Instead of a muddy three-way mayoral race where both Democratic contenders liked the Republican candidate better than each other, there's a simple showdown looming now between Democrat Art Ward and Republican Ken Johnson.
They get along fine.
In fact, Ward gets along better with Johnson than he does with nearly everyone on else on the Democratic ticket. But that's another story for another day.
It'll be interesting to see how the campaign plays out because now the differences that voters will need to look at really will focus on issues and experience - just the thing that Democrats purported to seek in the primary but could never quite muster in real life.
Now the talk will be mostly about issues - whether to have a city manager, what to do with the mall, how to reshape city government, how best to deal with a City Council that probably won't be all that cooperative with either man, how to balance the need to control taxes with the desire to improve services, and on, and on, and on.
What makes the difference is that there isn't any personal animosity involved with Ward and Johnson.
It's just politics.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
24 comments:
Steve, I have been impressed with your insight through this campaign. Your experience and addiction have been interesting.
I'm curious - why do you believe that Ellen lost and do you think that this will affect the campaigns of those that supported Ellen? Specifically Craig, Kevin, Cliff and Frank?
Not a set up question, I'm really interested in your opinion on this.
Should I just hang a bullseye on my chest and get it all over with fast?
"Now the talk will be mostly about issues - whether to have a city manager, what to do with the mall, how to reshape city government, how best to deal with a City Council that probably won't be all that cooperative with either man, how to balance the need to control taxes with the desire to improve services, and on, and on, and on."
Steve -- you could not have said it better.
If anything the fact clearly brought out by this primary was voter apathy! The majority of Dems cast their vote by not voting. That says a lot. Now on to the general election... Let's hope more of the good folks of Bristol get involved and I hope the candidates do present their plans for the future.
I think we can all agree that Bristol deserves better than it has had.
Good luck to both Art and Ken. Bristol is watching so please run issue oriented "non mud slinging" campaigns. Don't let us down!
I guess answering my question would put you in a tough position. I'm sorry - I really am interested in your opinion. Your views on this sight are far more insightful than what you are able to print in the acutal paper.
I'll accept your "no comment". HAHA
"Bristol has spoken," said city Councilor Craig Minor. He said voters should have gone for the candidate "with experience, skill and talent, but they didn't."
Even so, said Minor, Ward "will be as good a mayor as Bristol has ever had."
Hey Minor, Ward has experience, 14 years!, Ward has skill & talent!
Don't worry Minor - Bristol will speak again in November with the end of your term. Then you Kevin and the Den Mother can have all the lunches you want.
Ellen lost because of the way she has treated people over the years. Ellen lost because of her vindictivness, brash attitude, and being disrespectful to people.
As for Minor & McCauley - they will go down also because you cannot be a puppet without the master!
K.C.
Don't forget Bruce Lydem being firmly in the Zoppo camp. He keeps consistently attaching himself to the wrong people. Why did he try to ride Ellen's coat tails into office when he has such a strong labor background at the state level? Artie is in a state union! Didn't anyone tell him that Artie is the labor union candidate? Didn't he see who got the labor endorsements? Is he trying to hide his affiliation with the unions? I think he may have rode the wrong coat tails again and will probably get beat by a Republican. I like Bruce alot, but someone keeps giving him alot of bad advice. Bruce.....be your OWN man.
Again, give these men a chance to prove themselves. They have done well as councilmen. Their allegiance to someone during the primary means squat. It's what they do after the primary that counts and Art was a class act in welcoming them at Nuchi's as did their campaign team. He was able to set aside his differences and these men have shown they can, too, just by going down there. It took a lot and it shows they are willing to work with Art.
The only reason they went to Nuchies was because Frank told them that they should. Craig didn't want to go there and Kevin was very hesitant because he knew that noone there would welcome him after everything he and Craig said about Art.
Cliff Block should be reformulating his plan right now. I don't know what he was thinking - supporting Ellen when he's attempting to get a council seat in Art's district. Bad move.
Actually 32% turnout in a primary is good..
As for voter apathy, we have not had good turnouts in municipal elections since 1999 when werner challenged Nicastro that was 44%. Usually we average around 36%.
Three things. First, Steve you did a great job with this Blog last night. The information came in fast and furious and it was a great service to city residents. Second, Curly's Restaurant across the street from the State Pen in Auburn, NY is one of the best places in the general Syracuse area. Last and more on point, the only councilor at serious risk is Kevin M. The fact that Ellen did not carry any of her own districts does not bode well for him at all. Democratic apathy was the real winner last night. The majority of we Dems (74%) that sat on their hands last night will take a far greater interest in the general election. Kevin will have to show independent thought and an ability to function without Ellen leading him. Otherwise he will not get our votes.
"The only reason they went to Nuchies was because Frank told them that they should. Craig didn't want to go there and Kevin was very hesitant because he knew that noone there would welcome him after everything he and Craig said about Art."
The Hartford Courant got it wrong. It was Minor who first went to each of the councilmembers and candidates and told them that they needed to go over to Nuchies to congratulate Art. It was Minor who called Art to tell him they were coming.
For what it's worth, I think the Courant got that wrong, too. I heard Minor make the call to Ward, which is why I rushed over to Nuchie's when I did. I didn't want to miss the moment.
But, to be fair to Nicastro, Nicastro was always the least harsh in his treatment of Ward and the first to tell me he'd try to work closely with Ward to win the mayor's office for the Democrats.
Disgusted Democrat -
Curley's is (was?) a great restaurant. In fact, Auburn had a number of great places to eat.
How did you come to know it?
Steve, I had a couple of clients in that area many years ago. One in Seneca Falls and the other in Skaneateles. Always stayed at the Holiday Inn in downtown Auburn and Curley's as well as the Ground Round were two easy access waterholes.
Did Bruce Lydem go to Nuchies? I heard he didn't go!
Lydem went to Nuchies with the rest of them.
But the one person that should have gone chose not to be adult enough. That was Ellen.
Hi Steve ...good job trying to stay out of the Mess the R's are trying to stir up. I only looked at this site once and I can already see the nastiness. The R's think the D's are stupid and they are trying to keep the D's split. Any one can see that they are trying there best to get their guy elected in November....We'll see ......
give me a break...the dems are doing everything to themselves..they don't need the R's help. After all it was a dem who said yesterday was the real election.
Lydem was well recieved at Nuchies last night.I think bruce is going bring a breath of fresh air to the council.
Unfortunately there is no time before the Nov. election for McCauley and Minor to demonstrate any independent thought. And if either is capable they should have stood up and done so long before now. Just knowing that they are so easily influenced and led by others tells me that they are not worthy of the position they seek. The real problem is that if either is elected it would be the same as putting Ellen back on the Council.
So which is it? Are McCauley and Minor Ellen's puppets who supported her because they don't have minds of their own, or are they real Democrats (as opposed to the DINO's who are so prevalent in Bristol) who supported her because they share her values and objectives? You can't have it both ways.
If you share her values and objectives you don't belong on the City Council. She didn't value other people's opinons, and her objectives didn't take into consideration if the rest of the community wanted them or not.
They need to start campaigning on their own independent thoughts and missions. I'm anxious to hear from the directly and not via Ellen.
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