The Pennsylvania primary

Posted: April 23, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized

By Christopher Harper

Although today’s primary here in Pennsylvania won’t play a pivotal role in determining the presidential candidates for next November, the state may set the tone for challenges in the Congress and state legislature.

Rollcall.com focused on races to watch, including several that will be competitive in November.

–The U.S. Senate race in November will have Bob Casey, a longtime Democrat heavyweight in the state, versus Dave McCormick, a Republican who tried and failed to get a 2022 nomination. Casey is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, and almost every pundit agrees that the November election will be his most challenging test yet.

McCormick served in the George W. Bush administration’s national security apparatus and the Treasury Department. McCormick lost a 2022 Republican primary to TV host Mehmet Oz, who lost to Democrat John Fetterman. 

— Three Republicans are vying to challenge Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, a top GOP target, in this district north of Philadelphia. Army National Guard veteran Kevin Dellicker, who lost a 2022 primary, is running again, as are state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero, a political newcomer.

— Six Democrats are running to challenge Rep. Scott Perry, a former Freedom Caucus chairman. Mike O’Brien, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, and former broadcast journalist Janelle Stelson lead the money race among the primary candidates. Shamaine Daniels, who lost to Perry two years ago, is running again. The other Democrats are Carlisle School Board member Rick Coplen, Blake Lynch, a former radio executive, and businessman John Broadhurst.

— GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, faces a primary challenge from anti-abortion activist Mark Houck.

Fitzpatrick has cut a reputation as a moderate Republican representing a district that President Joe Biden would have won by 5 points in 2020, according to Inside Elections. Since he was first elected in 2016, he’s dispatched primary challengers with roughly two-thirds of the vote. 

Houck, who argues Fitzpatrick isn’t conservative enough, was indicted in 2022 and later acquitted on charges of assaulting a reproductive health care clinic escort. He later sued the Department of Justice over his arrest. 

The primary winner will face Ashley Ehasz, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Ehasz lost to Fitzpatrick by 10 percentage points in 2022. 

— Freshman Rep. Summer Lee faces a primary challenge from Bhavini Patel. The race has drawn attention for highlighting the Democratic Party’s divisions over Israel. Patel has criticized Lee for her position on the war in Gaza and a lack of support for Israel.

Lee has campaigned to bring federal dollars back to the district and has focused on issues like climate change. Since joining the House, she’s aligned herself with the so-called “Squad” of progressive lawmakers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has campaigned for Lee. 

–The Pennsylvania General Assembly is divided between the parties, each holding one part of the state legislature. In many cases, incumbents face no opposition in the primaries. 

Republicans control the State Senate by a 28-22 margin, while the Democrats hold the State House of Representatives by a 102-100 margin. 

DaTechGuy’s 3rd Law of Media Outrage Memphis Edition

Posted: April 22, 2024 by datechguy in media, News/opinion
Tags: , , ,

Sgt. Schultz: Oh I know nothing, I was not here, I didn’t even get up this morning!

Hogan’s Heroes Hold That Tiger 1965

If you’ve followed the MSM at all for the last 40 years you know that if there is one thing they love it’s stories that promote the disarming of citizens.

What they particularly love are stories that suggest the disarming of citizens that take place in Red States because that why they can point the finger at the GOP rather than themselves, and if that story is about a mass shooting well that’s the trifecta when it comes to creating a national story.

However there is one thing that can get in the way of such a story and that’s DaTechGuy’s 3rd Law of Media Outrage which states:

The MSM’s elevation and continued classification of any story as Nationally Newsworthy rather than only of local interest is in direct correlation to said story’s current ability to affirm any current Democrat/Liberal/Media meme/talking point, particularly on the subject of race or sexuality.

Well you would think a mass shooting with over 300 shots fired which took place in Memphis this week would qualify, even it it was in a blue city oasis in the middle of a Red State, alas there is a catch. See if you can spot it from this video of the event:

Alas the shooters were of the wrong race, and thus this story hurts the Democrat message on race. Even 300 shots and video are not enough to get this story onto any national broadcast so like the Superbowl shootings this story will be confined to the local news until it dies away.

Cue Ann Coulter:

History awaits as Chicago White Sox might finish with worst MLB season ever

Posted: April 21, 2024 by John Ruberry in baseball, Sports
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Blogger at a White Sox game

By John Ruberry

History is unfolding on Chicago’s South Side.

Three weeks into the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Chicago White Sox are 3-18, a .143 winning percentage. If they continue at this pace, at the end of the 162-game season, they will finish far worse than the benchmark of modern baseball futility, the 1962 New York Mets season.

In their first National League campaign, those Mets ended up at 40-120, a .250 winning percentage. Or if you prefer, a .750 losing percentage. In 2003, the Detroit Tigers set the American League record for the most losses at 119. They started off that dreadful season at 3-22. 

More recently, the 2022 Cincinnati Reds matched the Tigers’ 25-game start, but sort-of rallied to conclude the season at 62-100.

But the Sox are probably in ’62 Mets and ’03 Tigers territory. Because this year’s South Siders aren’t just losing often, they are bottom feeders in most MLB team statistics. According to Yahoo Sports, the White Sox are 26th in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), 26th in earned run average, 30th in runs scored, 30th in batting average, 30th in home runs, and 30th in slugging percentage. For those who don’t follow baseball, there are 30 MLB teams.

