Take Back The Party

We make the case that Pennsylvania’s Republican Party is built by working people, not insiders, and we argue it is time to hand power back to the grassroots. Larry Dougherty joins us to explain why he is running for State GOP committeeman in Fayette County and how he plans to stay reachable, listen hard, and push real ideas for local jobs. 
• sponsors, bills, and how local advertising keeps the show going 
• why grassroots voters feel pushed out by consultants and party insiders 
• Larry’s reasons for running and what he wants the role to mean 
• staying accessible to voters and tracking down answers 
• moving past social media fights and focusing on results 
• Fayette County challenges: population loss, higher taxes, and weak vision 
• building blue-collar jobs by treating agriculture as the county’s strength 
• ideas for vet assistant training, farm equipment mechanics, and local supply chains 
• protecting the nursing program while expanding practical workforce options 
If you want to advertise, go to Harrietta Broadcasting Network dot com and uh leave a message and get we'll get you up on there. 
If you feel it in your heart to vote for me on May 19th, I sure appreciate um everything. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:52

I want to thank everybody for tuning in today to my podcast slash radio show. I want to thank all the people who are helping advertise on this and uh helping take care of the bills. Uh we're gonna get uh we're we're getting some more advertisers as things go on. Um I really, really, really appreciate it. Um, the one thing uh I want to I want to I want to tell everybody if you want to advertise, go to Harrietta Broadcasting Network dot com and uh leave a message and get we'll get you up on there. Uh we got a couple more sponsors coming on with us in the next couple weeks, and uh I appreciate that. So let's

Thanks, Sponsors, And Advertising Info

SPEAKER_03 1:30

get started. I'll tell you what, folks, republic the Republican Party in Pennsylvania wasn't built some marble hallway in Harrisburg. It was built right here on the front porches at fire halls, breakfasts, and in the pews of country churches by working people who believe in God, country, keeping government on a short leash. But somewhere along the way, the grassroots got locked out of their own house. The consultants moved in, the insiders passed the keys around, the rest of us got told to sit down, write a check, shut up. Well, those days are all over. Diary Doherty is running for state GOP committeem

A Grassroots Call To Reclaim Power

SPEAKER_03 2:09

because it's time the party remembered who it belongs to. It belongs to you, it belongs to the farmer, coal miner, a small business owner, a steel worker, the mom at the kitchen table. He's running to hand it back to the people who built this party from the ground up. Galatians 6 9 tells us and let us not be weary of our well-doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Think about that, folks. We've been patient long enough. I really believe we have been patient long enough.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

The season is here, it's time to take back our party.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

It's time to take back our party, and the time is now. Take our state back and put grassroots leadership back where it belongs. Larry Doherty for State GOP committee man. The establishment had their turn, and now we're gonna take ours and we're gonna fix it. Hey Larry, I want to thank you for coming in today. I really appreciate you. It's been uh a little bit of a uh challenge, but we're we're getting through things.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Um you're running for state committee.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

So why are you running for state committee, Larry? Well, I kind of think you just wanted to take on some more punishment or uh another headache.

SPEAKER_04 3:31

Another headache, yeah. Okay. Uh no, I I think it's just the right thing to do. I think it's uh time that people get involved. I'm kind of one of those people that wanting my mouth. And uh I believe that it's time for a change. I don't like

Why Larry Doherty Is Running

SPEAKER_04 3:47

where the party's going to or headed. I talked to a lot of voters out there, they feel the same way. It it's basically time just to get back to where the party stands for. I I firmly believe that you know I I can do that.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

Well, I I want to thank you for doing it for us. Uh, I know that uh this is an on-paying position. Yep. And uh uh hopefully that uh the local committee get will get behind you uh after you win and uh pick up some of the tab for the hotels and gas money. They should, and they should do it uh without even thinking about it, shouldn't even be a hesitation. Um uh I think that's what we need to do. I also want to want to thank you for uh, like you said, one more time for coming in. But uh he's a farmer, he raises, I know he raises hogs and he raises heritage hogs, he raises uh belt of galloways, beef, and uh they dress out what 500 pounds, 600 pounds. Yeah, five six hundred pounds. That's that's a pretty good good size galloway, I would think. Yeah, especially when they're coming at you. But uh I I know that there's a lot of people out there now that are raising. There's a good many people out there raising uh heritage breeds, and uh one of the things that I um the I always think are real cute. I don't I don't

Farming Roots And Heritage Livestock

SPEAKER_03 5:15

I would don't know if I'd want to put up with them because they I think they can be cantankerous, uh the Scottish Highlanders. Yeah, I think I think they could. I I I don't think they're mean, I just don't think they like to be led very well. Well, but anyways, back to you and uh what's going on. Um we're we're you're gonna run for you're running for state committee in uh Fayette County. Uh there's three of you's running. You there's Melanie Patterson, and we'll leave Dale Custer at the end because he's number one on the ballot. So but anyways, the the they'll I need a I I hope everybody gets out there and votes for these people because I believe they're the true grassroots of Fayette County. Um said that uh said that you're trying to want to bring the party back to the people.

