What the Gray Lady gives on one day, she takes away the next.
Yesterday, the New York Times ran a story that quoted Democratic operative Howard Wolfson taking to task Democratic donors who have been making campaign contributions to plutocrat Michael Bloomberg. This contributed to the general impression in news coverage that Bloomberg will easily win re-election.
Today, the Times flips to the other perspective, and offers a headline with an extra dose of hype: "Big Bloomberg Concern: United Democratic Party," which includes the view that Fernando Ferrer "could win the Democratic primary outright, giving the party a nominee unbloodied by a divisive runoff and signnificantly enhancing the chances for a Democratic victory in November."
News media always want to make news more exciting, whether it's reporting on the "horse race" aspect of elections or, in the case of the New York Post, running a story about the "runaway bride" every day for three months.
This year's race for Mayor has been a yawner since the start, with occasional media reports of gaffes and mishaps. Although I've been wrong (except here, where I was right) about New York politics in the past, it sure looks as if Bloomberg put away this race early with his money, and also by exceeding expectations and governing the city in a way that appeals to many Democrats.
The increasingly factional --and occasionaly feudal--nature of New York City politics makes it more difficult for Democrats to unite the electorate. In the equation of "Us vs.Them," everyone loses.
Even more reason, then, for New Yorkers to change the state's brutal election calendar, with a September primary followed by a runoff if no one gets 40% of the vote.
In 1986, Mark Green stunned the establishment by winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate against a millionaire who massively outspent him. If the primary had been in May rather than September, Green could have fundraised and organized enough to beat Al D'Amato. (Noted with vested interest: I worked on that race and on succeeding Green campaigns and projects, although none in this century.) (And I'm not above giving Mark's campaign for NY Attorney General a plug, either).
In 2001, Green and Ferrer competed in a runoff election that was held on, yes, September 11. That election was cancelled, rescheduled, Green won, the city was in chaos, Guiliani embraced Bloomberg, Bloomberg spent $74 million, Green, again, had little time to fundraise and organize, and now the Democrats in New York are heading for their fourth straight loss of the Mayoral race.
I've proposed simple solutions to complex problems in the past, so here's another: push the primary up. Of course, the Republican state legislature is hardly inclined to do Democrats any favors, but let's at least get this subject on the agenda.
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