Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Voter's Guide Opinion

Anyone would be tough-pressed to find a major incumbent in Pennsylvania more deserving of a second term that Ed Rendell.

Especially if you're voting in Philadelphia; Rendell has been great for the city and the state.

Before Rendell took office in 2002, Pennsylvania was ranked 42nd of all states for job growth. He has helped push that ranking to 15th this year. After seeing factories close by the hundreds and jobs flee to the Sunbelt for last few decades, 1,000 non-farm jobs were added during Rendell's tenure.

Furthermore, Rendell has also scored major legislative victories, especially remarkable due to the Legislature's Republican majority.

One of the crowning achievements of Rendell's four years in Harrisburg was a perscription-drug plan for elderly Pennsylvanians.

Under the plan, 110,000 additional senior citizens have enrolled in the state's low-cost prescription-drug program during the past 18 months. Rendell also worked with the Legislature to increase state education funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Rendell did sign the bill granting a controversial legislative pay raise. He did, though, later repeal it.

But for many people, Ed Rendell's appeal doesn't come from his legislative achievements; it comes from his personality.

Rendell, a 1965 College alumnus, is an avid sports fan (Quakers sports included). He is often seen at sporting events. In fact, he's often the loudest fan in the crowd. The "everyman" aura Rendell carries gives the impression - rightly - that he is the regular person's governor.

Ed Rendell has also done wonderful things for Philadelphia, both as mayor and as governor.

As mayor, he saved the city from the brink of economic disaster and led it into a widely acclaimed reversal after years of decline.

With SEPTA continually teetering on the brink of disaster (Rendell saved SEPTA from bankruptcy in 2005), Philadelphia needs a governor friendly to the city in Harrisburg.

Most polls predict Rendell will sail to victory tomorrow. Unlike many politicians these days, he certainly deserves it.

---

The Opposition

In many elections, electoral challengers find success in blasting incumbents.

But with an enormously popular incumbent governor, Lynn Swann hasn't found much success with that strategy.

But in Swann's case, that's little surprise.

Swann, a former NFL star for the Pittsburgh Steelers, seems to have little grasp of major issues facing Pennsylvania - though he has improved since his early campaign days.

Swann also comes to the gubernatorial campaign with little political or managerial experience. He served as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (as did Arnold Schwarzenegger), but has never held an elected office.

Rendell has served in elected office since the 1970s, and deserves the governship for his experience alone.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools