I could also call this “Why it is a really bad idea to vote based on a single issue,” but it is better to address the larger question here. Over the past couple days, I’ve been engaged in a debate of sorts with a user named bfbarbie. This person is hell-bent on hating Pennsylvania Republican Gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett, in part because of his choice to remain as the Pennsylvania Attorney General during his campaign. Now, to be fair, I need to point out that Corbett’s opponent, Dan Onorato, did not resign from his position as Allegheny County Executive. For those that are not well-versed on such things, Corbett’s job has offices throughout the Commonwealth, but Onorato’s job exists only in Allegheny County.

Now, on to the question of whether or not one can work, and run a campaign. First, travel eats the most time on the campaign trail. Once a candidate gets to where he’s going, appearances are relatively short. More likely than not, time in transit can be used to prepare for appearances, or do work for the “day job”. That’s an important point, since many appearances are necessarily in the evenings, since potential audiences are busy during the day. If a person is sufficiently driven, and dedicated – two traits that would theoretically be a “good” thing when considering a candidate for any office – it is possible to keep up with a day job and a campaign. It means a radical increase in work hours, but it is possible. I’ve only worked one campaign (out of scores) over the years where the candidate did not have a day job.

So, in general, it is possible to both work and campaign. In the specific case of Corbett and Onorato, however, that answer is necessarily not satisfactory. Corbett can work easily on the campaign trail if for no other reason, because he has regional offices throughout the Commonwealth to visit. Bluntly, traveling to those offices on a regular basis is part of his job description. Delivering campaign speeches in between visits to his offices is quite easy for him – just a matter of good scheduling. Some could say that he has the opportunity to improve his job performance because of the campaign. Onorato, on the other hand, does not have that luxury. When on the campaign trail outside of Allegheny County, to keep working, he must rely on technology. The people he is supposed to be serving do not have the same level of access to him as they do when he is in his home county. It could easily be argued that doing his job is hampered by campaigning. And which side do you think is yelling loudest about the problem with working during the campaign? Well, it’s not loudest from the Corbett camp.

Beyond complaints about decreased productivity due to campaigning, the other “hot button” issue seems to be the recent Bonus Gate trials in Harrisburg. (For anyone that isn’t in “the know”, this is a series of trials on corruption within the State House and Senate.) Corbett detractors are crying favoritism, and just about everyone else is either yawning or rolling their eyes. Why? Sure, political graft makes for sexy headlines, but splitting hairs on the order of actions taken by the Attorney General’s office pales in comparison to the actual crimes and misdemeanors. Seriously, who cares which politicians got pulled in first? The Grand Jury supposedly pointed out that “everyone is doing it”, and the masses have generally become numbed to the entire situation. Even the reporters assigned to cover it are wondering if it will ever end.

Like all “hot button” issues, Bonus Gate has the potential to do its job – create some smoke and mirrors, and keep at least a few voters from focusing on some real issues. Personally, I prefer to stick with what I consider a “warm button,” namely the answer to another question: What have you done for me lately? If anyone bothers to ask Corbett that one, they’d get something like “Well, I’ve successfully prosecuted X number of felons trying to steal from our seniors, and Y number of sexual deviants that were determined to molest and cyber-stalk our children.” As for Onorato, I’m not sure he’d want to be honest since his answer would have to run along the lines of “Well, I introduced a pour tax on alcohol to keep our seriously flawed public transit system afloat, didn’t bother to put the brakes on a project to dig two tunnels under the Allegheny River or suggest an above ground option, and put a “Gone Campaigning” sign on my office door.” Who said “Bonus Gate” was so important?