NY 23
November 4, 2009, 11:04 am
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
Does anyone commenting here live in District 23? I’d love to know what you all thought about Owens’s victory. And why you and your neighbors voted as you did.
I received this from someone who lives in the 23rd, who wishes to remain anonymous. It answers some of my questions and so I decided to post it here.
“We are both liberal Catholics in an area that is generally conservative although our town and its surrounding environs are very Democratic. And of course New York as a a state tends liberal.
“My wife and I would have wished for a STRONGER liberal Democrat to run other than Mr Owens whose party affiliation and stand on issues is lukewarm as far as we are concerned. Oddly Dede Scozzafavva held positions more in line with what we feel should be the public policy and she was strong and articulate about the important LOCAL issues regarding the 23rd district, such as increasing highway assessments in our very rural area. Moderate Republicans have done well here winning every time since the CIvil War.
“Anyway both of us held our breathe in these last weeks: Scozzafavva had a number of problems:
“1. Abortion…. this area is heavily Catholic and pro life. Hoffman played right into the hunger for a candidate who would go after abortion and gay rights
“2. There are many in this poor rural farm country who have little faith in ‘big government’ even though many here use the resources ‘big government’ provides them. I think New York States budget difficulties right now played into Hoffman’s appeal as well as the ‘national’ shrill for him.
“3. Scozzafavva’s brother is involved in a MAJOR scandal in this area regarding the operation and financing of a local business enterprise, a business enterprise that has existed for some 100 years, owned by a local family for many generations, whose good name and practice were known far and wide. Over the past several years, Scozzafavva’s brother, after buying up the business, ran it into the ground much to the dismay of locals. This did not help her cause. I am surprised that the national talking heads never came to the area to really talk to locals as they would have gotten an earful about this.
“Owens was a pitiful candidate and we had to hold our noses to vote for him, we seriously considered Scozzafavva as palatable alternative – but then the shock of her dropping out. At one point over this past weekend we were almost going to vote for Hoffman hoping to send the [local] GOP know-it-alls into a dither….But in the end we could not bring ourselves to use the voting process in such a way.
“Both of us are glad this is over. Because we contributed to the Obama campaign, we were inundated with phone calls, robo calls, mailings and visits to get out the vote. None of this effort at some expense got to the local issues or concerns.
“Those concerns would include the difficult economic environment, the difficult war situation (we are home to Fort Drum, which is a major supplier to the war effort), health care concerns (rising cost many public hospitals and lack of physician resources up here etc). The conservative base at about 25% of the electorate up here wanted to push much of these aside and center the debate on culture war stuff and lowering tax liability in a heavy tax environment. We, St Lawrence county, have the dubious distinction of being the ‘poorest’ county in New York State.”
Anyone vote for Hamilton or Schozzafava? I’d be interested in your take.
Margaret O’Brien Steinfels: Thank you. You were obviously walking a thin line with the author’s confidence and that was a wonderful insight into the election in NY-23 which you were able to share. I am still mulling over the data, speaking to friends in the NY GOP, and processing it all and personally did not know that about Ms. Scozzafavva’s brother and that, and I do not mean to diminish the overall picture painted, but in particular, is quite interesting.
All politics is local…sort of! It’s true that elections that rise to the level of national interest through the media seem to lose sight of the local.
For example, the gubernatorial races in VA and NJ. What was Deeds’s (D-Va.) problem? I could never figure that out though clearly he had problems. Anyone?
I was aware as a NYCer that Corzine was not all that popular in NJ, but the media focus on Christie’s many ethical lapses obscured that fact. Of course, I have never understood NJ’s problems. Why can’t they sort out their tax problems? Can anyone govern NJ? We’ll see.
FWIW: this analysis suggests yet more national involvement/interference in the local race:
“First, the President persuaded the district’s longtime Republican representative, John McHugh, to resign by offering him the prestigious post of Army secretary.
“The White House then exploited a spat between Republicans and conservatives by sending high-powered White House allies like Sen. Chuck Schumer and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to convince the Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, to drop out at the last minute and back her Democratic rival, Bill Owens.
“The wheeling and dealing deprived the GOP of a once-safe seat and set the scene for the final act of the drama.
“After next year’s census, assuming Democrats continue to control the state Senate, the district’s lines will be redrawn to add as many Dems as possible, turning a swing seat into a reliably Democratic one.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/11/05/2009-11-05_president_obamas_.html?page=1
“National involvement/interference” Hadn’t heard that Schumer and Cuomo were active in NY 23s race. It’s possible though no sources are cited in the Daily News article. Biden did go up and campaign for Owen. Schumer has also been very big in keeping NY Dems from jumping into the 2010 senatorial race against Kirsten Gillebrand (he probably likes having two Senate seats!).
As for the redistricting issue: it will be a big deal everywhere, including New Jersey and Virginia. There is still a real question whether New York will have a Democratic governor come redistricting time. Patterson cannot win and unless someone finds a great job for him elsewhere he won’t resign. I would hazard the opinion that Guiliani will jump in if Patterson runs again, and that G. will win.
Couple of thoughts from long distance:
-Guiliani has his own problems including the members of his great firm.
Did Kerik finally cop a plea?
-I thought the real inside juice in NY hd shifted to the Albany power structure, hence the naming of Gillebrand.
Did they have any part in 23?
Here in NM, the local GOP is having hot times with NJ and VA, but the local Dems have said nothing about 23(or Cal) and are stressing human needs in our budget shortfall (major, and a recent special session – “Tax increases are inevitable” says Richardson, but Governor to be ( My guess) Denish says we can’t hurt working folk.
Two views, in my opinion opf how local politics are and are viewed.
I see Gov. Patterson comparing Albany this mornning to Bosnia and Iran.
What the heck is going on in New York (State )politics?
Is Basil, david’s father still alive? Maybe he could have a long talk with his son…
I think Basil Patterson is still with us. A long talk would be good, one that tells David to take the ambassadorship to TK that will be offered by the Obama Administration.
I guess not the ambassadorship to Bosnia or Iran!