A longshot introduces himself

The man with the raised fist is not angry.

He is Al Robles, and he is being emphatic.

Emphatic about his platform, which has three legs: Solidarity, Pragmatism, Prosperity, he said during his candidacy announcement Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by supporters.

He is running for the state house in Pennsylvania’s 182nd District, which embraces a wide swath of Center  City, including the Gayborhood surrounding Midtown Village. He was introduced by former Montgomery County D.A. Bruce Castor, whose office is in the Gayborhood.

Robles is a Republican.

Uh-oh.

Democrats have a 7-1 registration edge in Philadelphia, and it’s probably even greater in the 182nd. 

He knows he can’t win with Republicans alone, and tells me he is going after the “disaffected voter,” including Independents and  Democrats who feel the system has not been producing for them.

Robles is a native of the Dominican Republic, a graduate of Temple Law School who wants to focus on small and medium businesses and help them through what he calls urban capitalism.

I’ll tell you more about him after the primary, when we know who will be his Democratic opponent, and the odds-on favorite.

The 182nd seat is vacant, being abandoned by Brian Sims, a total smacked-ass running for lieutenant governor.

He is a tool, as I have written before, who needs to be returned to private practice, assuming anyone would hire anyone as juvenile as he is.