'Super-voters' to cast ballots - PittsburghLIVE.com

'Super-voters' to cast ballots - PittsburghLIVE.com The 2001 election was the lowest turnout among the five most recent Pittsburgh mayoral primaries, Wolosik said.

The predictions are wrong. The facts are right.

In 2001, everyone was in a tizzy about the race between Bob and Tom. Both burt $1-Million. Street money was at an all time high too.

The buzz before the election was NOT carried to the polls on election day. When it came time to vote -- the masses of people didn't. The people were turned off.

Bob and Tom earned votes at a rate of $30 per vote.

G.W. Bush got 39,000 votes in the general election in the city. He would have crushed Murphy. He would have crushed O'Connor. Both of those got just a few more than 30K votes -- from Democrats.

People VOTE for candidates, against candidates -- or -- not at all. More often than not, people vote with their feet.

In 2001, more people left Pittsburgh while Tom Murphy was mayor than voted for him to continue being our mayor. The same holds for Bob O'Connor, who then was city council president.

Bob has his base. Bob's base has shrunk since 2001.

The prediction that 25,000 votes could win the city's mayor's race in the Dem's primary is what I expect.

Meanwhile, in the PA Senate 42nd race -- there are two NEGATIVE candidates and myself. The negative race being waged by both Diven and Fontana is epic. Yesterday negative mailers arrived from both camps.

The negative messages are a turn off to the sensible citizens. The question of the month is about the turn off. Does off mean votes for the other alternative who is positive? Does off mean that no vote is cast?

I expect that a lot of people won't vote for either Diven or Fontana. Our race could be won by much less than what it takes to win the Mayor's Primary on the Ds side.

Meanwhile, Diven and Fontana might earn votes at a rate of $100, $90, or $80 per vote.