Chill Out Mister Tredyffrin

Now, normally we don't take pot shots at other blogs because well, face it, we have been a target ourselves....from disgruntled politicians who think they rule the world inside and outside of their tiny fiefdoms to developer sock puppets, yep, we've had our share of fun.

Last time we even saw something we didn't like it was last election cycle when that GOP strategist set his wife up in the Suzy Homemaker Blog that attacked a State Representative up for reelection. Fortunately for all of us that blog has expired.

However, a new one has cropped up called TT Dems with one of the voices being named "Mister Tredyffrin" (and before they go postal over this post, here at SAC we are the most politically diverse melting pot that we will save them the opportunity to say we are anything else, and it having to get really ugly)

How did we find the blog you say? Why on a link from the Tredyffrin Democrats website. And it is a FULL PAGE link that has this disclaimer:

"Gateway to Mister Tredyffrin

Note: The views expressed on the Mister Tredyffrin blog are not necessarily those of the Tredyffrin Democratic Committee. Any feedback on the blog should be directed to the author at MisterTredyffrin@gmail.com

Ok standard stuff, even if it is odd to find a blog not specifically sanctioned by a political party, yet linked. However, we figured, hey why not?

Then a particular post caught our eye:

Does Tom Like Farm Animals?
09/30/07 | by Mister Tredyffrin

"Today one of our local papers, Main Line Life, gave the Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee (TTGOP) a bully pulpit. More than that, it actively wrote news, made editorial decisions, and managed opinion in the favor of the local Republican party"

followed by-

"Did you hear? It’s disgusting!
First, Daniel Kristie wrote a “news” story that led with a nasty and false rumor spread by the John (J.D.) DiBuonaventuro campaign. (not that J.D. actually started the rumor; no one apparently knows who started it; but is that really the point?)* Sure, Dan said he couldn’t find any support for it. Sure, he couldn’t find the source. But he said it all the same. He described the rumor as “the opening punch that no one threw.” "

followed by -

"Okay, then, here’s a rumor I heard some time last week. Or maybe it was Sunday morning when I was chatting with a friend in my front yard. Hmmm… maybe it was at an evening party last night. Who knows? And who really cares? Because I heard from someone is that there is this guy who is infatuated with farm animals. It could be anyone, any Tom.... Let’s say... Tom. Yes, Republican Candidate Tom is infatuated with farm animals. Of course, there is no way it could be true. It’s patently false. But, hey, why not talk about it? It’s fun!

So the rumor about the very special place that animals have in Tom’s heart is entirely false. There is no basis to the allegations of the exorbitant amount of time he spends on the farm. None whatsoever.

But still, in spite of the fact that there is no foundation to the rumor, I would encourage everyone to be mindful of your pets around Tom. You know, just to be totally sure."

OK, so we don't give a Rat's fanny that this is a blogger who chooses to be anonymous, that is his-her-it's right. What is so utterly pathetic about this is that the reason it seems if you all read between the lines that these posts started is because some Tredyffrin Republicans got a little more of a mention in the local newspaper, specifically Main Line Life? Seriously? What's next? Pushing people out of the way to get into Society Page photos? It's no secret that political parties are not in the business to be 100% objective at all times because they have a product to push: their candidates and their platforms. That we get - it's their job...but attacking local papers who are the only ones who ever want to cover local races because regional and national papers can't be bothered?

Ok, so now we were hooked.Had to read on...and the thread continues like a petty trainwreck:

"Second is the paper’s decision to give John C.T. Alexander, Chairman of the Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee, yet another chance to brag about the TTGOP’s so-called accomplishments......One has to wonder if the typical Tredyffrin voter ever really buys into this garbage? Does he really think we are just sheep? (Steady, there, Tom) No, the facts are clear: the Republicans have become lazy in their leadership, and are corrupt, inattentive to the needs of the community, and need to be called to account.

Taking the prize in this column, though, is the most illogical comparison he has ever attempted, and that’s a low limbo bar, folks…

Tredyffrin is the polar opposite of the Democratic-run, inherently corrupt, Philadelphia.

Um, are you absolutely sure you want to go there, girl? Just how much bathroom stall tapping goes on during your monthly TTGOP meetings? How many young male interns have you molested lately? Will the local madame’s black book list all the names of your officers? Will you see to it that your Republican township supervisors vote themselves a pay raise like their brethren in Harrisburg did?"

Starting to sound like a huge case of political PMS, but no... wait - it gets better and you can read that one yourself. The next one we'll point out is the cherry atop the sundae:

An Editorial Decision
10/02/07 | by Mister Tredyffrin

"On Sunday the TTDems announced in a press release that Art Post and Kevin Mahoney, a Democrat and a Republican, have endorsed each other for School Board in Region 2. One would think that this would be Big News....Well, apparently not, according to Main Line Life and the Suburban and Wayne Times. They both eagerly accepted this press release, and yet the story does not appear in their papers. Huh? Rumor has it that these two papers were unable to reach Kevin Mahoney for confirmation of the press release.

