Mar 20, 2018 3 min read

The good folks at Sarris Candies have absolutely nothing to apologize for. At least not to those who objected to the Rick Saccone and Donald Trump Jr. visit. Sarris has a history of success and philanthropy that is known far beyond this corner of Pennsylvania. I’m sure Sarris employees have hosted politicians, celebrities, corporate CEOs, sports stars, et al, over the years and were happy to do it.

If anything, Sarris should apologize to Saccone. The managers of Sarris have demonstrated business acumen few have attained. Their branding and promotional skills exceed most, no matter the field. Good leaders of such organizations have no problems sharing their methods of success. I know it was late in the campaign, but they could have joined Saccone and Trump Jr. at the table to mentor Saccone on the right way to communicate a positive message.

President Trump coming here to tout Saccone and his America-first policies and putting Americans back to work in manufacturing while standing in an equipment rental shop surrounded by foreign-made industrial tools does not project a good image. Trump returning to stand in a hangar and denigrate others not connected to District 18 with racist and misogynist code while barely speaking his candidate’s name is not smart promotion.

There is no question that Conor Lamb was by far the better candidate, but the help he got from those outside the district stands out. When Joe Biden tells constituents at a union hall and on a college campus that Lamb reminds him of his son Beau and backs it up with details, you have branding done the right way. When the president of the UMWA gives a “fire and brimstone” speech to miners and their friends and families about who is going to help them most, you know he is speaking from the heart, especially when some of those standing behind him were the same Democrats who helped get a $3 million grant for a retraining center out-of-work miners. That’s character backed by substance.

It doesn’t matter whether those who run Sarris are Republican or Democrat. I hope that they continue to host the well known among us. It’s not their fault that some have the moral flaws and the proven inability to listen and lead of Trump and a man who claimed to be “Trump before Trump became Trump.” Maybe next time they can share with their Republican visitors how important it has been to them to have the character and substance shown by their founder. 

Ron Christman

Washington