I'm not sure I've ever encountered a politician with a penchant for doing or saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time quite like Tom Corbett.
The Republican governor was at it again on Friday. Now in the final year of his first term, Corbett was preparing to make his first visit to a public school in Philadelphia.
Corbett is facing a rough re-election test, with poll numbers that indicate he's less popular than the weather.
Corbett seems to have quieted the rumble from within his own party, but has a small army of Democrats salivating at the chance to take him on. In other words, they smell blood in the water. And the sharks are circling.
Corbett probably better than most knows the challenge that lies ahead. He has restructured his staff for what seems like the umpteenth time, vowed to spend more time in the crucial southeastern part of the state, in particular the Philly suburbs, and said that he merely needs to do a better job of conveying his message of bringing fiscal sanity back to the state.
It was to that end that he planned to visit Central High School in Philadelphia Friday to congratulate staff and students on their recent test scores.
Corbett is particularly reviled in the city, with many putting a target on his back because of budget cuts that have eviscerated many city schools. Curriculums have been cut; staff has been pared, with key aides, library and office staff taking big hits.
Corbett has maintained that he's actually increased funding in the state, and that most of the cuts were due to the elimination of federal stimulus funds that districts were warned would not be permanent.
There even was word that the governor would be increasing education funding in his budget address due in a couple of weeks.
None of that deterred protesters who vowed to make their presence known during the governor's visit to Central.
It was not going to be an easy day for Corbett. He likely would have gotten an earful.
Then he managed to do something that made the situation even worse.
He canceled his visit, and instead held a press conference at his downtown office.
It was exactly the wrong thing to do, something the governor seems to do all too often.
It came off as him running from the protesters, and even worse, as a slap at the kids who he was there to honor.
Corbett tried to explain that he did not want politics and the protest to mar the day.
His actions managed to do exactly that.
The governor should have taken his lumps and dealt with the protesters head-on.
He couldn't have looked worse in simply failing to show up.
Comments