax rates and wealth shelters that were perfectly acceptable for Al Gore (2000) and John “Heinz 57” Kerry (2004), then you must recognize them for what those attacks are … Deperate attempts to distract you, me, and all voters from the Unemployed Economy.

So the more we spend talking about this, the less time we have to address what the REAL PROBLEM is in 2012, the stagnant National Economy and the broken stewardship of a Leadership-challenged President!  Those of us longing for REAL Economic Leadership need to ignore these straw men and do what we can to refocus on the horrible state of President Obama’s own Economic Malaise!

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Tom Smith for U.S. Senate

Will Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Tom Smith ever get the chance to smoke out do-nothing U.S. Senator Bob Casey in his race to challenge a man who has nothing on his resume’ other than a famous father?

You can’t find anything on Bob Casey’s re-election campaign without a brace of media savvy internet bloodhounds.  Casey refuses to come out into the open, like any politician with little track record, and a recognizable name.  (How many voters still think they are voting for his father?)  Casey continues to hide behind Barack Obama, even while doing anything to avoid endorsing him too much, too often.

He and Congressional REP Allyson Schwartz (See Joe Rooney) are probably sharing the same remote Pocono cabin; waiting for election day to come so they can sneak into their neighborhood polling location and hope for the best … meaning of course, voters who don’t bother looking at how their support of a poor Presidential leader has contributed to the Economic Stagnation we still face after four years of Democrat control over the U.S. Government.

For that reason alone, Bob Casey, Jr. would gladly spend this election cycle hiding under his bed!  Add to that his opposition to the Liberal Litmus that is Abortion, his obvious implied stance against Gay Marriage,  (Go ahead and try to find any reference to Gay Marriage on his official campaign or Senate websites!) and you have a Liberal Democrat’s biggest nightmare … Supporting a family values candidate that disdains everything a Good Liberal loves all because he has a “D” connected to his father’s name!

The REAL Bob Casey

Fortunately for Pennsylvania Liberals, Casey’s middle name is not “Fracking”!

Tom Smith stands for Ending Out-of-Control Federal Spending, Reducing Job-Killing Regulations, Promoting American Energy to Provide American Jobs, Simplified Tax Codes, and reasonable solutions to Healthcare and the long-term viability of Social Security and Medicare.  These are the issues of the day that need discussing.  But Bob Casey will not be found this election season discussing anything you care about in the presence of Tom Smith, and that’s a shame for all Pennsylvania voters!

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Finally, if you get the chance, read Trudy Rubin’s column on The Real Muslim Movie Outrage in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Opinion page this Sunday.  I rarely agree with Ms. Rubin’s view on domestic politics, but her concise, honest review of the radical Islamic elements working to inflate Muslim tensions is enlightening.

A Wedding in the Family …

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Janelle Lynn and Mike Shortall (Jr.)

Been kinda quiet here for the last few weeks, and an explanation is in order.

Just returned from four days in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania area for the wedding of our eldest son, Mike Jr., who married a local gal, Janelle Waltz from Montoursville.  It’s definitely official now, as they have both updated their Facebook statuses!

If you have never been there, the area is absolutely beautiful in mid-September.  We had four of the best days imaginable, given the perfect weather, great company, and lush backdrop the surrounding hills provided for a truly memorable event.

The past few weeks have been crammed with wedding preparations, bar supply runs, stresses both natural to the situation, self-inflicted, and a bit crazy, like a dog that refused to accept the amenities of an experienced dog sitter.  (Don’t ask!)  On top of that add in the worries all parents carry with them when their children take another huge step in Life.

Hopefully I haven’t lost too many of you in the meantime.  Writing just hasn’t been at the top of the Priorities List.

Promise to post more info and pics later.  However at the moment, I’m a bit hung over and worn out.

So for now, allow me to welcome Janelle Lynn Waltz to the Shortall family!  Mike Jr. has made an excellent choice, both for himself and for the Shortall family!

A Tuesday like No Other

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Last year, the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks didn’t seem to elicit much of a reaction in me.  I wrote one blog post that dealt with the physical, personal, and economic toll of America’s response to the attacks via the War on Terror … the war in Afghanistan, the number of wounded and killed American soldiers, the casualties suffered by the Afghan people, etc.  But the decade commemoration itself was not as noteworthy for me, troubling though that may be to some people.

