Primaries FTW
NY-26:
When Jon Powers announced last year, his primary focus was the Iraq War. As that issue faded from people’s consciousness due to an improved security scenario in that quagmire of ours, he had to change his strategy. All the numbers pointed to a Davis win if for nothing else, on his sheer name recognition. One way to counteract name recognition is to make that name seem unelectable. Powers started gently going negative on Jack with the Exxon Jack crack. Davis retaliated with a vengeance, and did everything within his power and checkbook to destroy Powers. War Kids, the ticket, PAC money, that’s all well and good, but the Powers Platoon hit site was a killer. It became a battle royal. Kryzan had been counted out for most of the campaign, but she came out from behind the fray with a clever but negative ad, which created its own buzz. She followed that up with a straight negative ad that was neither clever nor truthful, but it was enough.
Because Powers and Davis spent so much time bashing each other, 2/3 of Kryzan’s job was done for her without her having to spend a dime. She needed one thing to stand out, and the “boys, take it somewhere else” ad was just the ticket. She comes out of this relatively unscathed, so Republican Chris Lee doesn’t have a lot of negative ammunition to use against her. Hopefully Kryzan is able to capitalize on the desire for change in Washington and take the seat away from the Republicans.
I am disappointed in Powers’ loss, but take great, great pleasure in the fact that Jack Davis’ political career is now extinct. I’ll be he’s “relieved” he lost. Again. To top it off, a Davis “Brand New Man” just ran on WBEN. At 9:30. On Wednesday. Fail.
SD-61
I hand it to Michele Iannello for running on issues. Her 40 ideas in 40 days was a great idea, and gave voters something to think about. She was outspent and outcampaigned by Joe Mesi and his Responsible New York benefactors. Mesi faces Mike Ranzenhofer, and he’s got a great opportunity to defeat the Republican. Mesi’s got the money, and Ranzenhofer has a negligble record given his 20 years in office.
SD-59
Volker out-spent and out-hacked David DiPietro. Volker likes to play himself as being upstate’s champion, but he’s just as cozy with downstate interests as anyone else in Albany. He faces Kathy Konst, who is a ferocious campaigner, has money, and hasn’t been in elected office since this 40 year old was 3.
A-142 / 144
Why did Hoyt win with his intern problem and Cole lost with his more benign one?
1. Sam Hoyt has a dense urban district that is very politically active, and he has a veritable army of die-hard supporters who did the hard work to keep him around. They worked their asses off, and succeeded.
2. Mike Cole has a suburban/rural district and is a relative newcomer, except in Alden. He doesn’t have a supporter base like Sam’s.
3. Kavanaugh’s surrogates in the Pigeon/Casey/Brown camp took negative politicking to new lows this season. The depths of their gutter-dwelling may have helped Kavanaugh up to a point, but their zeal was so strong that they crossed a line – a line that I haven’t yet defined – that ultimately swung it right back in their butts.
4. Hoyt was up their with his wife, sister, and kids last night at Ellicott Square. You can tell that they all love and support each other very, very much. You can tell that he and his wife went through a very tough time in their marriage, but to their credit, they stayed together and worked through it. When you see Sam and his family, it hits you just how monstrously damaging it was to dredge up what was probably among their most difficult period as a family. Think what you want of Sam, but his wife didn’t deserve this. His kids didn’t deserve this. Yes, it was Sam’s fault. But bringing this stuff up in the way that they did merely victimized them all over again. Shame on them.
5. Hoyt’s hands are not clean on this. Everyone in the media has been receiving emails for weeks from some cryptic organization calling itself “WNY First”. The emails accuse a prominent local politician of being involved in what, if true, would be a blockbuster scandal. So far, no proof has been forthcoming and what WNY First has sent out purporting to be proof has been so transparently false as to be laughable. It’s been funny to watch local media – especially Channel 7 – trip over themselves to get the scoop. Hey, we’re just as curious as everyone else to see what kind of “proof” they have, but it’s most likely all a bunch of BS.
