NY-26: The Race Is Over
by Matt at Sep 5th, 2008
…according to left-wing blog, Rochester Turning.
Something unfortunate has happened: the two Democratic frontrunners to be the candidate for the 26th congressional district (Jon Powers and Jack Davis) have succeeded in beating up each other rather than beating up the Republican candidate, Chris Lee. I am afraid- and this is my own personal opinion, so take it for what it’s worth- that the primary campaign has gotten so negative, that neither of them will be able to win the district this November.
You know, Democrats like to say they’re the ones who want to talk about issues. Well, the Democrats of this race have dominated this election, not with issues, but with attacks. It doesn’t matter who started it. They both continued it. And now, i’ve heard, Alice Kryzan has decided to jump into the fray and attack her opponents, quite directly, with a new ad.
When a member of the liberal netroots is willing to concede that the Democrats chances to take the 26th district are lost, then I think that says a lot.
So, while the Democrats in the race put personal attacks before the issues, I call on my liberal blogger friends to put party loyalty aside and give a serious look at Chris Lee. Look at his experience. Look at his vision. If you can put the country and the 26th district before your party, you will see that Chris Lee is the right person to send to Congress.
The race for the 26th district doesn’t have to be about party loyalty. It should be about sending the right person to Congress. I’m new to Western New York. I came from a state that is being crippled by loyalty to a party that has driven out the population and businesses. I left a state of increased taxes, not increased opportunity. I’ve come to a state being crippled by overregulation, high taxes, a corrupt political establishment. and ridiculously powerful unions.
Jon Powers isn’t going to put the district before party loyalty. He’s got the endorsement of local Democrat party leaders and the unions that have been a part of the problem. He’s already got the support of the Democrats in Washington, salivating over the idea of a new yes-man to join their ranks.
Jack Davis is as bad a Democrat as he was a Republican. He sees this race as being about him. He truly is his own special interest. But, the attacks he’s engaged in with Jon Powers, and now Alice Kryzan, have shown that personal ambition trumps the issues and concerns of the voters.
I may be new to the area, but I see there is hope for Western New York. Just as Chris Collins has been able deliver real reform as Eric Country Executive, Chris Lee can deliver real reform in Congress.
If all is lost for the Democrats in NY-26, it’s time to get on board with Chris Lee.
UPDATE: Here’s Alice Kryzan’s latest ad.
so Chris Lee’s meeting with Jon McCain earlier this year when McCain refused to meet with working WNY’ers and Lee’s support from the current Republican party — the one’s who f*cked up our country by putting bling loyalty to Bush…
and Chris Lee’s support of the 7 local republican committees and Tom Reynolds - the current congressman who f*cked everything up — is great right?
Chris Lee was tagged personally by Tom Reynolds so he could create a mini-me. Want another 2 / 4 years of Tom Reynolds & George Bush - vote Chris Lee & McCain!
But Kryzan has attacked so much less than the two guys! A candidate must be allowed a limited number of attacks, as long as the overall focus of her campaign is on the issues, which Kryzan’s is indeed. And, what do you think of LaFalce’s heartfelt words of endorsement this week? Certainly Chris Lee will attack whoever the Dem candidate is … Does that mean you’ll withdraw support from Lee?
The overall thesis of this post is misleading and/or just plain wrong. Every single top-tier race in the United States (and this one qualifies) will, by its end, reduce itself to a series of attacks resulting in the fact that at the end of the election one candidate — bloody, battered and beaten to within an inch of his/her political life — will be pulled across the finish line before the other contenders. The implication that any of the candidates remaining after primary day (that being some combination of Lee, Powers, Kryzan, Davis) will be engaging in a public discourse the likes of Lincoln and Douglas in 1858 is ludicrous. The poisonous nature of the body politic 150 years after that storied senatorial election (both nationally and locally) demands that this will occur. Now, I suspect that one response to this post will be, “but they really CAN talk issues if they WANT to.” Nonsense. Issues will surely be discussed, but not in a macro sense to the extent that the campaigns will actually invest a ton of money telling folks about them. There will be many issues discussed in this and several other races, but I dare say that from September 10 to Election Day, of the materials that are presented to voters for their information by all candidates remaining in the race, every bit of at least 80% of those materials (be they mail, telephone, radio, TV or other) will be judged “attack” style pieces by impartial arbiters. The nature of politics in this day and age (i.e., the fact that we live in times of political “arms races” where because one launches attacks the others must follow suit) will demand it. It is sad, but it’s a fact of life.
You both miss the point. Rochester Turning has argued that the constant attacks between Powers and Davis has damaged them both. I happen to agree. Attacking your opponent doesn’t disqualify a candidate. The point is, if Davis and Powers are too damaged to be viable in November, then left-wingers out to remove the partisan lens from their world view and look at Chris Lee objectively. They’ll see he’s a great candidate and deserves their support.
1. Chris Lee doesn’t have a job. He’s living off his daddy’s money.
2. He’s been to DC to take money and marching orders from the GOP already - hardly a new direction.
you sound like Buffalo Pundit, who tries to paint Lee as just a rich kid who inherited money. Pretty sad.
The economy was stronger and gas prices were lower when the Republican Party was in control of Congress. We do not need anymore of the “change” that Democrats deliver. Their kind of change means higher unemployment.
I’m not missing the point at all. Your point is wrong, that’s all. The point is, all of the candidates (Lee included) will be bloody by the time the time this is over. The notion that Powers and Davis have bludgeoned one another senseless while Lee remains above all of this mindlessness isn’t going to last too long. On September 10, the primary winner’s sights will be trained on Lee, so katy bar the door, it’s coming. Again, both sides will make a token run at “positive” ads that highlight “issues,” but you can be certain that comparative ads will soon follow. This is obvious given that Lee has started his sot message ad buy already, in the run up to the primary. He’d be smart to sponsor the primary night news coverage because it’ll be a bloody 9 weeks to the general election.
Who’s been representing the 26th for the last 10 years again? I forgot.
Probably because he’s too busy lining up his future lobbying position to give two shits about the people of the district.