SPEAKER_04 6:03

Absolutely. Uh and the thing is is voters need a voice. And I don't feel as a voter myself, I don't feel that I have a voice in the court. Um, you know, they only want to see you, you know, at election time and shake your hand or whatever. But I'm the type of guy that I'll get out, you know, as much as possible, meet the voters, stress their questions, stress their concerns. I won't be hard to find. I'm on Facebook, you know, I've got a phone number, I've got a cell phone. I'm not real hard to find. Somebody has a question, concern or whatever, you know, if I'm elected, I'll be more than happy to stress it. If I don't have the answer, I'll find it for you.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

Well, I think that's what we have to do. I think we have to be willing to find the answers for people. I mean, um, I take I believe my heart of hearts, I believe that we need to all take the higher use approach. If I don't know how to do it, I'll find somebody that does. And um you're a veteran. And uh and I commend you greatly for that. Um I I my my brother uh was in uh first golf war and uh he he's not with us now because uh they got uh his the group of guys that he was with, they they were they were moving forward and they they they were advanced and what happened was they got sprayed with some poisons. I just couldn't identify and they're trying to spend a lot of time down Wall Street trying to get everything corrected. I think they were getting close, but there's only a couple guys left in the group group was there. Um one of the things that Larry told me uh when I got together for the first time we had a cup of coffee. He said to me, uh I said, if these people think I'm scared of them, he said, I'm not. They dropped me off someplace where everybody hated me. I said everybody. And uh I think that uh we we need to we need to come above uh I said this before but uh we need to we need to get above the Facebook wars and leave and leave leave leave the idiots argue with that. I mean uh I'm I haven't I haven't commented on none of that stuff. I I I bet you it's been uh way before Easter, so I put in I finally one day some woman did take me off and I did have to say something back to her now, but uh but she she realized and then she called me personally and said uh I had it wrong and I apologize. But um things things that are going on uh in our county, one of the things is is people are leaving in a big way. Uh our population is dwindling, our taxes are going up. Uh yeah, everybody's having to pay taxes. Uh, I believe our leadership has no vision uh at all. And I I think that uh we we have to get back to the grassroots and we have to figure out we we have to figure out how to fire the furnace and we know and not just tell people how to do it. I think we sometimes we need to grab a shovel, fire the furnace, and take the ashes out.

Fayette County Vision, Jobs, And Taxes

SPEAKER_03 9:11

Let's make steam to make things happen.

SPEAKER_04 9:13

Well, yeah, and and and the biggest thing is is that I had a uh conversation with the senator um whatever it was, and I I point blank asked him, said that agriculture is our biggest you know, our our biggest industry in Fayette County. I said, Well, why where's the businesses that are supporting this agriculture? And he's like, What do you mean? I'm like, Well, you know, we can have a a uh a uh veterinary assistant program and I said, you know, and also what about uh uh what are they teaching at Potech School? Tractor mechanics, it's you know, uh farm equipment mechanics, you know, if you go down to Chambersburg, go down to Lancaster, see all these individual small businesses and big factories that are putting out all these equipment and all these parts for tractors and stuff. Well, if if we're so big into agriculture, why on earth aren't we exposing it to Fayette County to create good blue-collar jobs for people that want to stay here?

SPEAKER_03 10:14

I I I think I I this is a novel approach to this. I mean, I I never thought about that. I mean, everybody's like, let's get it, let's get it right here. Uh let's let's let's do something nobody else is doing. Exactly. And and I I really like this idea, Larry. I really like this idea. So I guess I'm gonna have to uh start making some phone calls tomorrow about this because I I really believe that this is where we're at. We gotta keep the nursing program. There's no doubt about it. Uh the nursing program has to stay. We cannot lose that. Uh we need to because we the whole country needs nurses. Yep. I mean, I have uh uh I'm I'm fortunate, maybe I'm not so fortunate, depending on how you look at it. Uh I have two daughters that are nurses, and I have uh a sister that's a nurse, and uh I'm I um I kind of surrounded by nurses all the time. They they I get I get I get a lot of free advice. Um but um I tell I told them if I want a doctor to tell me I'm I'm chubby, I can go to him. But anyways, um the main thing is is we that that's a great idea, Larry. I mean, you don't know how that is a good idea. Let's let's let's let's do something about that.