6. Cole is a Republican. He ran partly on his family values in 2006. When you tout that, don’t fall asleep on an intern’s apartment floor. Period.
7. Cole is a one-termer. Unlike Sam, he doesn’t have much of a legislative record to run on. No big thinking, no real initiative. When worse came to worse, he had no record to fall back on. Hoyt did.
Finally, the races hardly anyone really pays attention to were among the most important yesterday.
The Pigeon/Casey/Brown forces have been running candidates in committee races in the city in an effort to unseat county party chairman Len Lenihan. Their candidate to do so was Cheektowaga’s Frank Max. Every single one of Byron’s committee candidates lost last night, and so did Frank Max. One of the winning committeepeople didn’t even know he was running until that morning. With the exception of the Mesi race, City Hall’s effort to take over the county party was dealt a crushing defeat last night.
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Who is going to be the cover next week Hudson?
“He ran partly on his family values in 2006. When you tout that, don’t fall asleep on an intern’s apartment floor. Period.”
Agreed. But I don’t believe for a second he slept on the floor.
Okay. I have decided I am glad I can focus on Sarah Palin now that the primary is over. She is a serial liar. I need the extra time to keep track of all the lies!
Glad to see jackson smiles is taking this so well.
You are correct that Davis attached Powers from the very beginning and was effective. You fail to point out that, from the very same beginning, Powers sole focus was on hammering Davis. Frankly, they deserve each other.
I take it from the vitriol you’ve spewed at Kryzan that you’re voting for Lee? That must really hurt. Or will you pull the level for “a lying c–t”?
@jackson smiles — “If anything – Powers was able to revolutionize campaigning and fundraising, bringing light to the Facebook, blog, actblue, Netroots world.”
And. He. Lost. Absolutely revolutionary!
By the way, Powers — like all vets — is to be honored for their service to us and our country. How that makes him remotely qualified to serve in Congress escapes me and, apparently, it escaped a whole big pile of Democrats.
Sorry…attacked Powers, not attached.
BP, so now you know my thoughts? Please tell me why I use it then.
Jackson, I was on record against Jonny long before Davis sent out any mailers or aired any commercials against him. In fact, I think if you look back on this site, you’ll see me lined up against your hero before Jackie Jacko even entered the race.
Your post smacks of elitism. I was told I wasn’t qualified to even criticize Jonny, now it sounds like you’re saying the Democrats in the district were too dumb and brainwashed to really the savior was in their midst. Jonny didn’t revolutionize anything. He lost. His fundraising was directed by party insiders in DC–nothing revolutionary there. His campaign was unsuccessful. And what makes him an “honored” veteran of this country? Yes, he’s a vet and like all other vets that carries its own honor, but was he decorated for his service at all? If he was, he should have stated that and made it a bigger part of his campaign.
The FAIL is all Jonny’s. If he’s half as great as you think he is then he has to be a colossal failure to not get elected.
“realize” not “really”
You know exactly why.
Wow! This is amazing how nasty everyone gets about their candidates even within the same party. The reason nothing will truly change in WNY is probably all of this. How counter-productive.
Since both parties have been around for a very long time and each has held positions of power, what difference does it make?? As voters we are truly the only ones to blame, because we always get swept up in this ridiculous hype.
I don’t know Jon Powers at all and I’m sure he is a good guy, but how in the heck does military service equate to such a prominent position in government? A record of advancement in the military would show me more value in determining his abilities to assume greater responsibilities, I suppose. When are we just going to choose political leaders that recognize that government should not be our state’s #1 industry. NYC and Buffalo are two highest unionized cities in the country. This is primarily goverment unions friends = High Taxes, period!
Lets face it our public servants get better pay and benefits, by far, than the average private sector employee who supports them with disproportionate taxes in this state. This is generally a democratic position, as we are generally a democratic state. It is why I generally vote Republican. But now we have a new Democratic Govenor who appears to be bucking that trend.
This Democratic Govenor reasonates with what I think is important, far better than our last one (I guess I have a prositute(s) to thank for that). I even feel he is doing more than the Republican Govenor I voted for before him I wish we could eliminate both the parties and start over.
