Wild Pitch

“Is this the Republican convention?”

Dan Dolan, Iowa Republican running for Congress

Photo by IowaPolitics.com (Creative Commons)

In the game of politics, it takes only one pitch to strike out. Dan Dolan, a Republican from Iowa running for Congress, found that out the hard way in a roomful of Democrats in Albia, Iowa (population 3,530).

Mr. Dolan showed up at the Monroe County Courthouse at 11 a.m. March 10 to give his pitch for office. Unfortunately for Mr. Dolan, the Republicans weren’t scheduled to meet until 1 p.m. It was the Democrats who were meeting at the courthouse at 11 a.m.

With typical Iowa hospitality, the Democratic attendees listened to Mr. Dolan’s entire speech before a gentleman raised his hand and inquired, “Are you sure you’re at the right convention?”

The red-faced Republican made his apologies and beat a hasty retreat. Mr. Dolan doesn’t know if he earned any votes that day, but he says he did learn his lesson. From now on he checks to make sure he’s with the right team before making his pitch.

Read more → Rashah McChesney, GOP candidate gives pitch at wrong convention, Quad City Times, March 12, 2012.