Hershey Catches Sossi Napping
I admit I've enjoyed following the slugfest in the District 39 Democratic Senate primary race in Montgomery County. It brought us the great Sleepy Saqib mailers from Nancy King.
Steve Hershey, who is challenging incumbent Dick Sossi in District 36 on the Eastern Shore, is using the same tactic. Hershey's latest mailer feature's several unflattering photos Sossi slumbering during session.
Hershey and Sossi have jabbed one another over who has Bob Ehrlich's support, but Sossi has a massive $28,000 cash advantage over Hershey going into the final weekend of the primary.
10 comments:
Anyone who believes Sossi can provide the energy and change required by the GOP in this state is crazy. This piece says it all. An ambarrsement to the entire GOP. Folks, it's not mud slinging when the facts are true. If you have the ability please vote for Hershey and elect someone in who has the energy and desire to influence change in Annapolis.
The ad is misleading. Photos were NOT taken in session but at gatherings where Sossi arrived early and caught some shut eye before the meetings started. Besides - he is in the AUDIENCE. What about Hershey stealing Hershey Foods Trademark? Word is that Hershey Foods forced a cease and decist 8 years ago when Hershey used the same logo when he ran for Q.A. County Commissioner but he lost in primary only a week or so after Hershey Foods served him. We do not need this type of misrepresentation.
GOP and Maryland do not need a guy with this level of disregard for his position. If this were private industry - Sossi would be fired. Hopefully on Tuesday the GOP does the same.
these photos are disgusting -disgusting to think that our elected official sleeps on our dime. I know I could have never done that on my job-not for a second. Stephen came to my door yesterday and he has my vote.
Delegate SOSSi has fought hard and long for the 36th district. As a longtime supporter and Republican, I can say without a doubt that Sossi has brought honor and integrity back to our county and the district as a whole. We have so many good people living here that I know the whiplash effect this is taking on Pipkin/Hershey should be enough to send them a message. We live here because we pride ourselves on being ABOVE such things - our politicians NORMALLY know this - they don't bash each other making up falsehoods - they don't lie about their endorsements - and they address REAL issues face-to-face - not hiding behind another's skirt tails. Hershey should get his own home in order rather than trying to run for any office - financially speaking, his ability to send out so many expensive pieces is a mystery to most. I wouldn't take my eye off his campaign finance if i were misled enough to donate a dime to him - given his current state of financial disrepair, i'd worry where that dime was going to be spent!
Governor Ehrlich attended the Sossi fundraiser yesterday TO REAFFIRM his SINGLE and SOLITARY endorsement of Delegate Sossi and was disgusted at the slimy antics that have been going on by 'another' GOP candidate. It only proves to most that Pipkin and his most recent blunder "the self-proclaimed Hershey bar" candidate have never and WILL NEVER understand the people in this district. We pride ourselves on honesty, integrity and being what we seem - not by lying about ourselves, making up fictitious endorsements and posting erroneous photos with misleading captions of our opponent. Go back to whence you came is my advice to hershey - we don't need 'that kind' of politics over here. For the voters who are new to the area, look up the FACTS yourself and see where Dick Sossi stands and his commitment to our district and voting record in the House and then make up your own minds.
The pictures speak for themselves. It is hardly believable that Sossi was at an event (which featured lush leather chairs and marble walls) sleeping. Having been in the State House, it is quite clear that Sossi was indeed sleeping on the job. If this were Joe Maryland sleeping on his job, he would have been fired. End of story.
Dick has served the 36th faithfully for many years, but lately has fallen into the ineffective Delegate column. Why in the world did he vote AGAINST HB 92? Surely if he were doing nothing more than watching how other Republicans were voting he would have caught this one. To date, Sossi has failed to explain the rationale behind this gaffe. Please name one piece of legislation in the last session that Sossi sponsored. I won't be holding my breath. Is he a bad Republican? No. But if we are going to be a minority party in Maryland, shouldn't we at least strive for something more remarkable?
Have you ever actually read HB 92? It sounds like you have not. I have no doubt that if Del. Sossi opposed it, then he did so with good reason. you should ask him yourself instead of saying he hasn't answered 'why' sufficiently. If he's known for anything, it's responsiveness to constituents. You should take some time and go in and search all our our district's representatives - see how they voted and HOW OFTEN they actually showed up during session - I think you might just surprise yourself. The old joke in our community is "If you see Pipkin and Smigiel, it must be an election year." And that's the kind of politics we don't want in this district - we've seen how little that works - we need more like Sossi and less like .... well THEM. [- sorry I hope I don't offend anyone - nothing personal - just don't want my money wasted anymore by people more interested in gaining power & prestige then serving this district.]
I keep hearing over and over "Sossi is everywhere ..always listening" but I think Maryland needs more then someone who listens; my dog can do that. We need someone who fights and fights hard for us. Not someone who sleeps. And Benana he is not "caught catching some shut eye"; in some photos that guy is konked out. I could only hope to sleep that soundly some nights.
You are kidding yourself Missy. What issues does Dick Sossi stand for? You couldn't tell anything about him from his campaign literature. "I'm everywhere, I respond to all requests" -- The "I respond to all requests" bit isn't even true. I called Sossi, Walkup, and Smigiel's offices twice for help -- the only one to respond was Smigiel. Is that really what Dick Sossi is all about? Being everywhere? Notice he didn't say that he was AWAKE everywhere, just that he was there. When it comes down to brass tacks, I want someone to fight for the district; Dick Sossi is not up to that challenge.
I posted my thoughts on this elsewhere but they bare repeating. My apologies for the duplication:
This race should never have been close. Sossi should have easily defeated Steve Hershey. Sossi was the incumbent and had a 4-to-1 funding margin. Sossi and his supporters have only Sossi to blame for this loss. The day after Hershey filed, Sossi should have been on the street campaigning hard. Instead, he chose to play the fiddle while watching his campaign burn. Sossi never took Steve's challenge seriously and he woefully underestimated him.
Sossi's message and strategy were all wrong. Rather than running on his own record and pointing out Hershey's lack of experience, Sossi's materials said "Delegate Sossi is everywhere. Delegate Sossi always responds." That is hardly the message that is going to motivate voters to turn out in droves. Herhsey's materials hit the "Lower Taxes, More Jobs, Less Spending" -- themes that are working across the nation in primaries. If you are John Q Public and know nothing of either candidate, which message will motivate you, that Sossi is everywhere or Steve will lower your taxes?
Even more damning is the fact that Sossi didn't use the financial resources he had at his disposal. Why? Was he planning on using it for a rainy day? Memo to Sossi: Hurricane Steve just plowed through your District. Drive through the 36th District and count the number of stand-alone Sossi signs you see; I have seen less than five. All of the others are mounted on Ehrlich signs. That is a very tangible signal of the amount of effort he was willing to put into the race. "Hey, I'll campaign if it's convenient." By the time he realized he was in trouble, it was too late. Hershey had already been on the ground campaigning hard and Sossi was playing catch-up.
Any anger at EJ Pipkin is misplaced. The blame rests solely on Sossi's shoulders; if he wasn't willing to fight for his seat, could we really expect him to fight for his constituents? Sossi mumbled, fumbled, and failed to put together any form of coherent strategy for dealing with Steve Hershey. He failed to read the political mood across the country and didn't spend enough of his ample war-chest to counter Steve's advance.
This is not about dirty tactics, it is about an incumbent deciding to run on his incumbency and nothing else. This race should never have been close. He should have buried Steve Hershey early on and never let him up for air.
Fortunately for residents of the 36th District, the hungrier candidate won.
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