I do appreciate that Kryzan won her party’s primary. Mainly because she focused far less on the character assasinations than her opponents. What I didn’t care for was her statement that she was a true Democrat. Who cares? Now that just sends a message to me that if I vote for her, I’ll be voting for her party politics.
This system is counter-productive to us as a whole, in my opinion.
@buffalomom — “Okay. I have decided I am glad I can focus on Sarah Palin now that the primary is over. She is a serial liar. I need the extra time to keep track of all the lies!”
Translation — “Powers lost? Shit, I need to change the subject quick.”
Funny, funny stuff.
it was the powers campaign that ran the ads saying davis was guilty of bribery. it was dan rivera, an ardent powers supporter and fundraiser, who targeted the niagara falls reporter with a subpoena from the state board of elections in a pathetic attempt to “uncover” evidence of a fiduciary relationship between the paper and davis (there was none). and it was also rivera/powers who decided to waste the taxpayers’ money by bringing in the niagara county da in order to smear davis even further.
the powers campaign — and the internet cadre that tirelessly called people’s names and questioned their motives throughout the primary — backfired seriously. i believe the current hate being directed sarah palin’s way will have the same effect on the obama campaign.
in any event, combined with the shady war orphan charity, the bust for motherfucking a cop in cleveland and using campaign money to pay his own rent, not to mention the fact that he can’t seem to find steady employment in the real world, got powers the result he deserved, if not the one that was predicted by most of the chatterers here (russ, hank & chris emempted).
exempted, i meant.
Powers lost so what, he will find another tit to suck on, Dan Rivera can get him a job on the water board or power authority. Just like Bill Ross did for Rob Daly, but chicken shit hudson will never write about it.
In his weekly pennysaver, not being a blow-hard Rush wanta be blogger.
Steve…
Two of my candidates lost. That was Powers and Iannello. There it is in black and white. I’m a big girl and can handle it.
You suggesting I want to change the topic is just avoiding the fact that Sarah Palin is Dan Quayle in a dress. It’s a long way until November. They can’t possibly keep her away from real questions that long. Or maybe they can. The Republicans are VERY good at lying.
The primary is over. Two people I supported lost. Yes. Indeed. Thanks for telling me. Taunt all you want. It doesn’t matter.
Oh Jesus. Yep. Sarah Palin. Agent of change? Lie.
Palin team stocked with Bush veterans
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/13323
How can you call more of the same change? Hmmm.
How does being a lawyer defending huge corporations that helped attribute to disease and death in the love canal make you a candidate for Congress? Is Congress that elite? It was started so that every person could run as a representative – farmers, doctors, lawyers, soldiers. This country unfortunately has gotten away from that. Now you must be a millionaire to run for Congress.
Russell – you’re correct … you were an asshole well before Davis “got on the scene.”
I will be voting for the Working Families Party – for Powers. Kryzan will never get my vote. Lee will not either, although my vote will probably add to his victory.
I encourage all – WFP in ‘08!
And Hudson -
It’s funny you mock a man like Powers. He can have a job within days and probably will.
Yet, here you will be sitting in your basement jerking off living a miserable life. Perhaps Joan Capone can pray for your wasted semen that is dying on your keyboard.
If the chicken shit person hiding behind “buffalomom” looks deeper than the latest DNC/KOS/Huffington talking points, you’ll find the “per diem”
meme is just the latest smear.
Sit in Buffalo, the liberal utopia, which is beginning to look like Orwells Oceania of 1984, and piss and moan all you like. Perhaps in 8-12 years President Palin will come and anoint Buffalo.
If you’re such a “big girl”, then you’ll be ready for the disappointments coming your way in November. Good on ya.
@Hank -
“you’ll be ready for the disappointments coming your way in November.”
Not half as much as the heartbreak you’re in for in January 2009 when you turn on your TV for the Inauguration and see a black man taking the oath of office.
Racist yokel oafs like you will probably be sucking on exhaust pipes all over this great land.
