Comments on: Campaigning the Old-Fashioned Way http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:24:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Constructivist http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-174028 The Constructivist Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:55:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-174028 Please keep the central/upstate/western NY commentary going. Not only is it a fun read from Fukuoka but also motivating to get that absentee ballot in early.... Please keep the central/upstate/western NY commentary going. Not only is it a fun read from Fukuoka but also motivating to get that absentee ballot in early….

]]> By: CJColucci http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173919 CJColucci Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:37:01 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173919 marcel: I actually think Syracuse is a good place to be from. Unfortunately, there isn't much to keep people there, so it isn't a particularly good place to go to. marcel: I actually think Syracuse is a good place to be from. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to keep people there, so it isn’t a particularly good place to go to.

]]> By: Matt Weiner http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173915 Matt Weiner Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:17:28 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173915 Belle, the best part (in a "shit-it-has-happened-here" way) of that is the last sentence: <i>He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his cell phone at an airport in the future.</i> I'm sure our new braintapping technology will reveal that the unspoken version of the sentence was "I will not speak in a foreign language on my cell phone at an airport in future, assholes." Belle, the best part (in a “shit-it-has-happened-here” way) of that is the last sentence:

He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his cell phone at an airport in the future.

I’m sure our new braintapping technology will reveal that the unspoken version of the sentence was “I will not speak in a foreign language on my cell phone at an airport in future, assholes.”

]]> By: Belle Waring http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173895 Belle Waring Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:13:19 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173895 not voting is the least of your worries, resident alien. I wouldn't donate any money to any muslim charities if I were you. or do anything suspicious, like <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/287261_tamil02ww.html" rel="nofollow">speaking Tamil</a>. not voting is the least of your worries, resident alien. I wouldn’t donate any money to any muslim charities if I were you. or do anything suspicious, like speaking Tamil.

]]> By: Hunter http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173888 Hunter Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:03:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173888 There was NO PRIMARY in the 24th congressional district. We Democratic voters did NOT get the chance to choose who would run for us, or we would have chosen someone else. The Democratic County Committees in our district chose Michael Arcuri, and forced other candidates to drop out far before the primaries. Arcuri is an idiot. I won't vote for him. There was NO PRIMARY in the 24th congressional district. We Democratic voters did NOT get the chance to choose who would run for us, or we would have chosen someone else.

The Democratic County Committees in our district chose Michael Arcuri, and forced other candidates to drop out far before the primaries.

Arcuri is an idiot. I won’t vote for him.

]]> By: dave heasman http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173881 dave heasman Wed, 04 Oct 2006 08:06:35 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173881 (Not that aliens like me can vote anyway.) To English eyes that looks like taxation without representation. Good job there's a traditional remedy for that. (Not that aliens like me can vote anyway.)

To English eyes that looks like taxation without representation. Good job there’s a traditional remedy for that.

]]> By: Mark Schmitt http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173848 Mark Schmitt Wed, 04 Oct 2006 03:21:15 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173848 Just to put the districts in perspective, the difference between one that Bush wins by six and one that Kerry won by 2 is roughly the difference between Colorado, which Bush won by 4, and Michigan, which Kerry won by 2.5. We accept that Sen. Salazar of Colorado had to seem pretty conservative to win that state; we would be shocked if a Michigan Senator had to talk that talk, and indeed, they don't. Just to put the districts in perspective, the difference between one that Bush wins by six and one that Kerry won by 2 is roughly the difference between Colorado, which Bush won by 4, and Michigan, which Kerry won by 2.5. We accept that Sen. Salazar of Colorado had to seem pretty conservative to win that state; we would be shocked if a Michigan Senator had to talk that talk, and indeed, they don’t.

