Tea Partiers Forget to be Violent, Prejudiced Loons
They’re rather subdued for alleged militants. A large contingent of small-government aficionados assembled to greet the Tea Party Express in Buffalo on Monday as a means of opposing government’s expanding tendencies both nationally and locally. They were also supposed to display how sexist/racist/homophobic they are, although, whoops, nobody present acted how Janeane Garofalo thinks they do. I refuse to allow the possibility that she is wrong cross my mind.
That said, I didn’t survey the crowd to see if there were clandestine bigots present who are also in Carl Paladino’s address book, although it would of course be silly to freak out about an entire movement because one of their preferred candidates negligently passed along crudely and/or disgustingly unfunny e-mails. Foes can enjoy sifting through the gubernatorial hopeful’s sent mail, although they’ve apparently found no occasions where he wished for a political rival’s death. That would be beyond over the line.
But ignoring the traditional media’s portrayal has become second nature for this group. On that note, it’s amusing that the protest took place within sight of The Buffalo News building. While I’m uncertain if any unassigned staffers walked over, failure to do so just means they missed the awesomeness that was hearing Victoria Jackson’s songs about her take on Obamacare and whether she thinks Obama is a communist. The answers are 1) she doesn’t care for it, and 2) yes. Her rhetorical intemperance was overcome by her still-evident adorableness.
The other speakers served lots of delicious red meat. It’s always fun to boo Harry Reid, Democraticare, and local shame Louise Slaughter. But everyone did so without shrieking, resorting to cuss words, smashing property, maintaining the president is a Nazi, or any other unseemly behavior. Nobody in the well-behaved gathering slurred ethnicities or planned an armed insurrection, either, as every single person forgot to exploit stereotypes for some baffling reason.
Instead, everyone seemed to just want options. The number of attendees served as a reminder of how infuriating it is that there wasn’t at least a choice for Buffalo’s mayoral race, which is especially galling considering how City Hall fritters away cash like the type of lottery winner who’s also been on Cheaters.
Of course, Buffalo’s leaders are just aping the state’s profligate manner. As that melodramatic kid in the all-time favorite Partnership for a Drug-Free America ad would explain, “You, all right? I learned it by watching you!”
Thankfully, people such as speaker Leonard Roberto, who announced during brief remarks his intention to run against Brian Higgins, are out to provide voters with indispensable options. We can all enjoy the prospect of being able to choose more than the same person as either a candidate of the Democratic or Working Families party.
On a related note, the reason for the protest was embodied by its location. The area around the Commercial Slip has largely sat desolate for decades; there’s finally some progress after endless governmental spending and planning, although it’s almost seemingly come despite bureaucratic efforts.
Alternately, reducing the tax burden and opening the area to pioneering entrepreneurs would have brought commerce and a high volume of foot traffic to the site by now. As it stands, the retail activity is largely limited to selling rattlesnake flags at protests which, compelling or not, will only take place intermittently. I did what I could to contribute economically.
As for the rest of the city, the virtually limitless potential is sadly contrasted by the prevalent stagnancy. By chance, decades of federal, state, county, and city scheming have provoked economic rot. The left can sputter all they want over the stupid e-mails Paladino forwarded. It’s actually helpful in exposing how they can’t differentiate between a dubious sense of humor and actual racism.
Paladino’s foes can pretend his carelessness or questionable take on comedy serves a genuine distraction. In a way, it does: it’s an attempt by big-government fanatics to try to change the subject away from how their failed policies have created economic devastation.
Those who came know where the real problems begin. The press and the president’s dwindling band of supporters can pretend they’re dealing with scared, angry bigots. But the scene adjacent to the Skyway demonstrated how demonstrators should behave.
Everyone was demanding, adamantly but respectfully, one thing: let us do it. The people can’t be any worse at spending the money they earn than most politicians are at it.
New Jersey ‘09 = New York ‘10?