@ buffalomom — “You suggesting I want to change the topic is just avoiding the fact that Sarah Palin is Dan Quayle in a dress.”
I wasn’t avoiding anything about Sarah Palin, I was simply having fun with the “fact” that in a post/comments dedicated to post-primary navel-gazing, the best you could come up with in your Jon Powers induced trauma was to change the subject.
I know you don’t care, but as long as you’ve brought it up…I really haven’t made up my mind yet about the presidential race. There is little to like and much to dislike about both tickets. I do know, though, that if you believe that only Republicans are “really good at lying,” you might want to lay off the kool-aid.
Yes, indeed, how CAN you call more of the same change? Joe Biden?
Good luck with that.
This is the one and only time I think I’ll ever say this, but if you’re a democrat and you’re even considering straying off the party line in the congressional election, you’re an idiot.
They’re both going to be freshman congressmen. They’ll vote with party leaders every single time so no matter what issues they think they’re ‘running on’ the simple fact is, they both will have very little pull to do much of anything for the region. The House is probably going to stay democratic so Kryzan may be able to siphon some pork our way in a way Lee can’t but other than that, you’re picking which party you want in power, not which person will better ‘champion the region’.
A democratic vote for Lee will do nothing more than make it harder on democrats to get things done in Washington. I really doubt Jon Powers and Alice Kryzan would have differed in their voting records after their first term in office so by pouting and being bitter you’re guy didn’t win, you’re only shooting yourself in the foot.
Humanist–another power hiding like a punk behind a screen name–
I heard the same shit here for months about John Kerry in 2004.
Didn’t hear very much about it the day after the election.
Nice try though.
I’m not voting for Obama because he’s black. I’m not voting for him because he’s ignorant, has no experience, and is the product of the most corrupt political cartel save Tammany Hall, the Chicago Democrat Machine.
just because Buffaloons think that the whole country is just jam packed with liberals, DOES NOT make it so. And in November you’ll find that out AGAIN–Just like you did in 04.
Also- Seeing how Hank says the surge worked, I guess that means we can get rid of the Patriot Act because we’ve won and can have our civil liberties back, right buddy?
For the last time Hudson… I have a screen name because of whackos like you. All I need is you getting all ginned up and showing up at my front door scaring the kids.
You should be less concerned about outing people and more concerned with getting out of your basement. I think the fresh air and sunlight would do you good.
And Steve – there is no trauma about any of these races. You win some. You lose some. Disappointed? Yup. Trauma. Nope. It’s a fact, albeit a sad one, that better people with better ideas don’t always win. Look at the last 8 years in the White House for Christ’s sake. A complete moron got elected to the highest office in the land. Shit happens. I will go to my grave knowing full well that Powers was the best guy in the race. And on with life. Oh, see people without lives probably have a hard time grasping that.
BP – maybe you need to put the part about not being a libelous, hatefilled tool in bold letters. All very sad. Takes the intelligent right out of the conversation.
***mike hudson Says:
September 10th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
i just hope one of the powers platoon people sees fit to give the apparently unemployable former candidate a job so he has something to live on while preparing to run for clarence dogcatcher in two years.****
Maybe lulu could give her (?) good friend a job at her/his company ?
Oh, and hank … the Humorist isn’t really “hiding”. Just click his name and go to his blog .
Humorist : is that a picture of Harvey Fierstein & Superfly Jimmy Snuka on your home page ?
Never too keen to agree with my nemesis Hank … but the surge HAS worked. Hell, even Obama admitted it. Just what “civil liberties” did YOU lose, Splett ?
You forgot to mention that Sam Hoyt lost his committee race.
As did Barbra Kavanaugh.
Touché!
I lost the liberty of being assured my government isn’t spying on me without a warrant to start with. I was kind of a fan of the fourth amendment.
Take off the tinfoil hat Jon.
If the “government” wanted to spy on you, prior to the Patriot Act … do you think the lack of a warrant was going to stop them ?
Don’t answer that … I think there is a camera in your monitor ….
