How to judge a book

Young Philly politics has two posts today about the frustrating lack of coverage about issues in upcoming primary races, and about the tendency of the local media in general to obsess about process issues such as endorsements and polls. A similar dynamic can be seen in the early coverage of the 2006 Senate candidates.

I've tended to focus a lot on process here too -- the lines of power behind the scenes to big kingmakers, etc. -- largely because so much of Philadelphia politics seems comprehensible only in the context of influence domains and patronage. But upset victories do occur, so actual candidates should remember that having positions on the issues can win voters like nothing else. Particularly in an era when grassroots efforts are about to come into their own again, nobody can rest on their triumphs with the insider league and ignore the power of issues to mobilize action.