Next up: this Saturday Morning, York County Candidate Forum of Conservative Christian Center and York County ACTION
Organizers of the Cumberland County Candidate Forum of the 9/12 Project of Cumberland, Cumberland County ACTION and Cumberland Conservative Christian Center, agreed that candidate for Court of Common Pleas Judge, Matt Smith, was the star of the evening with over 100 in attendance to hear candidates for office.
After the other candidates for the two Judge seats said that Judicial Candidates were prohibited from answering survey questions that they had been asked by Conservative Christian Center, Matt Smith, a veteran prosecutor and veteran soldier, took strong exception.
Saturday Breakfast Candidate Forum 10/19 at 8 AM To reserve or donate Click https://2019statesman.eventbrite.com
LIMIT FIRST 25: Attend free (use passcode CCCfree – we are especially looking for new friends)
LIMIT FIRST 25: Attend for only $10 (use passcode CCC10 – pays a portion of your breakfast)
Or attend at the regular $30 rate and pay your own way. Discounted to $55 for a couple, and further discount for a table of 8.
He cited the U.S. Supreme Court case, Republican Party of Minnesota vs White, in which the court opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and affirmed by a majority, clearly struck down limits on free speech for candidates on disputed legal and political issues.
His remarks echoed the similar and splendid performance of Superior Court candidate Rebecca Warren at the CCC primary election Candidate Forum this past May. The mother of another candidate said that the questions asked in the candidate survey were unethical for her to answer.
Rebecca Warren’s turn came to speak, and she cited the Minnesota case and the Pennsylvania Family Institute and ACTION vs Celluci case of 2007 to rebut this false claim. ACTION is the organization which preceded CCC. Rebecca Warren, an “A” rated candidate, did nothing unethical in answering the survey questions of Conservative Christian Center. Nor was CCC in any way “unethical” in asking such questions, then or now.
The 2007 case before U.S. District Court fo the Eastern District of PA, granted the injunction requested by plaintiffs stopping any prohibition for candidates to answer surveys such as the one done for every election by Pennsylvania Family Institute and York County Conservative Christian Center.
This together with what we call “The Dogcatcher Rule” continue to be cited as reasons why candidates don’t answer many of our “Value Voters Guide” survey questions and end up with a ranking or rating of “C” or for those who don’t respond to any survey questions, a “D.” But there is no such prohibition on candidates.
The candidate who is running for Dogcatcher (an example), will say that his position on abortion is irrelevant to his job, since in that position he will have no say on this subject.
Our rebuttal to that is simple: we’ll increase the vote turnout of conservative-minded, church-going values voters, by showing them the position of the candidates on the issues they care about. And we’ll give them the ability to do their Christian duty, “to vote with an informed conscience.”
Candidates who don’t want to answer pesky questions during elections, are nothing new. Many candidates prefer to use glittering generalities not specifics, and instead speak about how qualified and good they are.
An example of questions which are obviously not prohibited or unethical, are the ones asking, who was your favorite President, who is your favorite Supreme Court Justice (for judges) and (brace yourself) do you go to church?
Conservative values voters want to know who will advocate and speak out on the issues of concern to them and not be afraid to do so.
This week we heard from one elected official that she was “alarmed” because of such questioning of candidates by Conservative Christian Center during this year – presumably referring to the Primary as well as the forthcoming release of the general election edition of the Value Voter Guide.
A special thank you to all the candidates who spoke at the Cumberland County Candidates Forum last night (Tuesday) and especially to Brett Crans, the Cumberland 9/12 Project leader and Conservative Christian Center South Central PA Coordinator Ross Cleveland, for their superb work in organizing this function.
Cleveland and Crans met with York County CCC chairman Emy Delgaudio after the event and agreed that the surprise star of the evening, was candidate for Court of Common Pleas Judge, Matt Smith, in Cumberland.
We look forward to hearing from the candidates who want to appeal to conservative, values voters, this Saturday morning at the breakfast at the County Club of York, 8 AM (program starts 8:30) to 10 AM (meet and greet with candidates before and after, until 10:30 AM).
Candidate Forum and annual Statesman of the Year Breakfast
Conservative Christian Center
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Candidate Forum and annual Statesman of the Year Breakfast
Conservative Christian Center
Saturday, October 19, 2019
8 AM (doors open) to 10:30 PM
(program 8:30 to 10 AM & a “meet and greet” before and after)
County Club of York, 1400 Country Club Road, York PA
All candidates on the Nov. 5 election ballot invited to speak, set up a table.
Remarks by Michael Anthony, author of A Call for Courage, Living with Power, truth and love in an Age of Intolerance and Fear. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and autographing.
To reserve or donate Click https://2019statesman.eventbrite.com
LIMIT FIRST 25: Attend free (use passcode CCCfree – we are especially
looking for new friends)
LIMIT FIRST 25: Attend for only $10 (use passcode CCC10 – pays a portion
of your breakfast)
Or attend at the regular $30 rate and pay your own way. Discounted to $55 for a couple, and further
discount for a table of 8.