Primary Election Day was held earlier this week and the results are in. There were three candidates on our ballot for County Commissioner and Republican Voters were tasked to elect two. One of the candidates was the incumbent County Commissioner Joe Gale. He was soundly defeated by Liz Ferry and Tom DiBello who will appear on our ballots this November on Election Day 2023.
By all appearances Joe Gale’s political career is over at the tender age of thirty-four. He held the seat for eight years when he was first elected at twenty-six years old. Since that first successful election, Gale chose to attack the Republican Party every opportunity he had. He decided who were “real” Republicans and who weren’t- using his own narrow definition to create a line separating political friends and enemies in his own Party. He thought of himself as President Trump “lite,” but there were clear differences he was unable to see. The only thing in common was their bombastic approach to dealing with people and issues. In stark contrast, Gale never accomplished one thing while in office.
Imagine if he chose a different path at twenty-six years old. What if he chose to rally the Republican Party in Montgomery County? Instead of invective, dividing and weakening the Party, what if he chose to unite the Party? Had he chosen a different path, he could have been the face of the Republican Party in Montgomery County for decades to come. He could have sought higher office with united support by fellow Republicans and the sky would have been the limit for him. Instead, he chose to alienate a huge number of fellow Republicans and it will be a challenge for him to win us back in the future. It is high time for him to grow up.
The good news for us is we have two fantastic County Commissioner Candidates, Liz Ferry and Tom DiBello. As Republicans, we must do everything in our power to get them both elected in November and take back the majority in Norristown. Please join me in congratulating our County Commissioner Candidates for their impressive victories earlier this week.
Dear Thom,
Your comments about Joe Gale are so true and it is extremely sad that Joe took the wrong path during his 8 years in Office as he accomplished nothing while sitting on the County Commissioner Board. His vengeance and his acid tongue towards our Montgomery County Republican Party during his time on the Board, were the ruination of his political career. Sadly, anyone who resorts to criticizing others are not happy with themselves and this may be the case with Joe. He has a lot of growing up to do !!! Joanne
Thank U for Ur assessment ! Congratulations to Liz and Tom.
Tom, well said. You clearly stated what happened. Now we MUST rally to elect Liz Ferry & Tom DiBello. We have an opportunityt to elect 2 commissioners and perhap several row offices.
And you could have also taken the higher road by not insulting the folks that did vote for him. The Montco GOP has done nothing but lose. We now have a candidate who thinks we are all inherently racist.
We Chose to Leave Cheltenham before it’s swallowed by the Philadelphia Swamp. A little Trump bombastic for you Thom. Good Luck
Hello Andrew, I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend. I typically do not reply to comments because they could lead to an endless loop which I always try to avoid. I would ask you to re-read the post and consider the following context.
Beginning with the title of the post, “What could have been,” I was trying to express my sadness & disappointment that Joe Gale is not the face of our Party in Montgomery County. He certainly could have been.
I could easily have written an article congratulating the winners, which I would not have done because the real work is still ahead of us. My inspiration for posting this article came after I watched a documentary earlier this week about NFL Referees that reversed a call in a 2001 NFL Playoff Game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. For those who follow sports this was the infamous “Tuck Rule” play. First year starting Quarterback Tom Brady (future Hall of Famer) appeared to fumble the ball which would have brought the Patriot’s’ season to an end. Instead, the Officials overturned the fumble call which ultimately led to Brady’s first Super Bowl victory and the rest is history. Brady was the starting QB only because their #1 QB Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury earlier in the season.
The originally called fumble was due to a “rookie mistake” by Brady (even though he was actually in his second year at the time). The interviewer asked Brady what might have happened if the original fumble call was upheld, and New England were eliminated from the playoffs. Brady speculated he probably would not have been the starting QB the following year which would have greatly altered history and his legendary career. But the call was overturned, the Brady-led Patriots won the Super Bowl, and a Hall of Fame career was to unfold.
The documentary aired after the Primary Elections when I already knew Gale lost. It prompted me to consider what might have been if he chose a different path, which was entirely under his control. I was a huge supporter of Gale. He was fresh, vibrant, dynamic and a breath of fresh air. We lost a potentially great one and it didn’t have to end this way.
I hope this helps provide insight into my thinking.
Not buying it. I had to listen to countless big money anti Gale commercials the week before the election. Three elections ago our party did not Endorse Joe. Kathy Barnett, no endorsement,and I’m sure she would have won with it. There is no real enthusiasm in our local chapter and no attempt to cultivate. I’m in Elkins Park and have been experiencing a rapid breakdown of what made this area worth paying the taxes for. I didn’t agree with Joe’s timing to achieve his aspirations, but won’t vote for candidates that Go Along to Get Along.
The party needs to put their armor on and fight.
I’ve worked the Meyers polls for several years and have seen the changes first hand.
Rush was right, angry people these leftist are.
I appreciate you responding, but was honest about leaving Cheltenham. Good luck with dealing with Philly Lite. It’s a Socially Transmitted disease that is incurable.
Selling my house to another pair of Socialist, from Philty.
Sad state