]]> By: ed http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173846 ed Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:55:29 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173846 The support of the torture act is unforgivable, but fiscal conservatism is completely understandable. If you haven't noticed, the Republican Congress has not been fiscally conservative in any sense where the word might have some meaning, and in New York, the Republican governor and state senate are even worse. And if you are progressive, there are tons of wasteful spending in both the federal and state government that does absolutely nothing to promote economic equality. At the federal level, this is mostly the defense budget, in New York State, various contracts. I assume that both Massa and Acuri have spelled out which cuts in which programs they are willing to make? By the way, Acuri's opponent, Randy Meier, is considered to be one of the more liberal Republlican poltiicians in the state, so it may make sense for progressives to sit this race out. The support of the torture act is unforgivable, but fiscal conservatism is completely understandable. If you haven’t noticed, the Republican Congress has not been fiscally conservative in any sense where the word might have some meaning, and in New York, the Republican governor and state senate are even worse. And if you are progressive, there are tons of wasteful spending in both the federal and state government that does absolutely nothing to promote economic equality. At the federal level, this is mostly the defense budget, in New York State, various contracts.

I assume that both Massa and Acuri have spelled out which cuts in which programs they are willing to make?

By the way, Acuri’s opponent, Randy Meier, is considered to be one of the more liberal Republlican poltiicians in the state, so it may make sense for progressives to sit this race out.

]]> By: marcel http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173834 marcel Tue, 03 Oct 2006 23:11:23 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173834 <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173805" rel="nofollow">Hey cjcolucci</a>. It's amazing how many of us "former Syracuse natives" there are. Some people bought the house next to me a few months ago, and I discovered that he grew up on the other side of town, his family was friends with a family up the block, and he graduated from CBA the same year I graduated from Nottingham. Anyway, I remember Walsh from my childhood, and that awful Democrat, Jim Hanley. Yucch. A new slogan for the city - "Syracuse: better to be from it than in it!" Hey cjcolucci. It’s amazing how many of us “former Syracuse natives” there are. Some people bought the house next to me a few months ago, and I discovered that he grew up on the other side of town, his family was friends with a family up the block, and he graduated from CBA the same year I graduated from Nottingham. Anyway, I remember Walsh from my childhood, and that awful Democrat, Jim Hanley. Yucch.

A new slogan for the city – “Syracuse: better to be from it than in it!”

]]> By: Brian http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173831 Brian Tue, 03 Oct 2006 22:58:14 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173831 Mark knows a lot more about this stuff than I do, but I'm surpised that the difference between R+1 and D+3 is enough to warrant the different strategies. But I should defer to experts on this. I agree that it would be great if NY-25 got more national attention; it seems like a great race. I actually live in neither of these districts, but in Ithaca which is squeezed into the safely Democratic 22nd. (Not that aliens like me can vote anyway.) I'm surprised I haven't seen more advertising here for the 29th - its boundary is only a few miles away - but I'm not that shocked Massa is running a conservative campaign. And given that his opponent is Randy Kuhl, I wouldn't even have to bite the bullet to support him. (Given Kuhl's previous bad behaviour with shotguns, this might be a bad metaphor!) Mark knows a lot more about this stuff than I do, but I’m surpised that the difference between R+1 and D+3 is enough to warrant the different strategies. But I should defer to experts on this. I agree that it would be great if NY-25 got more national attention; it seems like a great race.

I actually live in neither of these districts, but in Ithaca which is squeezed into the safely Democratic 22nd. (Not that aliens like me can vote anyway.) I’m surprised I haven’t seen more advertising here for the 29th – its boundary is only a few miles away – but I’m not that shocked Massa is running a conservative campaign. And given that his opponent is Randy Kuhl, I wouldn’t even have to bite the bullet to support him. (Given Kuhl’s previous bad behaviour with shotguns, this might be a bad metaphor!)