New Jersey and New York are similar neighbors. For one, both are homes to NFL venues. Of course, the Garden State hosts two teams, even if they’re equipped with out-of-state license plates, while the Empire State has one, as long as the Bills count as a pro squad. The resemblance goes beyond an affinity for football and/or cavernous stadiums: they’re also both states in which Republican presidential candidates don’t bother to campaign.
But New Jersey’s demonstrated willingness to vote counter to their reputation should inspire conservative hope in an adjacent state. Specifically, one winner from Election Day 2009 isn’t running until 2010. Rick Lazio has to feel optimistic about his chances to become New York’s next executive now that Chris Christie is the new New Jersey Governor. Can Lazio reproduce Christie’s success next November?
Based solely upon the state’s last major election, a Republican winning New York’s governorship in 2010 would be as shocking as Chuck Schumer switching parties or Chuck Rangel resigning with quiet dignity. This state was even more in the tank for Obama than its next-door buddy: the Hoper and Changer won New York’s electoral votes thanks to receiving 62 percent of the tally, compared to the meager 37 percent obtained by John McCain.
New Jersey looked practically moderate with its 57-42 Obama victory, although that was still a considerably higher percentage than the rest of the nation. Still, Christie’s triumph may provide the first indication that even the ramparts guarding Democratic strongholds are buckling.
Importantly, both are obviously renowned as immensely blue states. Perhaps not coincidentally, both are also similarly rotten when it comes to economic and personal freedoms. Consequently, liberal states’ residents may finally be tiring of liberal policies’ results. New Yorkers might find themselves in the same situation; all they need now is a genuine conservative alternative.
Will they get one? Most notably, Lazio was antagonistic toward gun rights while in Congress; Christie is likewise soft on the traditional conservative issue. Analysts can debate whether Christie’s stance cost him votes or actually helped him win in a liberal-heavy state. Either way, Lazio should only indulge in so many exceptions: he ought to generally act like an elephant and not a RINO.
Instead of running as a feckless moderate, Lazio should seize upon rightward momentum and campaign to reverse the state government’s eternally creeping domination. It’s more than simply being a principled candidate who actually takes stances: it’s pragmatic, too. He should wager that, as in other states, voters here would be sympathetic to a new course that involves less of their money being taken and used to buy whatever junk Albany wants.
Lazio would further have to prove he’s not like most other politicians who are changed by the capital. Again, he can use New Jersey’s winner as a model: Christie’s anti-corruption stance and reputation undoubtedly aided his efforts to topple a greasy weasel like Jon Corzine.
Fortuitously, opposing huge budgets while fighting smoky room shenanigans are tasks that complement each other like Guinness layered over Harp. Lazio just has to stand up and then hold his ground.
There’s at least one issue where New York’s GOP candidate is in the clear: the relatively svelte Lazio won’t have to deal with cheap, lame weight jokes. Still, Republicans can hope Andrew Cuomo brings on Corzine as a consultant. Creigh Deeds is looking for work, too.
Election Day 2009 Reax
Well, it was a pretty good Election Day… certainly better than last year. My apologies for the lateness of this reaction post. Circumstances beyond my control kept me from writing… anyway…
It was extraordinarily gratifying to see Jon Corzine lose in New Jersey. That alone made last night beautiful. Aside from the fact Corzine is a corrupt scumbag, the fact Obama lost his “best partner” made it so much better. Obama suffered two big loses last night. McDonnell’s victory in the Virginia gubernatorial race was huge. It is very telling that a year after Democrats won big with independents they swung back in support of Republicans. For those of you who think Obama is a moderate, tell that to genuine independents.
Owens victory over Hoffman was a disappointment, and a bit of shock, considering the polls leading up to the election. But, with Scozzafava’s 11th hour departure, endorsing of Owens, and remaining on the ballot… there wasn’t enough time for Hoffman’s momentum to carry him to victory. The national Democratic Party invested over a million dollars in the final weekend alone.
Anyway, local races.
Erie County
Sheriff Tim Howard was reelected – despite the smear campaign waged against him. Howard is a good guy, and I congratulate him. That’s pretty much all I can say that about that race due to a professional conflict.