You also forgot to mention Len Lenihan illegally used party resources for mailings promoting committeepeople that are friendly to him and Hoyt. So much for “democracy” in the Democratic Party.
Pre-patriot act, they could spy all they wanted and a judge would have quickly thrown out anything they found would have been tossed out as evidence.
Now, anything they find is nice and legal to submit.
Please, explain to me how the Patriot Act protected me from terrorism by helping bring down Spitzer for banging whores….http://www.newsweek.com/id/123489
No one’s coming after me because I’m a nobody. But come on. You sift through anyones life for long enough, you’ll find something to bring them down on. The Patriot Act makes it so those in power can spy on political opponents and tear them down before they become a threat. If you don’t think that’s a problem in a democracy, I don’t know what to tell you.
Blah. That first paragraph should say ‘a judge would have quickly thrown out any evidence they found’.
We need a comment edit feature up in this bitch.
Splett said: “If you’re a democrat and you’re even considering straying off the party line in the congressional election, you’re an idiot.”
And what if your a Dem who supports McCain?
If you’re a democrat who supports McCain, you’re not a democrat so stop calling yourself one. You’re a right winger who feels too guilty to admit you’re a republican.
These aren’t sports teams you grow up rooting for. They’re parties with platforms and if you’re a democrat and vote for John McCain, I’m not exactly sure which part of your parties platform you’re all about.
Splett – why can’t people vote for the person?
If you’re a democrat and you’re even considering straying off the party line in the congressional election, you’re an idiot.”
If that was the case everyong would have voted for the endorsed candidate and Kryzan and Davis would’ve stepped down.
Splett you are what is wrong with politics today. And lying politicians like Kryzan and Davis are too. Kryzan’s final attack ad on War Kids proves she’s not “above the dirty.”
wow. the same people who said powers was gonna win now says obama’s gonna win!
jackass smiles, bigasabuffalomom, humorist, wiztard, they know lots about politics. they are particularly well informed!
Voting for the person is heartwarming and all, but if you want your government to enact policy YOU believe in, you need to elect leaders who will vote the way you would vote. If you’re voting for Chris Lee, most of the time when he casts a vote, it’s going to be against what you want to see done if you’re a democrat. You may think he’s a way cooler guy but if he’s going to vote against your interests in Washington, he’s not helping you.
Voting based on how much you like the politician as a person is what’s wrong with politics today.
And for the record, I’m a registered Green voting for Nader. Please don’t tell me I don’t vote for the person or party I believe in. I vote for people who will run the government the way I want it run because that’s the only way I can tell my government what to do as a voter. It’s why I prefaced my comment the way I did. In congressional elections, you’re essentially voting for what party you want to control the house and senate. Your NOT voting for a person because the reality of the way congress works is that your person is going to do what they’re told until they’ve established themselves in DC.
Voting for Lee will in no way advance the democratic agenda and if you’re a registered democrat, I’d assume that’s something you’d want to help advance.
You vote for the PERSON in the election for class president.
When you are talking about matters of public policy, fiscal policy, appointing Supreme Court Justices, etc, I mean, come on.
“These aren’t sports teams you grow up rooting for. They’re parties with platforms and if you’re a democrat and vote for John McCain, I’m not exactly sure which part of your parties platform you’re all about.”
Splett, this (as well as your other recent comments) is spot on.
Here we go again.. Buffalomom is suffering from Cat Scratch fever over Sarah Palin.
Steve Casey lost because over the last two and half years, some residents of this city have asked their neighbors to watch the pitiful performances by Mayor Urkel and his department heads on public access tv during the much touted Citistat meetings. Mayor Urkel thinks that scripted performances every two weeks in these meetings are a positive communication device: surprise the public can see through these phony meetings and what we have discovered is that Mayor Urkel has no clothes. My only wish was that some of the council members had permanent seats at these meetings so they could have exposed themselves also. The change will come next year.
