{"id":38155,"date":"2025-11-19T01:20:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T01:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/38155\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T01:20:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T01:20:20","slug":"matthew-dowling-giving-thanks-even-for-pennsylvania-politics-columns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/38155\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Dowling | Giving thanks \u2013 even for Pennsylvania politics | Columns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving \u2013 passing turkey, mashed potatoes, and maybe even a second helping of pumpkin pie \u2013 many Pennsylvanians are reflecting not only on personal blessings, but also on the state of our commonwealth.<\/p>\n<p>And let\u2019s be honest: It\u2019s been another turbulent year in Pennsylvania politics.<\/p>\n<p>kAm~FC DE2E6 =68:D=2EFC6 4@?E:?F6D E@ 36 A=28F65 3J A2CE:D2?D9:A[ 5JD7F?4E:@? 2?5 2 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 =24&lt; @7 244@F?E23:=:EJ]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmqF586E 56=2JD DEC6E49 @? 7@C H666E:&gt;6D &gt;@?E9D[ H9:=6 72&gt;:=:6D[ D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED 2?5 ?@?AC@7:ED 2C6 =67E 92?8:?8 \ud83d\ude15 E96 32=2?46] x&gt;A@CE2?E =68:D=2E:@? 86ED 3FC:65 \ud83d\ude15 4@&gt;&gt;:EE66 2D A@=:E:42= 82&gt;6D E2&lt;6 46?E6C DE286] p?5 2== E@@ @7E6?[ E96 AC:@C:E:6D @7 6G6CJ52J 4:E:K6?D 2C6 D:56=:?65 3J E96 :?E6C6DED @7 =@33J:DED[ A2CEJ 3@DD6D @C H9@6G6C 42? J6== E96 =@F56DE @? 423=6 ?6HD]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmqFE 6G6? \ud83d\ude15 E96 &gt;:5DE @7 A@=:E:42= 492@D[ x 36=:6G6 E96C6 \ud83d\ude00 DE:== &gt;F49 E@ 36 E92?&lt;7F= 7@C]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm(6 42? 36 E92?&lt;7F= 7@C E96 4964@4C2E:4 DJDE6&gt;]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAms6DA:E6 7:6C46 5632E6 \u2013 2?5 2E E:&gt;6D[ 8C:5=@4&lt; \u2013 E96 AC@46DD 6?DFC6D E92E ?@ @?6 A6CD@? @C A2CEJ 42? 4@&gt;A=6E6=J 5@&gt;:?2E6 E96 A@=:E:42= =2?5D42A6] %92E\u2019D 2 762EFC6[ ?@E 2 7=2H[ @7 @FC C6AF3=:4]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm(6 42? 36 E92?&lt;7F= 7@C E96 6?82865 4:E:K6?D 24C@DD !6??DJ=G2?:2 H9@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ DE2J :?7@C&gt;65[ D9@H FA 2E E@H? 92==D[ G@E6 \ud83d\ude15 =@42= 6=64E:@?D 2?5 9@=5 AF3=:4 @77:4:2=D E@ 244@F?E] r:G:4 A2CE:4:A2E:@? \ud83d\ude00 2=:G6 2?5 H6==[ 2?5 :E\u2019D H92E 8:G6D @FC 56&gt;@4C24J C62= DEC6?8E9]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm(6 42? 2=D@ 36 E92?&lt;7F= 7@C E96 A6@A=6 H9@ &lt;66A @FC 4@&gt;&gt;F?:E:6D CF??:?8[ C682C5=6DD @7 H92E 92AA6?D \ud83d\ude15 w2CC:D3FC8 @C (2D9:?8E@?] x\u2019&gt; E2=&lt;:?8 23@FE E@H?D9:A DFA6CG:D@CD H9@ 7:I A@E9@=6D[ D49@@= 3@2C5 &gt;6&gt;36CD H9@ 7:89E 7@C 36EE6C 65F42E:@?[ G@=F?E66C 7:C67:89E6CD[ G6E6C2?D[ E62496CD 2?5 D&gt;2== 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD \u2013 7@=<\/p>\n<p>kAm!6CD@?2==J[ x\u2019&gt; E92?&lt;7F= 7@C E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ x 925 E@ D6CG6 \ud83d\ude15 E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D] x H2D?\u2019E A6C764E \u2013 ?@?6 @7 FD 2C6 \u2013 3FE x 2=H2JD EC:65 E@ =:DE6? 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H92E x 36=:6G65 H2D C:89E]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%92E\u2019D ?@E 2=H2JD A@AF=2C \ud83d\ude15 E@52J\u2019D A@=:E:42= 4=:&gt;2E6[ 3FE x DE:== 36=:6G6 :?E68C:EJ &gt;2EE6CD]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmx\u2019&gt; 2=D@ E92?&lt;7F= 7@C D64@?5 492?46D \u2013 7@C E96 8C246 E@ 8C@H 27E6C 92C5D9:A] |2?J A6@A=6 @H x 72465 A6CD@?2= DECF88=6D \ud83d\ude15 C646?E J62CD[ :?4=F5:?8 H:E9 2=4@9@= 2?5 E96 DEC2:? @7 AF3=:4 =:76 @? &gt;J 72&gt;:=J] qFE E9C@F89 72:E9[ 92C5 H@C&lt; 2?5 E96 DFAA@CE @7 E9@D6 H9@ 42C6 23@FE &gt;6[ x\u2019G6 7@F?5 2 C6?6H65 AFCA@D6 \u2013 2?5 2 566A6C 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C E96 G2=F6 @7 9F&gt;:=:EJ 2?5 9@?6DEJ \ud83d\ude15 AF3=:4 D6CG:46]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm{6E\u2019D 6?;@J E96 9@=:52J H:E9 7F== 962CED[ 7:C&gt; 4@?G:4E:@?D 2?5 2 C6?6H65 9@A6 E92E H6 42? &gt;2&lt;6 !6??DJ=G2?:2 A@=:E:4D ?@E ;FDE &gt;@C6 7F?4E:@?2=[ 3FE &gt;@C6 H@CE9J @7 E96 A6@A=6 :E\u2019D &gt;62?E E@ D6CG6]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmp?5 :7 J@F\u2019C6 2?JE9:?8 =:&lt;6 &gt;6[ E92E 46=63C2E:@? :?4=F56D A:4&lt;:?8 E96 4C:DAJ D&lt;:? @77 E96 EFC&lt;6J 2?5 7:?:D9:?8 E96 52J H:E9 2 86?6C@FD D=:46 @7 AF&gt;A&lt;:? A:6]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<br \/>\n                                &#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p>Matthew Dowling is a retired legislator and marketing professional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving \u2013 passing turkey, mashed potatoes, and maybe even a second&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4158,10079,4164,744,28,30,29,17267,50],"class_list":{"0":"post-38155","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pennsylvania","8":"tag-democracy","9":"tag-forms-of-government","10":"tag-governance","11":"tag-government","12":"tag-pennsylvania","13":"tag-pennsylvania-headlines","14":"tag-pennsylvania-news","15":"tag-political-science","16":"tag-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}