There were three GOP pickups in the Erie County Legislature… So, there was some good news for Chris Collins last night. In my district, Lynne Dixon won handily. Kevin Hardwick easily defeated Michele Iannello. I’ve known Kevin Hardwick for a little over a year now. He was kind enough to invite me on his radio show on WBEN several times. He was always committed to fairness, and the Erie County Legislature is lucky to have him on there.
Poloncarz defeated Kadet for Comptroller, so that was a setback for Collins, who invested quite a bit in Kadet. But, overall, the evening was a good one for the GOP.
Amherst
It was nice to see Alice Kryzan get put in her place again. Let’s hope she doesn’t pull a Jon Powers and go missing for a while then run away out-of-state.
I offer personal congratulations to Richard “Jay” Anderson and Steven Sanders, who were both elected to the Amherst Town Board. Both Jay and Steven have made appearances here on The Bean, so I was thrilled to see them both elected.
Buffalo
Hey, Buffalo deserves what it gets. I am still bitter that the Buffalo Republican Party didn’t get someone to face Byron Brown in the general election.
New Voting Machines
They suck. Call me old school, but I prefer traditional voting booths and the old lever machines. Folded cardboard dividers are no subsitute for a real voting booth, and as much as I believe voters should be smart enough to fill out those scan-tron ballots, everything ought to be as simple as possible.
Oh yeah, and at my polling place we didn’t get a receipt. So, what was the point, really?
Fusion Voting
Seriously, can we put an end to this madness? This, more than anything made the already bad ballot design even worse. I don’t see how it helps anyone but lawyers who get involved in the inevitable lawsuits that arise out of these minor party lines.
So, I guess there isn’t all that much to say about Tuesday that hasn’t already been said. It is obvious from the results New Jersey, Virginia, and elsewhere that the Democratic Party has major cause for concern. News today that the unemployment rate broke into double-digits only adds to their problems, since Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress own the economy.
Good times ahead. We’re taking the country back.
Hope for Non-NY 23 Conservatives
Imagine if the National Republican Congressional Committee had supported Doug Hoffman from the start. Instead of throwing money at a left-winger who remained on the ballot after she quit and repaid the organization by endorsing her erstwhile Democratic foe, Hoffman would be running for re-election in 2010 instead of aiming to win a rematch.
Instead, the NRCC wasn’t lucky enough to blunder into victory. Their failure to inadvertently execute a New Coke/Coke Classic-type success should guide every decision they make through the same Tuesday of next year. That includes their tactics across the nation in general and within Hoffman’s state in particular. New York’s conservatives are entitled to feel that his respectable showing should inspire similar candidates who can carpool with him to Washington. Can both Hoffman and Hoffman-types across upstate win House seats in 2010?
If nothing else, unabashed conservatives might do better than the liberal-leaning moderates indigenous to this region. This is an opportune moment for the Republican Party to field limited-government candidates. Based on the national mood, it might pay off in the ballot booths, or at least between the cardboard dividers.
That’s especially if unemployment continues to hover around 10 percent, the war in Afghanistan remains muddled, and two branches of the government join to see if they can spend 100 jillion dollars combined on nationalized health and carbon usage fines. Voters are looking for genuine conservatives as a welcome alternative to Scozzafava-style stimulus supporters.
There’s no reason to keep inflicting Rockefeller Republicans upon the nation. Party leaders may as well try to capitalize on the nation’s rising small-government sympathies. It’s not like the state GOP should worry they might lose even more House elections.
There are formidable obstacles aside from standard concerns regarding whether true-right candidates are viable in the particular districts of a navy state like New York blah blah blah. For one, there’s the reality that certain Congressional districts are shaped like crescents, not circles.
While the right to a district that’s wider than a two-lane road does not appear in the Constitution, representatives such as Louise Slaughter should nonetheless have to face a more naturally-shaped territory. Standing opposed to alignments that keep incumbents safe is not a matter of supporting one party or the other: it’s about encouraging circumstances that allow citizens to enjoy a clear choice between the two. That desirable situation is one not always seen locally for various reasons.
