A Pennsylvania State Rep. Is Casting "Extras" to Pretend to Support Him At Polling Places Today

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Sam Biddle

04/26/16 10:15AM

Filed to: democracy

Pennsylvania state Rep. Kevin Boyle is up for reelection today, and according to a casting call email forwarded to Gawker, he needs some extra friends at Philadelphia polling stations.

The following was sent to us yesterday:

Only $120 seems a little light for a 13 hour standing workday, but at least there’s an open bar afterwards.

A representative from the Mike Lemon Casting Agency confirmed the email’s authenticity but could not provide any comment. The email provides barely any detail about what “extras” will actually do at these polling stations, though Pennsylvania law prohibits any electioneering inside the sites, or within 10 feet of them from the outside. A spokesperson from the Pennsylvania Department of State told me “there is nothing in the Pennsylvania Election Code that addresses the specific situation you’re describing.”

The Kevin Boyle campaign did not return multiple requests for comment.

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

Kam Fong as Chin Ho Sam Biddle 04/26/16 10:29AM

I’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that state legislators are the lowest form of scum.

They’re either too crazy or too stupid to be a politician in the federal government (which is saying something) so they join the minor leagues of politics on the state level where, unfortunately, they can prosper at the expense of the citizens of that particular state.

Governor McCheese Kam Fong as Chin Ho 04/26/16 10:36AM

They also get paid only like $30k per year, and you know that these leeches would take a higher-paying job if they could get one. So ask yourself, what kind of person would endure the public humiliation of an American election for a job that pays almost nothing? (Hint: Not someone who “cares about the issues” - dream on).

BronzeDreamBenchCalculation Kam Fong as Chin Ho 04/26/16 10:46AM

Your thinking on this was confirmed to me a few years after I’d graduated from college and was visiting my parents. A knock at the door and I’m looking at young candidate canvassing for state office I’d gone to high school with. He was the smarty pants know-it-all, but also the kid who stopped dressing out for gym because he was always the last one picked for teams. That kid. Now running for office to show everybody how smart and wonderful he is. That pretty much did it for me and political candidates.

The Noble Renard Kam Fong as Chin Ho 04/26/16 10:46AM

Somewhat to their credit, state government is vastly more consequential in a person’s daily life than federal government. For people who truly want to make a difference in their community, state and local government is the place to be. So there are a number of state legislators who are actually there mainly because they don’t have any ambitions to do something national but want to make things better for their own locality.

/of course, that also means you attract a healthy amount of crazy busybodies, the kind of people who see their neighbors doing something they don’t like and want to crush them for it.

JoeMommaAngieDaddy Governor McCheese 04/26/16 10:47AM

in my state they all mostly have other jobs, so their $20k + per diem is just cake on top of a lawyer, car dealer, etc salaries.

Governor McCheese Sam Biddle 04/26/16 10:21AM

This is so Philadelphian that it makes me a little proud. We’ve been honest about treating democracy as a joke since 1776.

GlitterbombFarts Governor McCheese 04/26/16 10:35AM

And we’re #1 in robot slayings nationwide.

‘Murica

runslow Governor McCheese 04/26/16 10:48AM

Unrelated but boi do 76ers suck or what

Governor McCheese runslow 04/26/16 10:51AM

Yes.

flamingolingo Governor McCheese 04/26/16 11:00AM

Hiring fake supporters: Lame and embarrassing? Yes. Undemocratic? No.

Matt Sam Biddle 04/26/16 11:08AM

Only $120 seems a little light for a 13 hour standing workday, but at least there’s an open bar afterwards.

Well, that averages out to a little over $9 per hour, so at least he’s paying above minimum wage. And lets be clear: if i were one of the extra’s, by the time I got done with the free food and the open bar, i would have probably drunk and ate enough to make my total compensation be closer to $20 per hour. “More crab puffs and vodka!”

c'est-a-dire Matt 04/26/16 11:13AM

This is Philly - the food is pizza/hoagies and the open bar is PBR.

Matt c'est-a-dire 04/26/16 11:14AM

I stand by what i said.

Slow Mutant c'est-a-dire 04/26/16 11:23AM

Yeungling

natdawg Matt 04/26/16 11:27AM

Speaking as a former promo girl/extra, I can guarantee only about 1 hour will be spent doing the actual job and the remaining time will be spent hiding out somewhere and texting everyone else at different stations when management/the client is coming around so you know when to be back “working.”

TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison) Sam Biddle 04/26/16 10:20AM

Are there any other Democrats to vote for? Asking for his district.

Misteaks were made TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison) 04/26/16 10:25AM

From The Philadelphia Tribune:

“In the 1st, incumbent Lawrence Farnese will oppose John H. Morley Jr. Sharif Street is running unopposed in the 3rd, while Kevin J. Boyle will face John Sabatina in the 5th. State Sen. Vincent Hughes is also running unopposed in the 5th.”

FuckingOffatWork Misteaks were made 04/26/16 10:34AM

I’m confused. How are Boyle and Sabatina running in the 5th and Hughes (a Dem, I’m pretty sure) running unopposed?

TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison) Misteaks were made 04/26/16 10:35AM

Just looked that race up. Sabatina’s dad is a powerful local ward boss, Doyle’s brother is a congressman. Democracy!

c'est-a-dire FuckingOffatWork 04/26/16 10:43AM

primary