Beth Ann Rosica:  Will Shapiro step up after being turned down?

Speculations abound as to the reason Shapiro was not selected to run with Kamala Harris as Vice President. We will likely never learn the real reasons, though the reality is probably some combination of the issues, ranging from his religion and stance on Israel to the perception that he is overly ambitious and might upstage Harris to his failure to address the sexual harassment allegations in his own office to breaking his commitment to enact school choice options for students in failing schools.

While the rest of the country has moved on and off Shapiro, we in Pennsylvania are left wondering whether he learned anything as a result of this process. Will we see a different governing style in the aftermath of his experience in the limelight?

Assuming his political aspirations have not changed and he still plans a presidential run in 2028 or later, Shapiro now has an opportunity to address the issues that may have resulted in being passed over for the VP spot.

Last month, I described Shapiro as a wolf in sheep’s clothing due to his pandering to both sides on many issues, including the Lifeline Scholarship program for students in failing schools.

This is just one of many issues where he says one thing and does something different.

Shapiro claims to support the rights of women, particularly their reproductive rights. He posted on Facebook, “As long as I am your Governor, I will defend women’s freedom to choose and abortion access in Pennsylvania.”

Yet, when it came to defending women from sexual harassment in his own office, Shapiro fell short. He claims he was unaware of the allegations made by a staffer in his office until far after the fact, despite the evidence suggesting otherwise.

The National Women’s Defense League called him out for mishandling the situation. 

Shapiro now has an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. There are lingering questions about the robustness of the investigation and when he specifically was made aware of the allegations. This is the time to stand firm for women and either come clean about his mishandling of the allegations or publicly hold those accountable who were responsible. 

He should acknowledge any failings of his response and/or the system and implement training and procedures to ensure women are protected in the legislative and executive offices. 

He should – but will he?

The same can be said for the Lifeline Scholarships for students in failing schools. He ran a campaign based on supporting this initiative. He earned votes for his support of the program, and yet, when the rubber met the road, he failed to deliver — not just once, but twice.

There are many students in failing schools whose parents were counting on the Lifeline Scholarships to give them an actual “lifeline” out of poverty. Most of these students are minorities and their families are in the lower socioeconomic bracket.

Shapiro still has the opportunity to fulfill his campaign promise and work with both sides to get the Lifeline Scholarships passed. He can stop pandering to the teachers’ unions who financially supported his election. He can stop talking out of both sides of his mouth with the statement, “every child of God deserves a quality education,” despite vetoing the scholarship program last year.

Now is the time for Shapiro to stand up to the special interest groups and do what is right for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable children.

He should — but will he?

In his statement after Harris announced Walz as her running mate, Shapiro said, “As I have said repeatedly over the past several weeks, the running mate was a deeply personal decision for the Vice President – and it was also a deeply personal decision for me. Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished – there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth.”

He intimated the decision was partly his. Maybe that is true and maybe it is not. He said he wants to get more done for Pennsylvanians. Let’s hope he means it.

And if true, it is time to stand firm and unequivocal on his promises. Stop pandering to both sides and get the Lifeline Scholarships enacted. Truly stand up for women by accepting responsibility for what happened in his office and ensure it never happens again. Focus on Pennsylvania rather than on personal political ambitions.

If Shapiro wants to win a national election, now is the time to change his governing style. Less talk and more action would be a great start, especially for a guy whose slogan is “get shit done”.

Reflection and humility are signs of a good leader – acknowledge and learn from your mistakes and adjust your style and behaviors accordingly. 

The question remains: will Shapiro govern differently? For the sake of Pennsylvania, I hope so.

Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.