DiFrancesco Campaign: From Flop to Embarrassment
by Lowman S. Henry
Nick DiFrancesco's campaign for Lieutenant Governor is like a Harley with a flat tire: going nowhere fast.
In what is turnout out to be an embarrassing rejection of his candidacy Nick has amassed a grand total of 11 -- yes 11 endorsement votes in the three caucuses that have voted since the Central Caucus met three weeks ago. Recall that Nick lost the Central Caucus vote to Chet Beiler of Lancaster County.
Nick garnered a mere three votes in the Southwest Caucus today that includes populous Allegheny (Pittsburgh) County. He did marginally better in the North west Caucust pulling eight votes. Both showings were better than his performance in the Southeast (Philadelphia region) caucus where he got zero votes.
With just over 300 straw poll votes having been cast, DiFrancesco has received only 37 votes. Just two smaller caucuses -- the Northeast and the Northeast Central -- have yet to cast straw poll ballots. Those votes will come next Saturday.
The race for the endorsement of the Republican State Committee for Lt. Governor has narrowed down to a two person contest between Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley, who leads with 110 votes; and Beiler who has earned 57 votes to date. A number of other candidates trail. Philadelphia minister Joe Watkins has 29 votes and Chester County Commissioner Carol Aichele has 27 votes.
Word is that party leadership is uniting behind the Cawley candidacy. My predicition is that Aichele drops out of the running prior to the endorsement vote and that Chester County will throw its support to Cawley, putting him over the top on either the first or the second ballot.
It is clear from the pathetic lack of support for Nick DiFrancesco around the state that RSC members from other counties have learned what we in Dauphin County already know: Nick DiFrancesco is a big spending, Arlen Specter Republican who does not represent the core conservative values of the GOP.
The only question now is when Nick will see the writing on the wall and put an end to his embarrassing foray into state politics.