Mastriano and the power of Facebook | Morning Newsletter
And meet the artist of the Marian Anderson statue.
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The Morning Newsletter
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In the fight for the Pennsylvania governor’s seat, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro is quietly running a strong campaign against state Sen. Doug Mastriano, according to all major recent public polls.
Although Mastriano’s campaign is struggling as we get closer to Election Day, he insists on campaigning within an echo chamber of his hard core supporters. Our lead story focuses on how he used Facebook Live to build his fervent base and unexpectedly clinch the Republican nomination for governor.
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— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The Inquirer spent about 50 hours watching Doug Mastriano’s “fireside chat style” Facebook Live streams dating to September 2020.
Through an interactive tool, our reporters — with the help of experts — walk you through how Mastriano speaks to his followers.
He addresses supporters who tune in by name. It feels intimate and contributes to a parasocial relationship, a type that is common among online spaces. You feel like you know them but they don’t know you.
At some point, he will mention that he’s being “maligned” and attacked with “baseless claims” to illustrate that he’s oppressed.
He uses Christian nationalist talking points and frames himself as knowing God’s will. He asserts that he and his followers are the on the side of righteousness while his opponents — Democrats — are not.
One quick note: Stylistically, he’s very calm and friendly with an unassuming demeanor. It sets him apart from other right-wing leaders.
Keep reading to get a further explanation of how Mastriano used the platform to attract supporters and make an unexpectedly successful bid for the Republican nomination.
What you should know today
It looks like Philly will scale back a process for catching double votes to adhere to GOP “election integrity” rules.
John Fetterman has more campaign money than Mehmet Oz heading toward the end of a tight U.S. Senate race.
A 15-year-old suspect in the Roxborough shooting surrendered and turned himself in to the police.
Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Philadelphia’s Marian Anderson sculpture, dubbed Freedom Rings, will stand outside of the Academy of Music. It’ll stand tall, finished with fired bronze, in front of a series of rippling gold rings symbolizing sound waves.
Tanda Francis, the designer with a substantial public-art portfolio whose work centers on diasporic African people, was chosen among five finalists extracted from 53 hopefuls.
She told The Inquirer she wants to portray the iconic singer and civil rights leader as an “Afro-future goddess” with a “graceful, angelic feel.”
Keep reading to learn more about the artist and her plans to honor Marian Anderson.
Lately, home sales are slower and prices are high.
Rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty stemming from inflation and recession fears have helped decelerate the Philadelphia region’s housing market.
Fewer buyers are on the hunt for homes, but housing supply remains tight, so those who are searching are still competing.
Prices are rising faster in the Philadelphia region than in other major Mid-Atlantic markets. The median sales price in the Philadelphia metro area was $330,000 in September — up 6.5% from the same time last year.
Keep reading to understand how the market is affecting both buyers’ and sellers’ behavior.
What we’re ...
📰 Perusing: The history of Wawa’s on-again, off-again relationship with Center City.
🏀 Contemplating: The Sixers’ ability to live up to their own hype heading into tonight’s season opener against the Boston Celtics. 🔑
💸 Sharing: How to fill out the federal student loan forgiveness application.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: A head coach
ANNI CRISNIKI
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com . We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Pamela Reese, who correctly guessed Gregory Eddie as Monday’s answer.
Photo of the Day
And that’s it from me. I’m starting my day with jelly and toast 🍞. Thanks for starting yours with The Inquirer.