In the end, it was the enemy within who finished off Joe Hoeffel.
It wasn't the ignorant Republicans lobbing mudpies in the comments section of the Times Herald, or the lumbering, heavy-handed Bruce Castor whining about the latest effront to the giant Castor ego, or the right-wing barrage from a "newspaper" that long ago lost the right to call itself unbiased, or even the trumped-up investigation launched by a DA's office that still operates as the sock puppet for its former boss.
It was none of those. I still believe that Joe could have overcome all of that.
But the thing Joe Hoeffel could not overcome was the cowardice and political malice that blindsided him from within his own party.
Anyone who knows Joe Hoeffel knows he is an honorable man, probably too good for the political slime he's had to swim through for the past four years. Here's what one commenter at the Times Herald had to say once the news broke today:
"Elected officials who are in the public, give up their personal freedom to serve the electorate and are subject to allegations by opponents that usually have no root in fact...Joe Hoeffel is such a public servant. I have known him and his service for three decades and know 1st hand of his high ethical standards, desire to maximize the efficiency of county government and leave its people better than when he initially attained office. Many attacks against Hoeffel and Matthews have been initiated by office seekers and party hacks who view bipartisanship as un-American and therefore suspect."
So true, so true.
Joe was shockingly effective as the lone Democrat on the county commission. From a position that should have yielded absolutely no leverage for his voice to be heard, he was able to form a coalition and at least have some impact.
Could he reform the county single-handedly from its century and a half of Republican business as usual? Of course not. And of course, the Repub cabal knew exactly what to dredge up and use against him, because it was all familiar territory to them - in effect, they were able to take their own corrupt practices and accuse Hoeffel of somehow being the first to go there.
And not once did anyone in the county Democratic establishment step up to support him against these smears. Not once.
I really do wish Josh Shapiro and whats-her-name the best in November. But whichever of them ends up the minority commissioner, I hope they'll frame the bloody knife pulled from Joe Hoeffel's back to remind them of how they earned their office.