I think it was the higher level of attention the ten-year mark received from the media, the Government, the City of New York and all those smaller communities that the tragedy touched that might have muted my own personal reaction.  These were people who were more directly and personally affected that rightfully deserved and received the attention of a country still mourning in many ways that tragic September day.

So I was a bit surprised to feel a bit more connected to this year’s anniversary – the 11th.  Not uneasy exactly … pensive might be the better word.  Why was a bit of a mystery to me.

Then I realized that this year’s anniversary would fall on a Tuesday.  And that’s when it clicked.  Due to that quirky 11-year Roman calendar cycle, September 11 this year would fall on the very day of the week it occurred in September 2001.  Tuesday … a bright, clear sunny day … cloudless sky, Indian summer temps … a Tuesday in Manhattan.

I was at work that day.  Had just gotten to my desk at the Naval Inventory Control Point (now NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support)  at 8:30 that morning, and almost immediately heard about a private plane that had crashed into The World Trade Center in New York City.  I remember thinking what stupid pilot could crash into such a huge building on a cloudless, crystal clear day.  When I found one of the randomly placed TV monitors located throughout the work spaces, I was struck by the size of the hole punctured in the side of the North Tower, almost like an aluminum can pierced by a bullet.  The hole didn’t look right.  It was too big for a private plane.  So when I heard it was a larger airliner, I wasn’t surprised … just more confused by the apparent ineptitude required to cause such a tragedy.

Then I saw the second plane hit, and the horror took on a totally different meaning.

I won’t bore you with my reactions to all the horrors that unfolded that day or the painful images we were to view over the following days and weeks.  What I will share were two reactions that for some reason have stayed with me through this decade-plus-one since that Tuesday in September.

The first was related to a local event that occurred just the weekend before … the semi-regular airshow at the now shuttered JRB Willow Grove had just concluded the Sunday before the attacks.  I can remember thinking that many of those pilots and ground troops that showed off their skills for the tax-paying public over those three days would soon be heading into harm’s way, actual combat, and the very real possibility of not coming home.

My second reaction was that Tuesday evening, taking a walk with the dog, and looking up into what’s normally a very active Northeastern sky.  I was struck by the absolute absence of any moving lights in that dark, star-filled sky … no air traffic at all … The realization that “they” could hit us here and could disrupt our normal everyday lives.  The thought gave me an empty, chilled feeling.

I just know if Tuesday morning opens with clear blue skies and Indian summer temperatures that empty chill will be back cold and hard in the pit of my stomach.

A 1% President?

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(Enjoy this re-post both timely and appropriate for this week of  the Democratic National Committee convention in Charlotte, NC. Previously posted in January 2012.)

Democratic Party officials announced recently that President Obama will accept his party’s nomination on the last night of their national convention at Bank of America Stadium.

It’s an odd choice, given the recent spate of Occupy Wall Street events originating from the most liberal wings of the Democratic Party.  The visuals will not be very comforting to those who believe that the richest 1% of the country set the rules that elevates, protects and perpetuates their wealth, while at the same time oppresses the remaining 99%.

The re-election imagery for OWS’s Presumptive Hero could be a Recipe for Disaster …

  • Standing in front of a Bank of America backdrop, which BofA paid $100 million just for 20 years worth of naming rights …
  • In the Home of the Carolina Panthers and their 1% athletes …
  • Who are owned by Jerry Richardson, former CEO of Flagstar, whose net worth is estimated at $500 million …
  • In front of Democrat contributors willing to pay up to $1.5 million for the full-blown Premiere Events Package.
  • Serve over 8.5% Unemployment and the “disappearing middle class”

Hmmmmm …

Well, the good news is that it will be a heck of a lot warmer for the good Occupy Wall Street people in Charlotte in early September than it was on Wall Street this past November.  That’s assuming of course that they even bother to show up to drag this particular demographic of the 1% out into the glaring media light.