]]> By: eweininger http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173829 eweininger Tue, 03 Oct 2006 22:47:29 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173829 We have something similar with the nearby 29th, where Eric Massa is running against the incumbent Republican, Somebody Kuhl. Massa's ads are all about his "fiscal conservativism" (they flash that term over and over) and his military service. I guess you do have to swallow some of the anti-tax stuff if you want to pick off a couple of these districts. After the implorations of a friend who's a local Dem activist, I bit the bullet and sent a check. We have something similar with the nearby 29th, where Eric Massa is running against the incumbent Republican, Somebody Kuhl. Massa’s ads are all about his “fiscal conservativism” (they flash that term over and over) and his military service. I guess you do have to swallow some of the anti-tax stuff if you want to pick off a couple of these districts. After the implorations of a friend who’s a local Dem activist, I bit the bullet and sent a check.

]]> By: The Navigator http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173825 The Navigator Tue, 03 Oct 2006 22:16:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173825 Was there no primary in the 24th? I assume Democratic primary voters, who are generally presumed to be more liberal than the average Dem voter in the general, chose Arcuri to run. I realize it's not that simple - there are matters of the DCCC recruiting candidates, and the party and big donors making it clear beforehand who they'll help and who they won't - but it's just not the case that the party simply anoints the nominee. And even if the DCCC or Dean at the DNC wanted to recruit and support a "real Democrat," they can't just conjure one out of thin air - there's got to be someone already in the district who has a reasonable chance of winning in November. Was there no primary in the 24th? I assume Democratic primary voters, who are generally presumed to be more liberal than the average Dem voter in the general, chose Arcuri to run. I realize it’s not that simple – there are matters of the DCCC recruiting candidates, and the party and big donors making it clear beforehand who they’ll help and who they won’t – but it’s just not the case that the party simply anoints the nominee. And even if the DCCC or Dean at the DNC wanted to recruit and support a “real Democrat,” they can’t just conjure one out of thin air – there’s got to be someone already in the district who has a reasonable chance of winning in November.

]]> By: CJColucci http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173805 CJColucci Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:17:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173805 As a former Syracuse native, NY-25, I doubt that Walsh is fooling anyone about his Republican bona fides. His father was (Republican) mayor for many years. As a former Syracuse native, NY-25, I doubt that Walsh is fooling anyone about his Republican bona fides. His father was (Republican) mayor for many years.

]]> By: Mark Schmitt http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/comment-page-1/#comment-173802 Mark Schmitt Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:36:25 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/03/campaigning-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173802 NY-24 and NY-25 are not that similar. Bush won NY-24 by six points, and Charlie Cook's "Partisan Voting Index" rates it R+1 -- slightly leaning Republican. In NY-25, Bush lost by two points, and Cook rates it D+3. I hate to hear that kind of language, but Arcuri does have to win over some genuine Republicans in order to win that much more rural district. Hopefully you live in NY-25, where your Democrat is Dan Maffei, who not only wouldn't run on a cheap anti-tax platform, but previously worked on the Ways and Means Committee for Congressman Rangel. He's a great candidate. It's a mystery to me why NY-25 and a few other NY districts get all the attention, while Walsh, who is scrambling to dissasociate himself from Bush, DeLay and everything else he stands for, in a hostile district against a good challenger, is barely noticed. NY-24 and NY-25 are not that similar. Bush won NY-24 by six points, and Charlie Cook’s “Partisan Voting Index” rates it R+1—slightly leaning Republican. In NY-25, Bush lost by two points, and Cook rates it D+3. I hate to hear that kind of language, but Arcuri does have to win over some genuine Republicans in order to win that much more rural district.

Hopefully you live in NY-25, where your Democrat is Dan Maffei, who not only wouldn’t run on a cheap anti-tax platform, but previously worked on the Ways and Means Committee for Congressman Rangel. He’s a great candidate. It’s a mystery to me why NY-25 and a few other NY districts get all the attention, while Walsh, who is scrambling to dissasociate himself from Bush, DeLay and everything else he stands for, in a hostile district against a good challenger, is barely noticed.

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