Article Directory
Let’s cut the crap. Every four years, we go through this whole song and dance about “democracy” and “the will of the people.” We get yard signs, we watch cheesy local TV ads, and we pretend our little vote actually matters. It’s a nice story we tell ourselves.
Then you see a story like the one brewing in Erie, Pennsylvania, and it just rips the mask off the whole charade.
The mayoral election on November 4th isn’t a contest. It’s a coronation. The winner has already been chosen, not by voters, but by a handful of suits in a boardroom with a fat checkbook. And if you think I’m being cynical, you haven’t been paying attention.
The Money Cannon vs. The Peashooter
Let's get down to brass tacks. Daria Devlin, the Democratic candidate, is sitting on a mountain of cash. She knocked out the incumbent mayor in her own party's primary, fueled by a war chest of over $217,000. Where did that money come from? Santa Claus? Nope. It came from Erie Insurance and what the reports politely call “other major players in the local business community.”
Translation: The city’s corporate establishment.
Now, as she heads into the general election, the money spigot is still wide open. Her Republican opponent, Matthew Thomas, is, by all accounts, financially DOA. Democrat Devlin has massive fundraising edge over GOP's Thomas in Erie mayor's race. This isn't a political race; it’s a Formula 1 car lapping a guy on a Big Wheel. It’s like watching a heavyweight champion step into the ring with a random guy from the audience who just wanted a better view. You know how it’s going to end before the bell even rings.
This whole situation is a perfect metaphor for modern local politics. It’s not about ideas or vision or connecting with voters. It’s a hostile takeover bid. The local business titans saw an administration they didn’t like—or, more likely, one that wasn't pliable enough—and they decided to buy a new one. They pooled their money, found a willing candidate, and carpet-bombed the primary to ensure their asset won.
And now we, the public, are expected to treat the November election as a legitimate democratic process? Give me a break. What exactly do these “major players” expect for their quarter-million-dollar investment? Better zoning laws? Tax breaks? A key to the city and a promise that their calls get answered first? This ain't charity.
The Election That Already Happened
The real story here isn’t the upcoming election. The real story is the one that already finished back in May. The Democratic primary was the actual battle. That’s where the money was spent and the decision was made. Devlin’s campaign didn’t just beat the incumbent, Joe Schember; it annihilated him with a financial shock-and-awe campaign.
Imagine being in one of those backroom meetings. I can almost smell the stale coffee and see the muted glow of a PowerPoint presentation outlining polling data and "investment returns." This is a business transaction. It’s a cold, calculated move to install a friendly face in the mayor’s office who will, offcourse, be eternally grateful to her benefactors.
This is a bad look. No, 'bad' doesn't cover it—this is a five-alarm dumpster fire for anyone who still believes in the quaint idea of a government of the people, by the people. The rest of the campaign is just theater. The debates, the town halls, the get-out-the-vote efforts… it’s all just window dressing on a pre-determined outcome.
It reminds me of trying to get my local coffee shop to sponsor this column for fifty bucks a month and getting ghosted. Meanwhile, these guys can drop the price of a suburban house on a local politician without even blinking. It’s a completely different reality. And the voters are just supposed to smile and pretend they have a say in any of this...
Does Matthew Thomas even have a chance? Or is he just playing the designated role of “the opposition” so the whole thing looks legitimate? And what does it say about a political system where the primary qualification for leadership is the ability to cash enormous checks from corporations? We’re not electing a mayor; we’re hiring a regional manager.
The Winner Was Declared in a Boardroom
So, on November 4th, the people of Erie will go to the polls. They’ll fill in their little bubbles and get their “I Voted” stickers, and Daria Devlin will almost certainly win. The news will call it a victory for her vision and a mandate from the people.
Don’t you believe it.
The victory happened months ago, in private, decided by people whose names will never appear on a ballot. The rest is just noise. The citizens of Erie aren't choosing their next leader. They’re simply ratifying an appointment that was made for them. Welcome to the new democracy, same as the old one.