I’m not holding my breath … 

If you too want the Superbox Treatment”, consider your options:

Suzi Emmerling, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte Host Committee, confirmed a Bloomberg report that those deals — presented to Washington lobbyists last month — include an escalating menu of packages starting with the $1 million “presidential” level. Those who buy in will receive a “premier uptown hotel room,” a “platinum events package and “concierge services.” Another $500,000 “Gold Rush” level includes hotel room, credentials and a “premiere events package.”

Myself?  I’ll be home watching the Democratic National Convention on TV with my 99% compadres, all the while marveling at how the Democratic 1% get to live it so large!

Stream of thought during the Dog Days of Summer

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It’s been one of those periods where writing – about anything – has not been at the top of my priorities list.  Health issues in the family, an upcoming wedding, Summer doldrums, political burnout and a general lack of enthusiasm all combine to muffle my desire to speak in the public square.

Certainly this too shall pass.  But in the meantime, some random thoughts and musings.

  • I’m already sick and tired of discussing politics and especially of reading others “discussing” politics.  More like “disgusting” politics …  Nothing but two groups standing on the sides of a deep chasm tossing insults and epithets at each other.  I am no saint in this regard if judged by my past internet history, so I will toss no stones from my glass house.  But here’s a thought … If you cannot stake out a thoughtful position and defend it intellectually without having to denigrate the character and motivations of the opposition, you are not helping find solutions; you’re only making the chasm bigger.
  • To the guy in the Audi, chattering away on his cell phone trying to edge out in front of me from the Dunkin Donuts after getting your bagel and Dunkaccino:  Sorry, but you weren’t sitting through three cycles of the traffic light before you tried the I’m-too-busy-on-my-important-cell-phone-call-to-bother-waiting-like-everyone-else trick.  I have a Rule of Thumb for these occasions:  If you are sitting there at the driveway as I pull up, I will gladly allow you to exit into traffic in front of me.  But if you pull up as I’m sitting there – especially when I have been sitting in heavy traffic for a spell, you are subject to the vagaries of my

    Steve Van Buren

    current Commute Mood.  Your worst scenario is waiting until the next traffic opportunity presents itself.  Sorry …

  • Melky Cabrerra, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and now Lance Armstrong … I’m really regretting holding athletes in such high esteem based on their ability to play children’s games.  Seems like more and more of them cannot manage to do what they do for a living without cheating like riverboat flim-flam artists.
  • And yet despite the above, a tip of the hat to recently passed Steve Van Buren, an athlete from a time when men simply strapped on the pads and went at each other mano-y-mano without the need for pharmaceutical enhancement!  Beer seemed to fit them just fine.  (Read Ray Didinger’s column on memories of Van Buren.)
  • Medical researchers claim to have the Happiness Gene that is apparently effective in women but not so for men.  Several thoughts here … a) That women need a gene to make them happy is not surprising.  For us guys, happiness is as close as our golf clubs, fishing and hunting gear, television, or the ever elusive “happy woman”.  b) How long will it take medical researchers to figure out where the female Happiness Gene has been hiding since Adam ate the apple Eve made him eat?!?
  • Wait for it now … “Oh yeah … Well, if you guys weren’t such ——- ——- —–, WE wouldn’t NEED a Happiness Gene!!!”
  • Some will say I am Brave, Stupid, or Reckless.  Actually I’m just glad my wife thinks my blog is pointless and rarely reads it!

Here’s to more productive writing days in the future!

Disenfranchised by Politics or Apathy?

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Judge Robert Simpson

Judge Robert Simpson

Wednesday’s decision by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson to uphold the new Pennsylvania voter ID law was neither surprising nor was it the final word on the mater.  Simpson’s decision is just the first step in a judicial review process that will definitely end up in Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court and perhaps even wind its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

To make matters worse for those who oppose the law, Judge Simpson laid out a detailed, well-reasoned 70-page opinion supporting the Pennsylvania legislature’s power to regulate elections in this way, and refused to issue an injunction that would hold off implementation of the law’s requirements until the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania hears the inevitable appeal.  Despite moving testimony from individuals who claimed unnecessary burdens to exercising their right to vote, Simpson found that the law applies equally to all Pennsylvanians in a politically neutral, non-discriminatory manner.