SPEAKER_04 11:28

I think the biggest thing is is that the the politicians of Pett County right now, you know, or county commissioners, especially they're not thinking outside the box. They they've been sitting so long that they they've gotten stagnant. And the thing is, is that it's new ideas. They keep saying that they want to progress Fett County forward, but you're not progressing anything forward unless you bring new ideas in and act on it. I mean, unless you act on things, it's nothing but noise.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Well, both of us know we've all had it, we both had a bar five tractor parts, and and uh, you know, I mean we went to the John Deere store uh and we went to the we went to the um other other farm part stores and had to buy things and fix things. And one thing about a farmer, uh don't sometimes you don't get the part you need, but sometimes you get the part to be make it work, yeah. And uh and that that that's uh that's that's where we're at. Uh I I think about that a lot. Um, I I dealt with uh a couple companies out east, sold uh tractor parts uh different times. I mean it's a little different now than what it used to be. I mean, it used to be uh absolutely had to drive air. I mean, now with the way things are, you can pretty much get anything the next day if you get if you call by by noon. Yep. So I mean, some somebody has a way to get it to you. Um, and of course, we've all we've all made things work. I mean, you know, and uh yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, because I mean that's just the way it is. Way it is this is a great idea. I mean, I I always thought of I always thought the Fayette County would be a great place to uh raise

Building Agriculture Careers And Local Industry

SPEAKER_03 13:11

raise potatoes, and then we could have our own potato chip factory. Of course, I like potato chips, so that's that's me, but I think that'd be a great thing. But one of the things I really would like to see happen in Fayette County, I'd like to see us be really raising uh on some of this ground that uh nobody uses nothing. Uh I like to see us be free-ranging chickens and um maybe even turkeys. Yeah, um uh I like one of my favorite things to do is uh, and you can't do every I just don't but but uh I I like raising turkeys. I turkeys like you know, Benjamin Franklin wanted uh turkey to be the the national bird because uh but uh turkeys are actually pretty smart creatures. Uh and once you get a turkey about uh six weeks old, and it then not too much that can bother it. A fox or noxes won't bother them, but uh coyotes will, you know. Um but uh anyways, I think that's what we ought to do, but we could we could be raising turkeys, we could be processing them here or chickens or or and that's something you can turn over all the time.

SPEAKER_04 14:22

I mean, I think the biggest problem is is that whenever somebody says what's Fed County good at? Nobody has a bit of an answer. Well, you know, the senator said, Hey, you know, we're we're actually agriculture's our biggest thing, and I think tourism too. Well, why are we not exposing this stuff? Why are we not exposing agriculture in in the field of agriculture? You know, it doesn't take much but digging a little bit deeper to to scratch the surface to see exactly what could be brought into Fayette County, and you know, that's what we have to do. I I mean we we need Fayette County needs to set themselves aside and say this is what we're really good at, actually really be good at it. So you know, we get our name out there. You know, you go down to Lancaster, Lancaster known for. You know, the Amish. One time, one time it was tobacco, yeah. It well, it still is, really, when you think about it, because you got the Amish folks down there, and they're you know, they're raising, you know, you go through Lancaster, you go through Liditz, you go through all the small burden hand and things. I mean, that's all you see is big tobacco barns with the Amish. You've got the Amish with the uh tobacco. I mean, you know, they're making it. You know, I mean, Fayette County, we're agriculture. There, you know, there's nothing wrong with it. We're not Google, we're not, you know, you know, all these uh you know they keep wanting to bring in these tech jobs. And the thing is is that the you know the tech jobs that because they they're all down to Pittsburgh, you know, they're not even going into Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown's a pretty big booming place. So, you know, if they think that they're coming into Fayette County, the county commissioners are delusional.

SPEAKER_03 15:55

Well, I think we have to I think we have to move forward. And I I really like the agriculture idea. And uh, I'm gonna get with you on this, and we're gonna we're gonna do some work. We're gonna make some phone calls. Uh I that's that's one thing I do, I can help with. And I think that's what man, that would be an outstanding thing. I uh I I got to visit uh Finley, Ohio. That's uh that's one of the biggest vet programs in uh the state of Ohio where they go through vet and let them go, they go on to Ohio State, which has a big vet program. And uh I and the same way with Penn State. Penn State has they they they they have a lot of vets that graduate from there every year. So I wanna I I really think this is a grand idea. Um sorry, I I tell you what, you're you amaze me with this. This is a good idea. I mean, we yeah, everybody needs vet tax, everybody does. I mean, and maybe it can be a program where it's more than a vet tax.

SPEAKER_04 16:54

Yeah, it uh I think the biggest reason is is because that's close to my heart because I always wanted to be a veteran uh veterinarian. Unfortunately, life took a curve here and there and things like that, and life happens, but I always like to promote the veterinarian part of the agriculture because it is close to my heart and it makes sense, makes pure sense. Larry, we're gonna we're gonna conclude this up. Is there anything else you would like to say? Well, I'd just like all the voters to know that um I'm in your corner, you know. I want to be your sheepdog. I want to make sure that your voice is protected. I want to make sure your concerns and questions are addressed. Um, so you know if you feel it in your heart to vote for me on May 19th, I sure appreciate um everything. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

On this road called life, you have to take the good with the bad. Smile with the sad, love what you got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. People change, things go wrong. But just remember the ride goes on. God

Vote Ask And Closing Message

SPEAKER_03 17:53

bless each and every one of you, and God bless America. I am John Marietta, and I am the hillbelly.