Splett, you have got to be joking. A catholic Democrat can’t be against abortion? A Republican can’t be against prayer in schools or pro-choice? In fact people who adopt any party line as their opinion on all issues are usually pretty stupid, like Rush Limbaugh dittoheads, or their Democrat equivalents that listen to Air America or whatever they get programmed by. I don’t care much about the character of candidates myself, but people who do might have a point, sometimes it gets in the way of enacting legislation. How much is Spitzer getting done in Albany right now?
As if he was taken down for his “character flaws.” Lots of pols do hookers and blow. He was taken down because his enemies found a hook, pissant.
If you’re an anti-abortion democrat voting Chris Lee because you think abortion is such a paramount issue that you only care what your congressmen does in regards to abortion related votes then why are you registered a democrat? You’re a one issue voter who leans democrat once that issue is out of the way, you’re not a democrat. Join the right to life party.
I disagree with my party on things all the time. Despite the fact I’m a Green, I’ll never let an environmental issue sway my vote. My boy Nader is against nuclear energy and I’m for it. Am I going to bail on every other part of his platform I agree with over that? No, because on the whole, the vast majority of the time, he’s going to put forth plans I agree with and push a platform I want to see happen.
I also find it interesting you used the term ‘catholic’ and not ‘pro-life’. How is taking your marching orders from a religious organization any different than taking them from a political party? Religions have been brainwashing people since before Rush or Air America ever existed.
My overall point was if you want your government to work for you, you need to vote on issues before character. You find what issues matter to you, you find the party that will advance those issues, and you elect those people to office. If that’s anti-abortion for you, you should be backing the Republicans because they’ll help you get what you want. If anti-abortion isn’t the most important issue in the world to you and on the whole you’d rather see everything else the democrats are pushing come to fruition, vote for the democrat in congress. But to vote for a democrat to vote Chris Lee then bitch about what the republicans do in congress is stupid. You voted for a republican who voted for republican measures. That was your congressional choice and now you get to live with it.
And as for Spitzer, again, tell me what a law passed to keep me safe from terrorists had to do with who Elliot Spitzer was fucking. I didn’t like the guy but him getting his dick wet had nothing to do with his job performance. He’s getting nothing done in Albany because someone decided to take advantage of a law the supreme court should have struck down long ago, not because he was cheating on his wife.
despite all the hype it recieves each autumn, voting is a children’s game manipulated by professionals on both sides strictly for the benefit of an elite that is not classist — as it is say in england or russia — but opportunist.
nader and nader voters are more responsible than rush limbaugh for the bush presidency. had those voters cast their ballots for al gore, the republicans would have been unable to “steal” the election.
those who seek office generally do so because of monumental ego and ambition rather than deep personal convictions. when people started to see powers acting like a normal politician instead of some pacifist war hero comic book creation, his numbers began to plummet. the same thing is happening to obama right now.
there is a huge chance that those who reviled hillary clinton, called geraldine ferraro and bill clinton racists and portrayed her democratic supporters as some sort of toothless, angry hillbillies have once again handed the election to the opposition.
mccain is up by 7 in ohio, has florida, virginia and missouri locked and trails by 2 points in pennsylvania. yet obama spent the day torturously trying to explain what he meant by his “lipstick on a pig” remark.
tonight, the idiot olbermann charged john mccain, a war hero with two purple hearts, the silver star, the bronze star and the legion of merit, with giving aid and comfort to osama bin laden.
that isn’t the gutter, it’s the sewer. olbermann knows that there are a million or so crazies out there who will tune in to hear such garbage, and he cynically dishes it out, night after night, to maintain his ratings and make sure that he can continue to maintain the elite lifestyle he feels he deserves.
More democrats jumped ship to vote for Bush than to vote for Nader in Florida back in 2000. Say what you want about Nader but Gore wasn’t entitled to any of those votes, he had the chance to earn them and failed by playing the centrist card.
I can’t speak for every Nader vote obviously but without him running, I’d be writing in Colbert as a joke for president simply because I wouldn’t vote for an Obama/Biden ticket under any circumstances. My issues are real social medicine, cracking down on corporate crime and electoral reform. Neither major party addresses those and until they do, I’m really not interested in what they’re selling.