The Democrat Playbook

Last week, Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker released a "plan" for Montgomery County. Damsker - former social worker - and Hoeffel - former commissioner, congressman, and senate candidate - want voters to believe they are concerned about women, kids and senior issues. They are following the nationwide Democrat template for winning elections. If it weren't possible for them to win in Montgomery County this coming fall, then their rhetoric would just be, well, rhetoric.

Here's how the template works...

First, proclaim yourself as being concerned about women, families, and the elderly. Next proclaim only you have the answers to making each of these target groups survive in the evil and unfair world of our GOP controlled county. As Hoeffel says (votedamskerhoeffel.com) ,

"We are determined to deliver better services more efficiently to our county residents."

Finally, announce grandiose plans which cite an "expert" report defining a problem, create a "task force" of some sort to address the report's findings, and introduce a program - like the "Healthy County" program these two are offering - to make it all better.

Hoeffel pointed out that the recent report of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project, "Youth: Suburban Children at Risk"

As the caring candidate Damsker says,

"Last year an independent assessment report, authored by Temple University Business Professor of David Barton Smith identified gaps in service delivery, waiting lists, and problems that confront thousands of county residents each year,"

Once the foundation is set, how can anyone argue against it? Those evil Republicans must not care about the poor or they would endorse our ideas enthusiastically. And if the GOP offers similar ideas, they'll ask voters why not elect the original visionaries, the real caring politicians, of these grand plans.

I'll guarantee, before the end of this election, these candidates will proclaim that since Montgomery County is the wealthiest in the state, it must be failed political leadership which denies residents the level of services they are entitled to receive. The assumption that our residents somehow don't already receive top-notch services goes unchallenged by the local press. This typical Democrat approach focuses on the guilt-ridden suburban Philly soccer mom crowd who feel compelled to rely on these used car sales persons to resolve issues for the unfortunate.

Whether or not the results of these programs -like the FAILED programs offered in the Big City- actually prove to help their target victims doesn't matter. Their intentions are good, so we must elect them, or the victims will fall further into decline.

Now, who could be against that?