Pseudo-candidates waste opportunities

In his column "It's election time, and you can hear the silence roar", Dave Pidgeon of the Intelligencer Journal comments about not hearing "a peep" from Democrat congressional candidate Bruce Slater and Republican Joe Pitts.

From our personal observation, Slater may have simply loaned his name to the campaign while he devotes his time and efforts to his business and other matters. He isn't even interested in meetings to pick up major funding.

Perhaps the county Democrats are being realistic. But a congressional candidate does receive a potential "bully pulpit" for half a year. Wouldn't the party be wiser to choose someone who has the time, the interest and perhaps the funds to run an educational campaign that would at least help build the local base in support of statewide and national candidates?

An astute observer surprised us over coffee a couple of months ago by predicting that county-wide Democratic voter registration would equal Republican in another ten to fifteen years. That means that any Democrats with ambition who are fifteen or older should get off their duff and start pressing the flesh.

We know of one who has that well in mind.