[UPDATE] This is NOT an appeal for RedStaters to send contributions, in case there is any confusion, which Jaded’s comment below seems to indicate might be the case.
Rather, this is an effort to mobilize RedStaters to call the candidate and demand that she spend the money she pledged to her supporters that she would spend. They’ve given time and put their reputations at stake; Marina needs to keep her promises to her supporters – and to not stab McCain in the back by making herself invisible to the voters.
Her number again is 215-817-6838. And if you wish more information, you can call my friend Robert at (215) 663-8200 [End update]
I live on the Left Coast, but I received this plea from a lifelong friend who has been vigorously involved in the Republican Congressional campaign of Marina Kats who is challenging incumbent-Democrat Allyson Schwartz in PA-13.
His name is Robert Sklaroff (215) 663-8200 and he has authorized me to transmit the following message:
PA-13 encompasses eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia, and the party-split has been virtually-even. I have volunteered for Marina, having composed her policies and submitted excerpts thereof to myriad interest groups. Her net-worth is $10 million, which she privately/repeatedly pledged she would invoke; her quantitative commitment shrunk from $1 million to $ 1/2 million from spring to summer.
In July, she committed $300K ($100K into three campaign accounts) which she has not tapped since then; a former campaign spokesperson notes this effort is “woefully underfunded” because other contributions have been paltry. She hasn’t invoked her personal fortune, and she has now told her inner-circle that she won’t, claiming inter alia insufficient party support.
To-date, there has been no mass-mailing. Marina has even refused to initiate a modest ($30K) “buy” through KYW Newsradio.
At this point, one can only hope that she has enough of a conscience to help McCain/Palin by disseminating enough of her message to blunt an otherwise impending D-sweep in our bell-weather district.
IF ANYONE CAN HELP HER RECOGNIZE REALITY, PLEASE CALL HER AT 215-817-6838.
My (civil truth’s) comments are as follows:
I grew up in Eastern Montgomery county, and in the 30 years since I left, the area has moved from a strong Republican area to a swing district with a substantial number of voters that are up for grabs for either party.
If my mom and sister, who still live there, are at all representative of the region, a fair number of voters are susceptible to Obama because of distaste for the Bush era.
A weak or invisible downticket Republican presence in the Congressional race seriously threatens McCain’s support among these malleable swing voters by accentuating a perception that the Republican brand isn’t up to the leadership challenges, especially economic, facing our nation today. A weak Congressional campaign additionally will depress the turnout of Republican voters.
Whether or not the Congressional race is winnable (which is dubious at best), I agree with the urgent need for visibility in order to not sabotage McCain’s chances in this swing district in probably the critical state that McCain needs to win if he’s going to pull out the election.
And that is going to take campaign expenditures for media advertisements or, at the very least, bulk-mailings.
