Today was a very good day for
Phil Avillo and his supporters, and there have been number of good days lately. We had eight Pro-Phil/Pro-Democrat letters to the editor in two of the daily papers compared to one for republican incumbent Todd Platts.
This race is heating up. Fighting Dem Phil Avillo is making inroads...huge inroads..in this so-called safe republican district. This is one of those tier-five races that no one is paying a lot of attention to, including the DNC and other groups. This is a relatively inexpensive race, and a little cash ($20-$30k) from the Dems in DC could facilitate flipping this district.
But neither campaign has conducted any paid polling, so there's no hard data about how close this race is. Rumor has it that the Platts campaign conducted some polling through one of the local universities and that the findings were that this race was extremely close.
Who knows?
What I do know is that eight Pro-Phil/Pro-Democratic letters appeared in today's papers. Here's a sampling:
From the Hanover Evening Sun:
In the 19th Congressional district...we have the opportunity to vote for real change. Phil Avillo, a man who first fought for our country in Vietnam at age 17, is what I call a "career American," not a career politician. He has stepped up to serve his country again by running for the U.S. Congress. When we elect Phil Avillo as our representative, we will elect a man we can respect and look up to, a man who will help Washington return to serving average Americans.
Second Evening Sun letter:
I have known Phil Avillo for 25 years. He is a person of integrity, intellect, humor and ability. His service to his community and his country has been exceptional.
The people of the 19th Congressional District need a man with his experience as their representative to Congress. In this time of war, our country needs more leadership from those who carried the burden in war.
Third Evening Sun letter:
We need to put people in charge who can govern effectively and will not just use the dangers we face to score political points. We need people in Congress who aren't afraid to monitor what government is up to and demand accountability.
Phil Avillo, a Marine combat veteran and educator, is somebody we can count on to get this job done. He understands the needs of the 19th Congressional District. He has served his country in war. He is now ready to serve us in Congress.
The York Daily Record endorsed Platts. It was a tepid and backhanded endorsement, but an endorsement nonetheless. While the paper may have left Platts off the hook, voters are holding both Platts and the paper to account:
The endorsement of Todd Platts in the York Daily Record was confusing. You criticize the three-term incumbent for his stance on Iraq: "The old Todd Platts - the one who was never shy about speaking up in the state General Assembly -would have long since said the obvious. We need some major changes in strategy. We need some new leadership."
Then, you say "despite his lackluster leadership on the war effort," Mr. Platts "deserves another term."
How could a newspaper endorse an incumbent from the majority party but also preach the need for new leadership?
I won't quote from them all, but here's one from a disenchanted republican voter:
I voted for Todd Platts - never again. Never did I expect that he would take such a sharp turn to the extreme right and so dutifully endorse the Bush-Cheney agenda.
When I step into the voting booth this November, I plan to cast my ballot for a candidate who will serve his constituents, not his political ambitions.
I plan to vote for Phil Avillo. As a combat-wounded veteran and respected history professor, Phil Avillo understands the reality of war and the importance of diplomacy. He is exceptionally well prepared to provide a clear and rational voice in Congress. He has a plan to make America safer by effectively using our resources to defend our nation on multiple fronts.
People-powered politics is happening throughout the country. Eleven more days to victory!