Election Day

[pittsoccer33]

A few important races going on across the country. Well I think every race has the potential to be important.

In PA we have a number of judges up for election, so go out and reign in these out of control legislate from the bench justices!

[slappybrown]

I am particularly looking forward to the pupu platter that is the mayoral election. I may write in DO NOT WANT for that slate of winners.

[shafnutz05]

I am pulling hard for Corzine to get booted out of Jersey...it's going to be close, but I think it will happen

[beerman]

I don't even know that I'm going to vote, I'm fed up with it. For pretty much all spots up for election both candidates suck and I don't want a hand in putting either in.

[eddysnake]

In PA we have a number of judges up for election, so go out and reign in these out of control legislate from the bench justices!

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can you justify a competition when running for a judge? I don't understand how they raise money for their campaigns, in the end, shouldn't the job be the same no matter who wins. How can one person be better than another when the final ruling should be the same no matter who's in? Maybe I'm thinking too much about it...

[shafnutz05]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can you justify a competition when running for a judge? I don't understand how they raise money for their campaigns, in the end, shouldn't the job be the same no matter who wins. How can one person be better than another when the final ruling should be the same no matter who's in? Maybe I'm thinking too much about it...

It is kind of important...for example.

One judge might give someone guilty of sexual assault/rape a 6 month sentence.
Another judge might give a 10 year sentence.

Some judges are just a lot tougher on crime than others....

[PittPensFan]

The only interesting elections in Pittsburgh are the judicial elections. Most of the elections here are Democrat rubber-stamps (Mayor, most City Council spots, etc).

[eddysnake]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can you justify a competition when running for a judge? I don't understand how they raise money for their campaigns, in the end, shouldn't the job be the same no matter who wins. How can one person be better than another when the final ruling should be the same no matter who's in? Maybe I'm thinking too much about it...

It is kind of important...for example.

One judge might give someone guilty of sexual assault/rape a 6 month sentence.
Another judge might give a 10 year sentence.

Some judges are just a lot tougher on crime than others....

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

[shafnutz05]

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

Ideally, it should be based on qualification...but we live in America. I hear all the time about some of these judges that are consistently lenient towards child molesters, murderers, etc. I wouldn't want to vote for them regardless of their background

[pittsoccer33]

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can you justify a competition when running for a judge? I don't understand how they raise money for their campaigns, in the end, shouldn't the job be the same no matter who wins. How can one person be better than another when the final ruling should be the same no matter who's in? Maybe I'm thinking too much about it...

It is kind of important...for example.

One judge might give someone guilty of sexual assault/rape a 6 month sentence.
Another judge might give a 10 year sentence.

Some judges are just a lot tougher on crime than others....

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

For me it is about their experience (the types of cases they've presided over, the level of courts that they've sat on). For example, Jack Panella is one of the State Supreme Court candidates. He was tied up in that Luzerne County Judicial Corruption case (a number of judges having their pockets lined by the owners of a youth prison for sending straight A students with minor offense there). His opponent Jane Orie Melvin was regarded well enough to be a finalist to sit on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. No brainer.

[PittPensFan]

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

Ideally, it should be based on qualification...but we live in America. I hear all the time about some of these judges that are consistently lenient towards child molesters, murderers, etc. I wouldn't want to vote for them regardless of their background

To be qualified as a judge in America you have to have a Juris Doctorate to prove you can BS your way through anything and be out of touch with society so you can make bad decisions.

This isn't to imply that judges should be slaves to public opinion, which is notoriously fickle.

[PittPensFan]

For me it is about their experience (the types of cases they've presided over, the level of courts that they've sat on). For example, Jack Panella is one of the State Supreme Court candidates. He was tied up in that Luzerne County Judicial Corruption case (a number of judges having their pockets lined by the owners of a youth prison for sending straight A students with minor offense there). His opponent Jane Orie Melvin was regarded well enough to be a finalist to sit on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. No brainer.

I actually met Jack Panella at a dinner and he sat at my table. The conversation went to the old pay raise brouhaha and he threw a pity party for Russ Nigro who was the first to suffer the public's wrath by being denied retention. That and the Luzerne County case soured me on him. Melvin's got my vote.

[pittsoccer33]

For me it is about their experience (the types of cases they've presided over, the level of courts that they've sat on). For example, Jack Panella is one of the State Supreme Court candidates. He was tied up in that Luzerne County Judicial Corruption case (a number of judges having their pockets lined by the owners of a youth prison for sending straight A students with minor offense there). His opponent Jane Orie Melvin was regarded well enough to be a finalist to sit on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. No brainer.

