Philadelphia is home to one of the most depressed areas of the country. North Philly is a tough place and damn proud of it.

There is a State Representative District in the middle of North Philly, the 197th, that has been ignored and abused by the Democratic Power Machine that runs the city. The last 2 members of the State House, both Democrats, have had to give up their seats because of extra-legal financial dealings (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160917_State_rep_has_a_secret__She_s_a_convict.html ).

Because the case of the second State Rep did not come to light until after anyone could challenge her slot in the November election, the Democratic Party was able to retain the seat through the November 2016 election. The newly re-elected Representative was squeezed for her resignation the day her new term was set to start.

That set the stage for the party to hand pick a successor via a quickly called special election. But these Democrats are something special. Turns out the person the Democrats picked for their special election lived outside the district. Actually, he lived outside the city. The candidacy was challenged and poof – away goes the Democratic hopes.

So what can the Democrats do? They can try to recruit other candidates to become a Democrat.

But that would be really silly for any sane person to listen to the Democratic Party in an effort to get a person to switch.

Sone examples why the Democrats have no credibility in this area.

In November 2001, the Democrats convinced GOP State Rep John Lawless to switch to their side. He was promised help with at least one re-election bid, which would have secured a pension for the renegade. (After winning the seat in 1990 as a Democrat, Lawless became a Republican before entering office.)

When the 2002 election rolled around the Democratic Party did not hold their word as members of the Democratic Committee sided with the GOP to kill his election at the last moment. Sometimes it is interesting where people end up after such a deal goes south. Lawless joined the Delaware River Port Authority where he remained as long as Governor Ed Rendell remained in office. Had the Democrats kept their word, it may have been cheaper in the long run to give Lawless the seat and the pension.

But when a party breaks a deal when they entice someone to come across, what does it do for the party’s credibility. Any GOP member even thinking of defecting would have the Lawless morality tale told to them.

The most amazing ‘get’ for the Democrats was in 2010, when fearing a real Progressive like Joe Sestak would actually become a Senator, the Democrats convinced sitting GOP Senator Arlen Specter to switch parties and run as a Democrat. Forget the man was 80 years old and was continually fighting cancer; this was the point man for the GOP in the Senate who loaded all those Right Wingers on the Supreme Court. This is who the establishment convinced to become a Democrat.

The Democrats could not make good on that deal either. Specter lost the primary to Sestak. To get even with Sestak for having the gall to run against a Republican in the Democratic Primary, the establishment withheld funding from Sestak who lost to Pat Toomey by 2 points.

A possible target for the Democrats in the race for the 197th would be Green Party candidate Cheri Honkala ( http://www.cheri197.com/ ). She was the Green Party VP Candidate in 2012. She lives in the district and her life revolves around setting up homeless shelters helping unions and really walking the talk.

One can almost imagine the Democrats promising the Earth, moon and stars to such a candidate. If they can get her to switch they can retain the seat.

The problem is, the Democrats do not have anything to negotiate with. Within the last 3 years Democrats have soiled their brand with such people being convicted like State Treasurer Rob McCord (shaking down donors for his governor’s run), Attorney General Kathleen Kane (perjury), US Congressman Chaka Fattah and his son (corruption). Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery had to resign from the bench because of pressure brought on by a porn related scandal.

Hey, sign me up - I want to be just like those guys!

This does not even cover the condition the Democrats have left the 197th District for generations. This is one of the poorest districts in the state and with Democratic Congresspeople and a Democratic Governor and a fully weaponized Democratic Machine, the only thing the Democrats could deliver these people are 2 more corrupted state officials.

Why would a firebrand like Cheri Honkala sell herself out for empty Democratic rhetoric?

What about an alliance of the Green Party and the GOP?

There is no way the GOP could compete in an environment like the 197 directly. They may as well try walking on Mars.

We keep hearing how people are tired of yelling and screaming in politics. This may be an opportunity for people from different perspectives to work together to solve some problems.

The GOP wants to wrest the urban areas from the Democrats.

The Green Party needs to show they are not Democrat-lite, but a party with values.

The Pennsylvania Legislature and Senate are both solidly GOP. During the campaign, President Trump made statements questioning why people in these areas keep voting Democratic.

It is too soon to speculate how the Green Party and the GOP could help each other, but just opening lines of communication for serious dialog could change the game in unforeseen ways.

If Cheri Honkala played her cards right, could she get a better deal for her district by staying true to herself, staying away from the Democrats and talking with the GOP?