The White Sox have nine batters hitting under .200. The South Siders’ pitchers have been equally ineffective. Last week, CBS Sports last week called the Sox “depressingly bad,” but singled out starting pitcher Garret Crochet as a bright spot with his 3.57 ERA. But on Friday night, Crochet was yanked in the 4th inning after surrendering seven runs. His ERA is now 5.61.

The best hitter for the White Sox has been third baseman Yoan Moncada, who leads the Sox batters with a .282 average. But after 11 games, Moncada was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a left adductor strain. He may not return this season.

Last week on X, user Jim Passon summed up the South Siders’ start. “White Sox this season: Lose 4 in-a-row win 1. Lose 5 in-a-row, win 1, Lose 6 in-a-row, win 1.”

Since that X post, the White Sox traveled to Philadelphia to lose three more, including Friday night’s Crochet loss. In the first two games of that series, the Phillies carried no-hitters into the seventh and the eighth innings. So far, the White Sox–and remember, they have played only 21 games–have been shut out seven times.

During the postgame show after Sunday’s loss, former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen summed up the team’s season: “Overall, a lotta, lotta bad stuff.” 

Indeed.   

In 2023, under first year manager Pedro Grifol, the White Sox lost 101 games. While in 2021, under Hall of Fame skipper Tony LaRussa, the Sox won 93 games and topped the AL Central Division. Most analysts figured another 101 loss-or-so season was in order for the South Siders this season. Since the 2023 trade deadline–and into this year–the Sox have traded pitchers Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer, and Dylan Cease for prospects.

Shortstop Tim Anderson, the 2019 American League batting champion, was not offered a contract after the ’23 season. Ironically, the Florida Marlins, who have MLB’s second worst record so far this season, signed him.

The worst American League start ever was 0-21, the 1988 Baltimore Orioles earned that dishonor. Larry Sheets was an outfielder for those O’s. His son, Gavin Sheets, also an outfielder, plays for this year’s White Sox team. Father and son have a lot to talk about.

The White Sox, although the 2024 season is still young, have a very good chance to surpass the Mets’ 1962 record for the worst modern era MLB season of the modern era.

It might be a bit late for the White Sox to add a marketing slogan for the ’24 campaign, but seriously, my idea might sell some tickets and gain some television viewers.

“History awaits, see your 2024 Chicago White Sox.”

The legendary Casey Stengel was the manager of the ’62 Mets, he called his team “the Amazin’ Mets.” Yes, they were. And that team’s first baseman, Marvelous Marv Throneberry, made a living off of that team’s notoriety.

Let’s not overlook the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who suffered thru a 20-134 .130 percentage National League season. 

History awaits the White Sox.

Finally, in a case of wretched timing, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is asking for state and municipal funding to build a new stadium for his team. The Bears have their hand out for a new stadium too. The toothless Monsters of the Midway have finished with the worst record in the NFL the past two seasons. Both teams play in taxpayer funded stadiums that are relatively new; in fact, the bonds for both facilities are not been paid off yet.

It’s a bit like a kid who smashes the car his parents bought for him asking for a new automobile as the vehicle he wrecked is being towed away.

UPDATE April 22:

There was another shutout loss for the White Sox tonight, their eighth. The Minnesota Twins topped the South Siders 7-0.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Is this not the Perfect Metaphor for the Democrat Party

Posted: April 21, 2024 by datechguy in News/opinion
Tags: ,

Captain Mullins: [Forgetting he’s holding the lie detector handle] That’s enough! Break it up! [to Shemp] Now then, what were you doing at eleven o’clock last night?

Shemp: I don’t know. What were you doing at eleven o’clock?

Captain Mullins: Uh, I was at a lodge meeting. [The lie detector beeps very loudly, startling the Stooges the pen travels wildly in a crooked line then the machine suddenly stops]

Officer operating the lie Detector: That last question seems to have broken the machine, captain.

The Three Stooges: Shivering Sherlocks 1948

This story is slightly old but If you want to find something that perfectly encapsulates what the Democrat party has become, this is it. Apparently there has been a problem with Truthfulness among people testifying before NH government committees. Folks have been saying one thing and then it’s been revealed to be, as the committee member put it “infactual”. Fortunately under NH law there is a solution. Any State Senator or Rep receiving testimony on a committee member can do what Rep Sandra Panek did here:

Pursuant to RSA 1414, which states that any Senator or Representative, while acting as a member of the committee, of the legislature, may admininster an oath to any person who may be examined before such a committee. I would like to require an oath of the witness and all witnesses testifying before this committee. The testimony we are taking is concerning a very serious subject matter, and we must ensure truthfulness.

Now you might think members of the legislature would welcome truthful testimony being made before them, but apparently not if they are Democrats who immediately objected noting that they have not seen this happen in the nearly two decades on such a committee.

I presume this is why the issue of “infactual” testimony has become a problem and if there is one thing that we’ve seen from our friends on the left over and over from crossing the border illegally to blocking highways is a complete rejection of the idea that actions might have consequences.

Unexpectedly of course

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