Obama & Biden... Our Winning Ticket!
Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden.
"America, we are better than the last eight years. We are a better country than this....."
"...the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change...."
-Excerpts from Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech, August 28, 2008.
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Upcoming Events
September 20: A Little Bit of Motown, A Little Bit of Soul, Fundraiser Show at Avon Grove High School, sponsored by Zone 6. September 21: Brandywine Democrats (Birmingham, Pocopson and Thornbury Townships) fundraiser at Pace One Restaurant in Thornton, featuring music, conversation, and fun. September 26: Bruce Slater House Party in Kennett Square. See Kennett Area Dems Website for more details. October 11th: Barbara McIlvaine Smith fundraiser with
Governor Ed Rendell at the Westside from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. October 22nd: Kennett Area Democrats Meet the Candidates Night
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A Time to Check Your Values
The past year has been an exciting time. Never before have we had such a group of talented, energizing, and well-qualified presidential candidates.
After a hard-fought primary season, Barack Obama has emerged as our party's nominee. While he was not everyone's first choice, he is our candidate. And we are fortunate that Obama embodies the values that are important to us as Democrats.
While many Democrats may have been dissapointed that their candidate of choice from the primaries will not be this year's nominee, it is vital that we all seek clarity in our thinking and recognize that either Barack Obama or John McCain will be our next president.
Ask yourself which man's values more closely matches yours. Consider the economy and fairness in taxes. Consider the war in Iraq. Think about the environment, healthcare and education. Keep in mind that our next president will likely nominate Supreme Court Justices who will affect us for many years.
It is your job as a voter to do your homework and to determine who is a better match for you. If the McCain/Bush policies match your values, you know what to do. If, on the other hand, you share the Demcratic values embraced by Barack Obama and Joe Biden, it is time for you to commit to them.
There is no gray area in voting for the President. If you don't support and vote for the candidate who is best for you, you are by default helping the candidate who is worse for you. So with this in mind, if Senator Obama is the best match for you, commit to vote for him and take positive action for him. Our future depends on it!
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Think Locally: State House Races
Politics and government matter most when they are closest to you. Despite the huge amount of attention given the big national races, what affects your family most are the elections you see at the "bottom of the ticket," such as the races for Pennsylvania State Representative. Bills passing through the House very much determine how education will be funded, what will happen to health care and how we will protect our local environment. Luckily, these are also the elections where your vote and your help matter most.
Running for her second term as State Representative from the 156th District, Barbara McIlvaine Smith is a great example. She gained national fame for her come-from-behind victory in 2006, winning by just 28 votes. When she was sworn in and took her seat, the State House itself turned Democratic - by that one seat!
Since then, Barb has been leading the fight in Harrisburg for ethics reform and has become a model of it herself, posting all of her expenses on her legislative Website and refusing to take a state car or reimbursement for transportation. In fact, while the House is in session, she takes the train to Harrisburg to keep things, as she says, "on the right track."
 She has also limited her campaigning this summer to nights and weekends. Barb insists her days be spent working at her office in West Chester or otherwise engaged in constituent services, such as when she recently ran a Green Fair (photo at left) to promote energy conservation. As a result, she very much needs help getting the word out to voters and making the most of the time she spends knocking on voters' doors.
 When Carol Palmaccio first ran for Township Supervisor in Willistown, she garnered an outstanding 47% of the vote in a region with a substantial Republican majority. That race was Carol's first experience going door to door, meeting new people and speaking to them about the issues that matter most. She learned that voters, Democrats and Republicans and Independents alike, felt like they were on their own; like nobody "had their back" in a government that is supposed to represent them.
Now Carol is back on the trail, running for State Representative in the 167th District, which includes most of East Pikeland, West Whiteland, East Whiteland, Charlestown, Malvern, Easttown, and Willistown.
One friend she made while canvassing is an elderly woman, who after several years of retirement, had to return to work in order to afford the hefty taxes levied on her property. Today she works in the lingerie department at Boscov's -- and even in that position she cannot feel secure. She told Carol the story of an accident from which she recently suffered. Two ambulances arrived upon her call for emergency help. The first, and the one to deliver her to the emergency room, billed her insurance company. The second sued her for the cash. "I had no one to turn to -- there was nobody I trusted."
Motivated by stories like this, Carol has visited thousands of people in the community, introducing herself and learning how each individual hopes to benefit from a new era of representation in Harrisburg.
 In Southern Chester County, Tom Houghton is making his second run for the 13th District seat. After a narrow loss in 2006, he is in a great position this time to fill the seat left open by the resignation of Art Hershey. Although he is facing a well-funded opponent, Tom is one of our best bets for another Democratic victory.
According to Tom's wife, Danelle, he has been purpose-driven from a young age. Tom's father -- who ultimately left the family when Tom was 10 -- was a truck driver always on the road. Tom got used to helping his mom around the house, because she averaged a 60-hour week as a waitress to support the family. He went on to work his way through college and law school. He became the first Democratic Supervisor of London Grove Township in 2002 and is now Chairman of that Board. This year, he's working to break the mark he set in his 2006 run for the House by knocking on over 10,000 doors in the district. Of course, he could use your help in doing that.
 Running for the 26th District in Northern Chester County, Dr. Fern Kaufman is an acknowledged expert on health care, shown here meeting supporters and voters in Coatesville, at the opening of the new Brandywine Health Center.
Fern knows massive reform is needed to make healthcare affordable and accessible for all Pennsylvanians.
"Bringing jobs to the region and rejuvenating Coatesville and Spring City is integral to the overall health of Chester County, " Fern said of the new Brandywine Health Center, "both community based healthcare and community renewal is represented in the opening of this fine medical center and is an example of what we need more of, and what I will fight for, in Harrisburg."
She, too, has been out meeting voters, knocking on doors from Coatesville to Honeybrook, from the Coventry's to Spring City.
 The youngest candidate in the local races for the State House, Ian Thomas is running in the 168th District, which covers Westtown Township. Graduating Cum Laude from Rollins University, Ian has been pursuing a scientific career, including ecological research and genetic research conducted at the USDA and Wistar Institute.
This summer, he has spent a lot of time talking to people about the key issues of education, health care and the environment, all of which can benefit from his scientific background.
 Covering Schuylkill, Tredyffrin and Phoenixville, the 15th District cuts through a hi-tech swath of Chester County, so it's no surprise to see the Internet featuring so prominently in Paul Drucker's campaign. For one thing, four interns from Conestoga's Young Republicans Club (see photo at left) have created a lively Facebook page for Paul, which itself has attracted press coverage.
This campaign and Tom Houghton's have drawn national attention from the popular blog site, Huffington Post. According to an entry on that site...
"As Starbucks and Borders reach farther into once rural Chester County, Democrats like Tom Houghton and Paul Drucker have solid shots at turning Republican State House seats blue. Eight years ago, in the district Drucker is running in, there were 12,961 more registered Republicans than Democrats; in the most recent count, the Republican registration advantage has collapsed to just 3,550."
In other words, the races for State Legislature are "in play" for Democrats and can be won, but not without hard work and help from Democratic Party supporters in the County. You can get involved in the race closest to you and closest to your interests by visiting the Website of your district's candidate and volunteering a few hours a week. It will make a difference.
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