They couldn’t contact Mahoney? Baloney. They had several days, and their crack staff couldn’t track down the president of the school board, the Senior VP and Chief Administrative Officer of the $3.4 billion organization Pensylvannia Health System? Give me a break......In spite of all the hard work of the TTDems in rooting out the problems and bringing them to light, educating themselves and the community, bringing excited, energetic and eminently qualified candidates to the table, and building bridges between the parties and with the local newspapers - in spite of all of this, we find ourselves stymied by the fourth estate. Actively impeded. It’s downright un-American.

One thing is clarified by the actions of our newspapers. Many months ago the TTGOP’s web site inexplicably went off the internet. Most of us just assumed that a new, improved site was in the offing, and it would appear shortly, probably with great fanfare. It never arrived.....Well, if we weren’t convinced before, it is certainly clear now. The Main Line Life and the Suburban and Wayne Times are the blog of the TTGOP. The TTGOP web site is the newspapers’ web site....Maybe a real paper which has not abandonded its roots in objective journalism, like, say, the Philadelphia Inquirer, will notice ...The public definitely needs to know...Is this the kind of “totalitarian democracy” you want to live in?

It’s almost like George Orwell’s Animal Farm, isn’t it?
Republican Candidate Tom might like that."

SAC Comment: How P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C

In the interest of full disclosure, we will state for the record that many of our members are featured from time to time in The Main Line Times and Main Line Life. They are published under "Reader Editorials" for which they are NOT compensated. In the interest of full disclosure, SAC members value the editors and staff of all three local papers Main Line Life, Main Line Times, Suburban & Wayne Times, although we will admit we don't know the folks at the Suburban all that well because they concentrate on Radnor and beyond....as for saying the Inquirer has not abandoned its roots, it's kinda hard to tell as the new ownership has pulled a lot up by the roots, right?

We've been at this game a lot longer then this Tredyffrin thing. We were mentored by fine sites like PhillyFuture.... But we will tell you seperately that as a local and nationally recognized civic action organization, oh we've had plenty of press releases ingored in the day...not everyhting we thought was news for us was covered. So what? We merely used our website to get our story out.

But what we don't get is what is up with this blog. Why are they so obviously going out of their way to offend newspaper editors? Because they won't print everything that is sent to them? Ok, are we in high school here or what? Correct us if we are wrong, but honestly, who has been more supportive of Tredyffrin Democrats then Main Line Life? Main Line Life covered them before anyone did, and didn't they help us all learn about political times changing in a township that was previously pretty much ruled historically by Republicans?

But what is the point of newspapers anyway? Isn't it to represent all views? So why shouldn't the "other side" get equal time? (Sheesh we don't like it on our pet issues, yet it happens all of the time) And why is it a reach for a paper to say they didn't print a news story based upon a press release because they couldn't verify and speak to all parties involved? That happens every day in the newspaper business and like anything else in life, if someone won't call you back, they won't call you back? So what?! Is that a reason for a tempest in a blog spot, or more pointedly a full out attack against people who are sometimes the only local voice people have?

Prior to these posts, if you all out there go check out this Trdyffrin blog, they were praising the local papers for covering them, photographing them....smoochie, smoochie, smoochie. Then wham! When the newspapers did their jobs and reported on others and other things,out came the X-rated nasty farm animal posts in totally bad taste like smelling a donkey's butt...now who would want to do that and why?

We know that Mr. Tredyffrin will undoubtedly take a jab at us for commenting on this--- and we already figure it will be not so nice because we are disagreeing with them...so be it. But lay off the local papers and the editors. They do us all a great service in our communities and to attack them basically because every press release doesn't turn into a story?

Oh grow up. Write better press releases and have the sources you will need checked out lined up and waiting. Also be practical - have you ever been inside the newsrooms of these local papers? They aren't exactly teeming with reporters, and they are limited more and more to what space they have.

We think Mr. Tredyffrin is capable of better then behaving like a demented Jimmy Olsen. And while Mr. Tredyffrin is entitled to his opinion, we're entitled to say we think he is acting like he is trying out for "Jackass". We think the fact that the political playing field is becoming more level in Tredyffrin is a good thing, but we don't like this other stuff because it simply reeks of politics as usual and if that is the case, what good will have been accomplished? Sheesh, what's next? Think Radnor will allow blogs within the "city limits"? We all know the Radnor establishment fears blogs like they are a four letter word, right? LOL, guess "BLOG" is a four letter word?

We crack ourselves up! Chill Mr. Tredyffrin...you wanted attention? Now you got it. Tredyffrin Democrats? If the blog isn't your specifically and doesn't represent your voice, don't link it to the party website. Just our two cents...we're sure y'all will cut us a new one, but hey we're used to it....

Final note? We found this Tredyffrin website while cruising for anything interesting on local political races this fall as it is a very dull season thus far other then we are curious to figure out why a candidate that isn't running in Garrett Hill in Radnor seems suddenly so interested in Garrett Hill? And why another candidate, running in Lower Merion seems inable to other than write utterly inane letters to the editor? And we'd love to know more of what is going on in Haverford Township as their politics have been especially interesting in 2007.