Election Day Scene: Dining with the Dems in Cherry Hill | Philadelphia Inquirer

Wednesday, Nov 25, 1:53 AM

Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH

options

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Election Day Scene: Dining with the Dems in Cherry Hill

Inquirer staff writer Jacqueline L. Urgo reports:

Deep in the heart of Democrat territory at Ponzio's diner in Cherry Hill — a longtime hot spot for politicos — the place was still buzzing about Gov. Corzine's breakfast-time visit well into the lunchtime rush.

“Oh, he's such a nice man," said Lil Pantone, 73, a Corzine supporter who rushed to the diner when she got word from some of her political cronies that he would making a last-push stop there today.

“I was happy to come out to let him know we are behind him all the way,” said Pantone, who said she hung around for lunch because so many of her friends from the local Democratic club kept pouring in all morning for a cup of coffee and to chat about the tight gubernatorial race.

“I think it's definitely going to be a slug fest down to the very end, just like the Phillies in the World Series,” said Leonard Jones, 62, of Camden, a Corzine supporter also lunching at Ponzo's so he could have his BLT with a side of politics. “But in the end, I think we'll prevail - on both counts.”

Doris Clifton, 58, of Laurel Springs, said she is a “dyed in the wool” Republican who had no idea that Corzine had even been in the diner this morning. “If he was still here when I pulled in, I probably would have gone somewhere else.”

But Cherry Hill East High School students Jonathan Silverstone and Ben Kirby, both 16, said even though they are too young vote, they are pulling out all the stops to get Corzine reelected.

“He's the best man for the job,” said Silverstone, who stood with Kirby along the eastbound lane of Route 73 in Mount Laurel for several hours holding Corzine campaign signs to remind voters to get to the polls.

“I think it helps remind people that its election day and that they need to get out to vote,” said Silverstone, who noted that the reaction from motorists has been mixed.

“You get thumbs up and thumbs down and a lot of people honking,” said Silverstone, county director for area New Jersey Student Democrats organization. “It seems likes its running 50-50, about what the polls are reflecting.”

Kirby said that while he could think of a variety of things most 16 year olds who had the day off from school were probably doing besides hawking a gubernatorial candidate on the side of a busy highway, he couldn’t think of anything he's rather be doing.

“Even though we're too young to vote, I think that when you believe in something, you have to get out there and show the world,” Kirby said.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.

Posted by Inquirer Online Desk @ 2:33 PM Permalink | 1 comment

Comments

Posted 05:44 PM, 11/03/2009

fafafooey

Gee, a Democrat Inquirer Democrat reporter dining with Democrats... that's big news.