Reply to Dustin Gettel Editorial of 5/6

May 16, 2006

To the Editor:

There was a recent editorial in the Delaware County Daily Times by Dustin Gettel, the former president of the Delaware County Young Democrats. I say former because he is no longer the president. He abdicated his position when he failed to call meetings of the group for months at a time and the group required new leadership in 2005. But enough about that.

I cannot allow the half-truths and mis-representations of Mr. Gettel to go unanswered, if only for the simple fact that someone who was brought into the inner circle of the Democratic Party at every level, and who failed to be effective, should know better then to cast aspersions on the people who gave him the opportunity to make a difference. Its time the readers of this newspaper were told the rest of the story.

Three years ago I brought Dustin Gettel into the Delaware County Democratic Party. I met him at the Country Squire Diner one night in March of 2003. He was a new resident of the county, having moved the year before. He had reached out to the party and inquired about getting involved. After talking with him over coffee for about an hour, I offered him the presidency of the new Delaware County Young Democrats. I appointed him a committee person in Marple Township. I appointed him parliamentarian of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats, of which I was president at the time. I chaired his campaign for state representative in 2004 against Bill Adolph. I asked him to join the executive committee in Marple Township as the party secretary.

Even more importantly, I brought him in to my own personal circle of friends.

Three years later, having disappeared completely from the political scene in this county for well over 18 months, Mr. Gettel has the nerve to suggest the Delaware County Democratic Party is an enfeebled, silent Democratic Party.

He's wrong - dead wrong.

In fact, during his year-long, unexplained absence from Democratic politics, much has happened. Volunteers left over from the Kerry-Edwards campaign, hundreds of them, have been brought into the party ranks. Dozens put their names on the ballot for local office in 2005 - and many of them won! And candidates for legislative offices - "the most important mid-term elections in the history of our country" - have stepped forward, without having to be recruited, including three individuals who sought to replace Curt Weldon in Congress. The "enfeebled Democratic Party" leadership stepped in to that situation, shook up the race, and the strongest challenger to Curt Weldon in 20 years has emerged unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Since that February day, Joe Sestak has raised over a half a million dollars in his race to unseat our incumbent Congressman - much of it coming from Delaware County in small donations.

Democratic candidates in 2006 all filed record numbers of signatures to get on the ballot - including over 3,500 signatures from this county for Rendell for Governor, 3,100 for Sestak for Congress and 1,200 for Farrell for State Senator, because hundreds and hundreds of volunteers took to the streets in the middle of winter to insure their candidate's place on the Primary ballot.

Gettel wasn't one of them. He continues to remain un-engaged.

In February at our convention, over 250 people attended, and over 100 attended the pre-event cocktail party and made a financial contribution to the Democratic Party. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - wasn't one of them.

In April we held one of the most successful party annual dinners in recent years. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - wasn't there to contribute.

In 2005, our voter registration coordinator held numerous voter registration drives in targeted precincts around the county. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - wasn't there.

Throughout 2005 and 2006 the county Democratic Party hosted over a dozen Democratic Meetups for volunteers to get engaged. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - wasn't there.

On April 29th, in conjunction with the DNC's Neighbor to Neighbor organizing event, dozens of volunteers knocked on thousands of doors throughout the county to recruit new volunteers. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - wasn't there.

Hundreds of small donors who believe in the coming change in Delaware County have contributed financially to the Delaware County Democratic Party, making 2006 one of our best fundraising years in recent memory. Gettel - and the dissidents who think like him - hasn't contributed.

I have learned in politics that people often see only what they choose. There is a small minority of disgruntled dissidents in Delaware County who choose to see a Democratic Party that is not open to new people, not open to new ideas, and running out of steam. The facts clearly show otherwise, as does the Democratic Party victory on May 16th when the party-endorsed slate won all eight seats on the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee county delegation. That victory was secured by a strong, organized, effective county Democratic organization that has deep grassroots support.

I can name dozens of new people who have been brought into this party and who have become strong leaders, big donors and believers in all that the Delaware County Democratic Party has accomplished since the current leadership won control in 1994. This party has opened its arms to anyone willing to roll up their sleeves and do some old fashioned political organizing. The only ones who complain are typically the ones who simply can't get the job done.

Most of these individuals feel this way because of their own inability to effectively engage themselves in party politics. To them I say this - shame on you for trying to bring down a successful organization because of your own inability to make a difference within it.


Tony Campisi
First Vice Chair, Delaware County Democratic Party