Democratic Machine Sees Popular Outsider, Changes Rules To Make It Harder For Outsider To Win

A poll yesterday showing Tom Knox doing well in the mayor’s race got City Council’s panties all in a bunch.

“Oh no,” they must have thought. “What do we do if this new guy wins! We might actually have to help our constituents, do actual work and not just sit around and opine about how great we are all day. Fuck! How can we fix it so Bob Brady can win and the city can keep napping toward greatness?!”

And Jim Kenney came up with a plan. He’s going to change the campaign-finance rules to make it easier for Bob Brady to win. Yes, that’s right, folks. City Council wants Brady to win, and if they want Brady to win, they’re going to get Bob Brady in office, whether you peons like it or not!

Kenney’s measure changes the campaign finance reform laws so if a candidate donates $2 million to his own campaign, all the rules are gone. City Councilwoman Carol Campbell also spoke in favor of the bill in hopes it would make the election fair. Campbell supports fair elections so much she was pretty much appointed to her City Council seat.

“The campaign finance limits have opened the door to a candidate who buys City Hall,” Kenney said. “We have unintentionally created an opportunity for an unlevel playing field.”

Yep. As opposed to, y’know, campaign contributors buying City Hall.

Raise your hand if you’re surprised. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Stunned by Knox poll, council ready to rewrite reforms [Inquirer]
Yesterday: Tom Knox To Depress His Way To Mayordom?