Greetings, Quakers! Ever feel like you're stuck in a time loop, rewatching the same episode of "Pennsylvania Politics: The Never-Ending Saga?" Well, you're not alone. As a former columnist for The Daily Pennsylvanian, an editor of 34th Street, and a proud Penn alumnus (2007) who made his first documentary while dodging Locust Walk flyers, I can tell you — some things just don't change.
Back in my post-dorm-room days, I channeled my procrastination into making a documentary called “Ain't Easy Being Green.” It all started with an unforgettable moment during the 2006 United States Senate race. As a Penn junior and budding journalist, I interviewed Bob Casey, who was then running for Senate. I was allowed to ask three questions. My first was, “How has the Green Party candidate affected this race?” He refused to answer, abruptly walked out and, in doing so, unknowingly set the wheels in motion for my first documentary. The film explored the efforts to keep Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli off the ballot, revealing the gritty realities of Pennsylvania’s two-party system. Spoiler alert: Romanelli didn’t make it to the ballot. Why? Because Casey, then a rising star in the Democratic Party, orchestrated legal challenges to silence an alternative voice.
Fast forward to today, and it feels like we've hit rewind instead of play. Senator Bob Casey was involved in another electoral kerfuffle. This time, it was over undated or misdated mail-in ballots in a tight race against his challenger, David McCormick. Once again, Casey seemed to be attempting to bend Pennsylvania's laws to his will. But this time, democracy didn't play along.
Counties defied court orders, lawsuits were flying, and somewhere, a law professor was gleefully updating their syllabus. Just when you thought the plot couldn't thicken, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stepped into the fray.
In a twist rivaling any season finale, Gov. Shapiro sided with the state's Supreme Court after they ruled that faulty mail-in ballots — those without correct dates or signatures — cannot be counted. He emphasized that "the rule of law matters in Pennsylvania" and criticized any insinuation that laws can be ignored. This move delivered a victory to Republican officials pushing for strict adherence to the court's decision, signaling that even within his own party, there were limits to bending the rules.
Meanwhile, some Democratic-led counties, including Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, and Centre, decided to include these disputed ballots in the recount anyway. Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia openly admitted, "People violate laws any time they want. So, for me, if I violate this law it's because I want a court to pay attention. There's nothing more important than counting votes." (She’s recently apologized for these comments.)
As students, you juggle a lot — classes, clubs, the eternal quest for free food, and trying to remember if you actually paid for that Wawa hoagie at 2 a.m. But here's why you should care: this wasn’t just politics as usual. It was a real-life lesson in how the democratic process can get tangled in technicalities and turf wars. It was like group project drama, but instead of affecting your GPA, it affects the future of our state and country.
Let's not forget who tried to exploit these technicalities for personal gain. Bob Casey's a wolf in sheep’s clothing: a “Democrat” who couldn’t get behind the democratic process...again. His attempt to repeat history and manipulate the laws didn't succeed this time. Democracy, with help from the courts and officials like Gov. Shapiro, stood firm. Thankfully.
So, what's the takeaway? First, democracy isn't a spectator sport. If we don't pay attention, we'll keep seeing the same plot twists, and let's be honest: the storyline is getting old. Second, sometimes the system needs a good debugging. If entire counties are willing to defy a court order because they think the rule is flawed, maybe it's time to rewrite the code.
Don't be cynical though: After all, we're at Penn — the place where throwing toast at football games makes perfect sense. If we can find meaning in carbohydrate flinging, surely we can muster optimism for democratic reform. Maybe it's time to channel that school spirit into civic engagement.
It's time to turn this political Groundhog Day into a springboard for progress. Please take lessons from the past, consider the current actors and systems, and apply them to forge a better future. Because if we don't, we'll be stuck rewatching the same tired episode, and trust me, the reruns don't get any better. So go ahead, Quakers — make some noise, ask the tough questions, and maybe, just maybe, we'll see a new episode in the saga of Pennsylvania politics. One where the plot twists lead to positive change, and the credits roll with a sense of accomplishment rather than déjà vu.
STEPHEN MORSE is a 2007 College graduate. His email is morse@observatoryventures.com.
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