I got a very odd feeling last night as we took our ‘Live From the Newsroom’ show out on the road to do some special election night reporting.
First stop was the Radnor Hotel, where Delco Democrats were gathered to watch returns and keep tabs on their man George Badey, who was looking to oust freshman Congressman Pat Meehan.
After an hour there we hurtled back down the Blue Route to Springfield Country Club, where the Delco GOP was in full celebration mode for Meehan.
If you missed the show, you can catch the replay here.
Meehan trounced Badey, so you would think that the mood in Radnor would be glum, while Springfield would be party central, right?
Uh, not exactly. It gets complicated.
Yes, Badey, the Radnor Democratic boss who spent the last few months bashing Meehan as anything but the moderate he says he is, got trounced. Yet, I sensed a lot of optimism at the Radnor Hotel. Democratic Party Chairman David Landau was looking at numbers that indicated the county once again was in the process of backing the Democrat in the presidential race. Delco has not gone for the GOP standard-bearer since backing George H.W. Bush (the elder) in 1992. Pennsylvania also went into the Obama category.
And there was more. Upstart Sheamus Bonner put a real scare into longtime Republican state Rep. Nick Mick Micozzie in the 163rd District in Upper Darby. The Dems have already clamed the other seat from Upper Darby in the state Legislature. And Margo Davidson cruised to another two years in the 164th District that resided in the GOP arms in the form of Mario Civera forever. There other inklings of what may be to come as well. Larry DeMarco ran pretty well before falling to freshman GOP Rep. Joe Hackett in the 161st District.
Still, with Meehan winning big, the mood should have been ebullient in Springfield, right? Surprisingly, no.
In talking with both party Chairman Andy Reilly, and Meehan campaign manager Mike Puppio, I sensed some serious disappointment from both that the county did not do better in the presidential race. President Obama did not win by the same margin he did four years ago, but he still won here easily. Town after town in the county was added to the Obama camp. Both men admitted that Romney would have helped things considerably with a visit to the county. Both also seemed genuinely downtrodden that Pennsylvania again went Democratic.
Things aren’t going to get any easier. Two years from now they will be looking at a midterm election topped by a gubernatorial race and another run for Meehan.
Keep this name in mind. Kathleen Kane. No, I don’t think she’s going to be running for governor. Instead, last night she became the first woman and first Democrat ever elected Pennsylvania Attorney General.
Kane has already indicated she plans to review the handling of the Jerry Sandusky investigation by her predecessor. And who would that be? That is none other than Gov. Tom Corbett, whose approval ratings are already in the toilet and who does not seem to have many friends in the Delco delegation.
Two years of Kane poking around in the way Corbett handled the Sandusky probe is not likely to improve his ratings. He vows the Sandusky matter was handled properly.
And finally one more name to keep in mind before we close the political file on Election 2012. This one likely won’t make Republicans smile either.
Think Joe Sestak has been traveling across this state since losing to Pat Toomey in that Senate race two years ago for nothing.
Sestak vs. Corbett.
I’d sell tickets to that one.
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