As a result, the law will be viewed as constitutional in Pennsylvania until such time as adequate proof can be mustered to support claims of discriminatory restriction.  This is a daunting task for the critics.  And even considering the normal route to challenge such laws in federal court as an affront to the Voting Rights Act, the law’s opponents face the reality that a similar law – applied by Indiana in 2008 – was found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Simpson’s ruling appears to remove the specter that the law’s requirements are too difficult to meet in the 5 months between its March 2012 passage and the November election.  Opposition to the law attempted to feed just such a perception through tales of elderly and poor working class voters at the mercy of inconsistent documentation requirements and inadequately trained clerks in far off, hard to reach PENNDOT offices.  

Victory on appeal is going to be a tough nut to crack now that Judge Simpson has laid out a solid footing for its constitutionality.  

By now you have heard all the arguments; listened to the vitriol from those on both sides of the issue; gotten into a few heated discussions; and perhaps, came to decide for yourself whether Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law is a legitimate attempt to further secure our vote or a blatant attempt by one political party to gain an election year advantage over their opponents. 

As I am often motivated to do in such cases where most of the obvious arguments have already been made, I suggest we leave legal wranglings to the judges, the lawyers, and the politicians; and instead, let’s take a look at how the law has affected voter and political behavior.

Philadelphia Councilman Bill Green

Already we have numerous election officials, exclusively Democrats, who now say they will not enforce the legally passed, Court-affirmed election law.  From poll watchers to at least one Judge of Elections we hear from those who have decided to take interpretation of the law into their own hands and will not enforce the law.  In Philadelphia, City Councilman Bill Green tweeted, “Let them come and enforce it!  If WE believe it violates the Constitution, we have the RIGHT to keep our OATH.”  (Emphasis added.)  

And suddenly all those suspicions about urban politicians ginning up election numbers based on their own, personal interpretation of what is “constitutional” and lawful do not seem all that far-fetched.

Personally, I have been muttering for weeks over the inconsistent coverage the voter ID issue has received in local media.  On television news, you rarely hear a word about the new law.  Yet newspapers and on-line media outlets – like our local Patch network – have been a constant resource for discussions of the law’s requirements, the difficulties experienced in its execution, and in a lot of cases reader-fueled demagoguery over the motivations of both politicians and activists.  All good stuff when it meshes with the goal promoting awareness of the new law and its requirements far in advance of Election Day. 

On the other hand, my normal paper ‘n ink habit – The Philadelphia Inquirer – killed many a tree on some days running multiple articles from different perspectives, overwhelmingly in opposition to the voter ID law.  That anyone would be surprised by that would be … well … surprising.  And yet, even their attempts to portray the law as an onerous affront to voting rights provided an interesting peek at the REAL problem that should be scaring the bejesus out of Pennsylvania’s Democrats.

In a July 12 article, Karen Heller of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that only 2744 Pennsylvanians had obtained new voter photo identification.  

That’s only 0.28% (based on the most draconian predictions of 1 million potentially disenfranchised voters) have pursued the documentation and ID requirements to a successful conclusion.  This phenomena cannot be attributed to any unreasonable level of documentation requirements, or even those claims that PENNDOT’s ID-issuing system is not up to the task.

0.28% … My own attempts to downplay the 1 million voter claim would bump that all the way up to 0.6%!

There is no doubt on my part that the claims of 1 million affected voters was way overstated.  Yet by even the most conservative estimates,  the response in active attempts to obtain the necessary ID goes beyond the definition of “anemic”.  Even if one takes a leap of faith that new voter IDs issued before November grows by several orders of magnitude, the end result would fall woefully short of what anyone could define as an honest attempt on the part of the potentially disenfranchised to meet the law’s requirements.  

0.28 % … It suggests rather loudly that not enough people care.  That to them the effort isn’t worth it.  What this says about the Pennsylvania electorate goes so much deeper than nefarious plots to influence the outcome of an election or the prospect of hundreds of illegal voters flooding inner city polling places.  It’s an admission that many voters simply don’t care; don’t pay attention; and perhaps worse of all, don’t want to make any effort to comply with a simple authentication requirement.

0.28% = Not even trying …