I actually met Jack Panella at a dinner and he sat at my table. The conversation went to the old pay raise brouhaha and he threw a pity party for Russ Nigro who was the first to suffer the public's wrath by being denied retention. That and the Luzerne County case soured me on him. Melvin's got my vote.

Add to that that Melvin has sent her pay raise BACK to the treasury every year. She doesn't have the tax payers leasing her a luxury SUV either

[eddysnake]

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

Ideally, it should be based on qualification...but we live in America. I hear all the time about some of these judges that are consistently lenient towards child molesters, murderers, etc. I wouldn't want to vote for them regardless of their background

Yeah you are right, i wouldn't vote for them either. Pittsoccer is right too, experience, I don't know much about the qualifications about being a judge and I don't know why that came to my mind. I wish I did more research when I voted this morning, I tried to not vote for the incumbents in my area, I'm ready for new blood (preferably the entire congress, but what are we going to do)

[PittPensFan]

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

Ideally, it should be based on qualification...but we live in America. I hear all the time about some of these judges that are consistently lenient towards child molesters, murderers, etc. I wouldn't want to vote for them regardless of their background

Yeah you are right, i wouldn't vote for them either. Pittsoccer is right too, experience, I don't know much about the qualifications about being a judge and I don't know why that came to my mind. I wish I did more research when I voted this morning, I tried to not vote for the incumbents in my area, I'm ready for new blood (preferably the entire congress, but what are we going to do)

Where are you, roughly, and what offices were up for election today?

[relantel]

Turnout is seemingly light in places here in VA. Wonder if the large gap in polls has scared some voters off?

[PittPensFan]

Next year will be the fun election here in PA. Specter's Senate seat is up for election, and so is the governorship.

[pittsoccer33]

For me (in the city) I have Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and the Mayoral farce.

I also worked a little for Matt Drozd, who is from the North Hills and is running for County Council.

[eddysnake]

Where are you, roughly, and what offices were up for election today?

I'm in Indiana County, and I was talking about the school board when it came to the incumbents... your basic clerk positions, inspectors, tax collecter, mayor were up for election.

[pittsoccer33]

Next year will be the fun election here in PA. Specter's Senate seat is up for election, and so is the governorship.

I had the opportunity to meet Pat Toomey over the weekend and I think there is going to be a real sense of excitement for him against Spector (if he even survives the primary). Toomey is a young and positive guy who is not part of the Washington elite.

[RxBandit66]

So basically we are electing judges based on personality?

Ideally, it should be based on qualification...but we live in America. I hear all the time about some of these judges that are consistently lenient towards child molesters, murderers, etc. I wouldn't want to vote for them regardless of their background

You are absolutely correct. Problem is that too many people vote a straight party ticket in the general elections. For example, I was a registered Democrat, and there are two particular Republicans that I vote for in every election. I switched to independent just for that reason. If the candidates were 100% equal in every way, I would vote for the Democrat most likely. But it is usually one candidate that is better than the other. Back in 2006, some very good Republicans in the Senate (Lincoln Chaffee for example) got booted because people were ticked off in general and took it out on the party in power. Any time there is a "change" election where one party gets voted out in large numbers, there are usually a few chowderheads that get elected who have no business being there in the first place.

[RxBandit66]

Next year will be the fun election here in PA. Specter's Senate seat is up for election, and so is the governorship.

I had the opportunity to meet Pat Toomey over the weekend and I think there is going to be a real sense of excitement for him against Spector (if he even survives the primary). Toomey is a young and positive guy who is not part of the Washington elite.

Sestak might beat Specter in the primary. He's not a politician, either. He's a military guy, very conservative for a Democrat, which plays well to PA voters. Problem is though, with so many military guys, their campaign skills may not be that great, but maybe Sestak is different.

I'd love it if two non-politicians faced off in the general, though.

[PittPensFan]

Where are you, roughly, and what offices were up for election today?

I'm in Indiana County, and I was talking about the school board when it came to the incumbents... your basic clerk positions, inspectors, tax collecter, mayor were up for election.

I'm in Brookline and we have Mayor, City Council (unopposed), Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Common Pleas, Sheriff (unopposed), and District Judge (unopposed)

[PittPensFan]

Next year will be the fun election here in PA. Specter's Senate seat is up for election, and so is the governorship.

I had the opportunity to meet Pat Toomey over the weekend and I think there is going to be a real sense of excitement for him against Spector (if he even survives the primary). Toomey is a young and positive guy who is not part of the Washington elite.

I like Toomey and I think he has a good shot at winning the Senate seat if he plays his cards right and gets enough support from the party.

[penny lane]

voted for Mayor Luke~ voted not retain many judges who have been in office forever.