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Ridge: Pa. Voters Want New Ideas

The former governor offers an explanation for Gov. Romney's recent polling gains in the state.

Patch caught up with former Pa. Governor Tom Ridge (R) just before Tuesday night's debate at Hofstra University. We asked him why he thought Governor Romney has made recent gains in polls of the state's likely voters.

"I think [Pennsylvanians] see a President who is perhaps well-intentioned, but has kicked a lot of decisions down the road," said Ridge, who left the governor's office when he was tapped by then-President George W. Bush to lead the newly formed Department of Homeland Security in October 2001.

"We need new ideas, we need new leadership, we need a decisive problem-solver," Ridge said.

Watch the video for the rest of Ridge's comments.

. October 17, 2012 at 03:08 pm
Even without term limits, Ridge couldn't get elected as dog catcher in a state wide race in PA! While he wasn't quite as corrupt as Corbett is now, he was still a pretty bad Governor. I predict Corbett will be one and done (not that he cares as he'll move right to a board seat for one of the drilling companies that paid him off).
proudvoter October 17, 2012 at 03:42 pm
Just like Obama!!
Keith Best October 17, 2012 at 04:00 pm
Think about this.....Back in 2008, voters overlooked the fact the First-TERM senator who spent most of that FIRST-TERM running for another office, had no "Executive Experience, and before that he was a FIRST-TERM state senator who spent most of that FIRST-TERM running for another office.
Face it, Obama is a great campaigner....that's all he knows how to do. We need Romney/ Ryan to fix this economy.
Bruce Bailey October 17, 2012 at 04:19 pm
Sure, because Romney has such executive skill he can take companies, lay off their American workers, outsource their jobs to Asia and still make billions when they go bankrupt. And then he take his profits and hide them in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, and not have the courage to reveal his tax returns. And for the measley year he does reveal, he shows his tax rate to be less than 15% on income of more than $20 million -- compare that to what you sent to the IRS last year! Yeah, Romney will fix the economy all right - for all his fellow billionaires. The rest of us just don't count.
Stephen Eickhoff October 17, 2012 at 04:50 pm
Ridge was elected to two terms as governor. I'm curious as to what acts he performed (or didn't) that qualify him as a bad governor in your eyes.
Morgan King October 17, 2012 at 04:51 pm
Obama's going to move right to a board seat for one of the drilling companies that paid him off?
Stephen Eickhoff October 17, 2012 at 04:57 pm
Let's be honest: most of us who have mortgages and/or kids are paying less than 15%... far less. If you aren't, then Romney and Ryan are actually for you, because they would rather lower the rates a little and get rid of most of the deductions so that we aren't subsiding behavior or allowing to people to game the system. I'd also love to see the CEO that hasn't had to lay off workers. He must be a genius, for sure! Claiming that no one should ever be laid off is a fantasy ideal and I have a hard time believing that anyone outside of a Marxist could believe it works. By the way, Obama only paid 19%.
sjdavis October 18, 2012 at 09:36 am
The trouble with this election is this. We have a President who seems to be compassionate and serious about what he is doing is for the best and I agree he is trying hard to accomplish his goals, as far as Mitt Romoney goes he is a business tyrent who only knows one thing and that is to make money. You can't run a country as a business. There are to many variables to contend with and just making money doesn't make us a Superpower again. Obama might not have a perfect track record but he has a goal. To get america back on its feet, to make sure we All have health care, to get jobs and industry back into the United States of America. Use your gut people you know what to do and who to vote for. God Bless America. Because nobody else will.
louis kootsares October 19, 2012 at 03:10 pm
hopefully there are more smart,proud,energetic people who will vote out the worst inept president we ever had and many think is more of a disease to this country than cancer,but his fan base of the freeloaders,ignorant,andboo hoo liberals are as aware as the comatose
Mike Shortall October 20, 2012 at 03:00 pm
Geez ... Just half the picture, what a surprise! Let's not forget that Romney's work through Bain also CREATED a lot of jobs and opportunities here. Which is why a lot of Bain-employed WOMEN are traveling the country in support of his candidacy (http://www.blogher.com/what-women-should-know-about-our-old-boss-mitt-romney).
Always love the disingenuous "hiding" his profits off-shore, as if that's really the case or as if it's something "wrong". And just for arguments sake, let's compare the amount of charitable giving the Romneys have made - as shown on their tax returns - and compare that to the paltry amount donated by the Obamas in the years BEFORE they decided politics was a a good gig! WHen looking at a picture, make sure you have BOTH eyes open!
Mike Shortall October 20, 2012 at 03:10 pm
Business "tyrent" is pretty funny. But let's take a look at this logic.
It's supposed to be better to have someone trying to re-ignite an Economy who has had absolutely no success - or prioritization - for a struggling Economy now for the past four years?!? Instead, we should reject the only one of the two who has demonstrated his capability for making Economics work?!? Anyone, who really thinks that an Economically weak America is OK, is just kidding himself! Without a better Economy, we cannot put people back to work and we will not be able to afford healthcare, Social Security, Medicare, or anything else. Using our "guts" got us four years of Hope & Change but not much else. So use your BRAINS and vote for the one guy who has an idea how to get us out of this Economic Mess ... Mitt Romney!
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