It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Following on the coat-tails of the Barack Obama victory that energized Upper Bucks Democrats, the party expected to recruit new local candidates, see new faces at meetings, and finally challenge the Republicans in Richland. But it didn't happen.
Last Monday night, the Richland Dems held their caucus. The timing was somewhat odd, since the deadline for filing nominating petitions was Tuesday, and, in 2007, their only supervisor candidate, Brian Kline, announced his intentions months ahead. To publicize the meeting, they sent out emails to all of the Dems who voted in the presidential election last November, and signed up for party emails:
"Dear Richland/Richlandtown Democrats - During the 2008 Presidential election, numerous individuals worked towards the successful campaign of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Every one of those same individuals underscored the need for change. The most effective change we can attain is at the local level and that opportunity for you is now in 2009. This is your chance for you to put forth your best effort in bettering the community in which you live. There will be a meeting of registered Democrats from Richland Township and Richlandtown Borough on Monday evening, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. located at 328 West Broad Street, Quakertown (former Morning Call building). The primary purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the upcoming May Primary election, selection of local candidates in Richland Township & Richlandtown Borough, and completion of nomination petitions. Democrats receiving this email communication are strongly urged to attend this one hour meeting and bring a fellow Democrat."
Despite the plea, only 10 Richland residents showed up, mostly the usual suspects: Vic Stevens, who lost the supervisor election by a 60-40 percent margin in 2005. Kline, who twice lost in the 1990's, and had to resign from the race in 2007 after derogatory remarks he made about Christian families became public. Patrick Murphy (the hearing aid salesman, not the Congressman), who lost by 60-40 percent after taking over for Kline in 2007. This was certainly not the turnout they expected after the uplifting Obama victory. At the meeting, they were actually begging people to run for office.
The one new face they did recruit is supervisor candidate Darell Tribue, from Murphy's development, who has never held an elected office, or even a volunteer position, in Richland. Despite the email invitation, which talked of "selection of local candidates", Tribue arrived at the meeting having already been annointed by the Murphy/Kline/Stevens group. The sole candidate. And even though he is relatively unknown, he already comes with some questions...
In 2007, he wrote a letter to the Quakertown Republicans, saying that he wanted their endorsement for school board, and would be at their nominating caucus. They waited for him, and even delayed the endorsement vote. He never showed, never called. And, unfortunately, the Richland Dems have set Tribue up for failure from the beginning. He can't promise any real change as long as he is backed by those usual suspects. And it isn't likely that he will disassociate himself, since he is beholden to them for support, fund-raising, and campaign help. In fact, he has already joined right in...
At the Monday meeting, his first official "appearance", the Dems spent much of the time bashing Republican candidate Tim Arnold, and current supervisor Rick Orloff (even though Tribue is really running for the seat held by Mike Zowniriw, a Green Party member, who has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election). Finally, one of the attendees angrily stood up, showed his Dem voter registration card, and said "I've heard enough. You just want to create problems. You put down Arnold, you put down Orloff, but you have no plan for the township. This is why Richland Democrats never get elected. I'm switching to the Republican party".
This dysfunctional approach may be why the party didn't even have a supervisor candidate in 2003 and 2001. Prior to that, it was Kline in 1999 and 1995, and, in 1997, they were so desperate that they turned to the Republican who had lost the primary!! The last Dem elected Supervisor was Bob Heitz 22 years ago, and he later became a Republican, and still serves as constable. Meanwhile, Quakertown, which was a Republican stronghold for so many years, has seen three Dems elected to council recently. Why have the donkeys had so much trouble getting elected - and even finding a qualified candidate - in Richland?
The answer is the same reason given by the man who stormed out of Monday's meeting: Despite Obama's message that we need change, today's RT Dems are still dominated by the same small, negative group that chose Tribue even before the so-called open meeting. Kline, Stevens, and Murphy all have run, unsuccesfully, and their heavy-handed, bullying tactics have always come back to bury them...
Murphy has sued the township, four current and former supervisors, a campaign manager, campaign treasurer, and the builder of his home. When he ran in 2007, he spent over $10,000 of his own family money to convince voters that life in Richland was actually dangerous. He lost in a landslide, and became known as the Music Man for his false-scare tactics. His fellow Dem, Governor Rendell, replaced him with a Republican as the town's Emergency Management Coordinator.
After Stevens lost to Craig Staats in 2005, he (unsuccesfully) sued Staats, and Staats' campaign manager and treasurer. Stevens also (unsuccessfully) sued a dozen people as part of his attempted takeover of the now-defunct Main Street Theater. And he also (unsuccessfully) sued me, and The Free Press, for defamation, eventually withdrawing his claim after his own attorney stated in writing that truth is an absolute defense. He then ran (unsuccessfully) for school board.
Kline twice lost supervisor elections, and was forced out of a third because of his incredible insensitivity, such as "Do you want your kids entering a public school system on par with some Christian school, where kids are socially inept, ill-prepared for human sexuality, learn creationism instead of evolution, and most importantly, are overlooked by colleges and universities?"
It is also impossibe to overlook the fact that Tribue will be the first Afro-American to seek office in Richland. Perhaps the Dems hope to cash in on the Obama coat-tails after all. Perhaps it is coincidence. But, hopefully, every voter will remember what Dr. Martin Luther King would have said about our local election: Don't judge the candidates by the color of their skin, but by their ability to fulfill their promises. As we are seeing in Washington, it takes more than good intentions for a politician, no matter how popular, to bring about change. A solid track record means more than all of the great slogans in the world.