Additionally, Western New Yorkers who seek conservative options could use a slightly less disingenuous local paper. Specifically, it would be nice to not endure condescending lectures from Buffalo News editor Margaret Sullivan, who has been the paper’s funniest writer ever since Dave Barry stopped contributing his syndicated column. Her latest gem claims that editorial positions are staffed by reactionaries who will camp out to get the earliest available copies of Sarah Palin’s book from Walmart:
In the 10 active County Legislature races, we are endorsing eight Republicans and two Democrats.
In the Amherst supervisor’s race, we are endorsing a Republican, Barry Weinstein.
It’s not a Republican quota: please refer to it as conservative affirmative action. And they’re not even done acting like tea partiers:
And in the two countywide races, we are endorsing one Republican and one Democrat: respectively, Philip Kadet for comptroller and John Glascott for sheriff.
So, of the 13 endorsements we’ll make this year, 10 go to Republicans.
Yep, endorsing a Republican for Erie County Comptroller balances out their last pick for President of the United States of America. And random probability explains how they also happened to back Democrats in each of the four local House of Representative races in 2008.
The paper’s staff apparently forgot to pretend that they were balanced last year. But things are different now, sort of. By standing behind 77 percent of Republicans in local elections during an off year, Sullivan is claiming 10 pennies are worth more than five dimes. That helps explain why their coverage of economic issues is so rotten.
If the News really wanted to come across as impartial, they could stop injecting left-wing junk into news stories. They could even hire a second Republican.
Even without media assistance, the party ought to finally have the sense and conviction to represent conservative ideals. Who knows? Republicans might come across a principled opponent for Slaughter who doesn’t get, well, a synonym for “slaughtered.”
It would also be nice if Brian Higgins had to face an outright limited government advocate, if only for the prospect of forcing the present representative to get a private sector job. There’s a first time for everything. Either way, Hoffman shouldn’t have to go it alone next year.
Election Day 2009
While I was planning to attend the GOP Party at Adam’s Mark for my Election Day results coverage tonight, other obligations came up, and thus will not be in attendance. That said, I will be providing coverage tonight of results from my usual undisclosed location. Coverage will likely be a mix of blogging and Twitter updates. Twitter updates will visible from the website in a ticker visible at the bottom of the page.
UPDATE, 7:32 PM: So, I just got back from voting… it still bothers me to no end that poll workers make absolutely no attempt to prove that I am who I say I am. Is it so hard to say “Can you show me an ID?”
Anyway, we had new machines at my polling place… No more traditional voting booths either. We had these ridiculous cardboard “screens” arranged on tables that “protected” our privacy as we filled out the most poorly designed ballot I’ve ever voted with.
Part of the problem with the ballot, I believe, comes from the stupidity of voter fusion, and the subsequent repeat occurrences of the same candidate for one office. Several offices had one candidate running unopposed, but due to voter fusion and multiple minor parties endorsing the lone candidate, the same guy is running against himself on different lines. That’s Bizarro World democracy if you ask me.
Tea New York Endorsements
The Buffalo Bean is pleased to post the list form Tea New York here for your convenience. Get out there and support candidates who support less taxes, and more liberty.
Amherst
- Supervisor: Barry Weinstein
- Town Board: Jay Anderson
Grand Island:
- Town Council: Jim Sharpe
Hamburg:
- Supervisor: Steve Walters
- Town Council: Bryan Wittmeyer, David Belissimo, and Amy Ziegler
Tonawanda:
- Mayor: Ron Pilozzi
Wheatfield:
- Supervisor: Bob Cliffe
Niagara County Legislature:
- 5th District: Vince Sandonato
Erie County:
- Sheriff: Tim Howard
- County Comptroller: Phil Kadet
Erie County Legislature:
- 5th District: Dino Fudoli
- 8th District: Ted Morton
- 9th District: Brian Wirth
- 10th District: Kevin Hardwick
- 12th District: Lynn Dixon
- 14th District: Shelly Schratz
