There are a multitude of reasons and "excuses" being bandied about for the Democrat sweep in town. The NNTP is the convenient excuse. The fact of the matter is the voter dynamic the NNTP needed to prevail simply didn't materialize. Essentially, people weren't "bold" enough. That can be attributed to a multitude of reasons and excuses too - we share the failure of whatever it was that caused us to come up short.
Did we have an impact on this election? Depends on who you'd like to listen to. I think we did. But a lot of our impact is abstract, more long-term. It wasn't intended as such - it was supposed to be immediate AND long-term...but like I said, we came up short.
As far as not changing our enrollments beforehand...I seriously thought of becoming a "blank" long before I chose to run. The fact is that the current Republican Party isn't the one I joined when I registered as a kid. But my enrollement status wouldn't have changed in time for the election anyway when I investigated it further - so I left well enough alone. In the end, labels don't appeal to me anyway. I like to think for myself. As it turns out, it gave us an opportunity to run primaries. That was both strategic and educational. Even though the primaries didn't turn out as planned, save mine, it gave us an opportunity to run independently AND try to rebuild parties from within. Someday in the future perhaps I'll analyze it all in more detail on my blog but right now, only one thing is certain:
The problems we face as a community are the same ones we faced before the election. They're not mine to try to solve anymore - I was rejected by the electorate. The newly elected Democrat team has their work cut out for them so I hope they're up to the task - it isn't going to be easy and the we'll be the ones to suffer if they screw it up. I hope they don't.
There was an impact Michael....even if it is to pull back the cloak for all to see what it is we really believe and are.....our water tower issues are small in comparision to the rest of the country issues, ie:national healthcare, czars, consolidation, homeland security, patriot act etc etc......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
The dems won and the reps lost due to the NNTP, Row F line. Plain and simple! The dems won short of a true majority. Like I posted earlier, if there were no 3rd line and this was a 2 party race, the reps would still be in power.
So now, the dems also have their work cut out for them too. They will be in power in a town that they did not receive the support (votes) from the majority. The majority of the electorate did not support or vote for a dem/lib platform. They clearly voted just the opposite.
I would have to guess that the new 'guards' will be watched and everything scrutinized very closely by the rotterdam towns people.
I would like to see Michael run in the next election cycle. Perhaps the other NNTP candidates will also or new ones will emerge. And perhaps the reps will also have a change of their 'guards' as well and make the right choice next time. IMHO
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
BT--your post is a bit troubling. I too met and LIKED the NNTP folks. I didn't see their complete agenda as a Rep one as you seem to indicate. Spin it as you wish. But you could also lump the NNTP with the Dems in that the town voted for CHANGE not a repeat of the Tom and Gerry show.
I am sure you all will be breathing down the necks of the Dems as soon as they are in. They need time as well. They are owed that. The majority of the electorate voted for CHANGE!
But you could also lump the NNTP with the Dems in that the town voted for CHANGE not a repeat of the Tom and Gerry show.
I agree with you in part, that yes they voted for change. But you are mixing apples and oranges here. The NNTP candidates ran with a rep/con ideology and platform not a dem/lib platform.
They did it monumentally and brilliantly with different fresh faces and without being beholden to any party leaders...eg: tom & gerry or hami & randy. They apparently ran and financed their own campaigns. The NNTP pulled the votes from the rep line which caused the dems to win without the votes or support from the majority of the town.
The NNTP handed the dems their win. And the NNTP is giving the reps an open door for change. BRILLIANT!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
[quote=98]The problems we face as a community are the same ones we faced before the election. They're not mine to try to solve anymore - I was rejected by the electorate. The newly elected Democrat team has their work cut out for them so I hope they're up to the task - it isn't going to be easy and the we'll be the ones to suffer if they screw it up. I hope they don't.[/quote=98]
Great insight Michael You learn more from losing when you objectively analyze defeat and the causes.
On another note, BT (Mertz) has been rejected by the voters FOUR times. Marco beat him, Tonko beat him, Signore and Suhrada beat him in the primary and he finished dead last in a field of seven. MERTZ has hopped around the state employment ranks more than the energizer bunny. Out of all the NNTP candidates MERTZ should go away and rethink is assinine politics. Not well received by the recent electorate yet he takes credit for destroying his meal ticket???? Mertz hasn't won an election in FOUR years. CUT HIM LOSE Brian, Brad and Mike. He hurt more than helped. You three are good guys. MERTZ=ALBATROSS and should just go away gracefully and with whatever dignity he has left...if not for anything but for his wife and kids!!IMHO Who would want MERTZ on their ticket in future elections is my question?
Your bitterness is blinding your ability to reason. I'm not mertzie and you know that. You are just using a posters alias to vent your bitterness.
It is quite apparent that mertzie did not hurt the NNTP candidates or their cause. The bottom line is that the entire slate of the NNTP changed the face of politics. Again....BRILLIANT!
As far as michael....he garnered more votes than signore and suhrada. Not too shabby, I'd say!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Your bitterness is blinding your ability to reason. I'm not mertzie and you know that. You are just using a posters alias to vent your bitterness.
It is quite apparent that mertzie did not hurt the NNTP candidates or their cause. The bottom line is that the entire slate of the NNTP changed the face of politics. Again....BRILLIANT!
As far as michael....he garnered more votes than signore and suhrada. Not too shabby, I'd say!
I'm not bitter at all. I am a rationale poster who thinks the BRILLIANT belongs to the Tommasone administration for listening to the rants of JOHN MERTZ for the last 3+ years. Now that's BRILLIANT HeHeHe
Sounds to me you are the bitter one John Boy (Bumblethru)
Again, do the math! Again, it was the NNTP that handed the win to the dems. Again, FDG got 44% of the votes. Again do the math. Again, not too shabby but average for the losing side if this were a 2 party race. Again, mcgarry took 18% of the votes. Again, do the math. Again, the dems won by default....not by the majority! Again...do the math!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I thought it was surprise that sunk s.t.?? Again, do the math! Again, it was the NNTP that handed the win to the dems. Again, FDG got 44% of the votes. Again do the math. Again, not too shabby but average for the losing side if this were a 2 party race. Again, mcgarry took 18% of the votes. Again, do the math. Again, the dems won by default....not by the majority! Again...do the math!
I have to disagree with you here BT. Martin and Godlewski would have won whether or not Mertz was in the race and Nicki DiLeva would have still won if Marchinkowski was not in the race. To say that more than 900 of the 1,450 people who voted for McGarry would have voted for S.T. instead of FDG is hard to imagine IMO. No where is there any indication that S.T. could receive 62+% of the vote from any group especially since the absentee ballots are also breaking towards FDG. If you truly do the math and apply some simple logic without putting a political spin on it, the DEMS would have won with or without the NNTP in the race.
BT--PDQ is right about Mertz. He was the drag on the ticket. The others are really quite engaging and smart about the way they presented themselves to the electorate. You are the one who is in love with Mertz--don't care if you are him or his relatives. Facts are facts. Mertz needs a retreat. His politics are incredibly self-serving as evidenced by being rejected numerous times. He is hanging by a thread in the Assembly. People voted for CHANGE. And if Mertz is gloating because he feels he brought down the Reps--WHAT DOS THAT SAY TO YOU ABOUT THE MAN WE THOUGHT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ETHICS. He is finished. I said it in September and I am saying now. Cut him loose. He brings nothing to the table. Send him on sabatical. Make him sit in time out....lose his number. Wait till he has an epiphany moment. IMHO