I am no political expert, but I watched a debate tonight between Weprin (D-NY), who is trying to capture Anthony Weiner's seat covering Brooklyn and Queens NY, and his (R) opponent.
I don't live in District 9 and therefore don't cast votes there. Nonetheless, as a "D" who wishes to see more Dems win so the Dems have the majority in NYS and elsewhere, I thought I would add my two cents about races in NY and this race in particular.
In the last 5 years, the Democratic party of NYS (and NYC) shoved down the throats of voters of NYC a mayor, Bloomberg, who was beyond his term limits, and a NYS Senator, Gillibrand.
With respect to Bloomberg, Dem. party officials joined in a chorus with GOP party officials, singing the song "we need Bloomberg's talents to get us through the repercussions of 9-11-01" and urged that everyone should ignore the term limits voted for by the electorate three times. And then they found a way around those term limits voted for three times.
Since 9-11-01, Bloomberg's services during his 3rd term have only benefited the wall street, real estate, banking, insurance and other such interests, and he has packed his cronies on every agency he can to ensure he still has his hand in every aspect of government when he finally departs.
The voting Dems were given no alternative candidates by their Dem party, and no debates.
Gillibrand, I admit, had little to no experience with downstate NY and, as far as I could see, was a GOP person. She too was the result of a GOP/Dem collusion/installment. Gillibrand, however, has morphed and proved to be a better representative of the entire state than most originally thought she would be, and I like her because she appears to comport with and vote for Dem principles and issues consistently.
Nonetheless, I and other Dem voters still resent what Paterson and other Dem party leaders did (collude with the GOP to "install" her), just as they did with Bloomberg, giving Dem voters no primary, no debates and no choice in the matter.
The Democratic party is failing its base by repeatedly removing choices about the candidates, and installing preselected people in important seats as representatives of this and other states without allowing vetting through the traditional processes.
Over and over again, we have seen that their installments do not reflect Democratic interests or expectations and, more often than not, fail to reflect the demographics of the communities or states themselves. They give us no choice as to the candidates running on the D ticket at all.
Weiner did not reflect the majority demographics of his district of Brooklyn and Queens any more than Weprin does. Nonetheless, Weiner repeatedly campaigned and showed he was a firebrand and would fight ardently for democratic issues and principles, and he was duly elected over and over again with high majorities through the normal democratic process.
In contrast, Weprin lacks Weiner's "fire in the belly," and apparently believes that a "D" after his name is enough.
It is not enough for District 9.
While I understand this is a special election that had to occur in very short order, that District 9 itself may be eradicated through redistricting, and Weprin is the lesser of two evils when the choice is an R like the one running there, in my opinion, the Dems keep making the same mistake by giving the people of NYS and other states candidates who are, essentially, party installments.
I think the Democratic Party of NYS (and NYC) and throughout the nation should stop their "hold your nose and vote D" installments, that they call elections, like this one.
And by the way, the "R" running against Weprin is truly so awful I have never named him, so if I were in District 9, I would hold my nose and vote "D."
But it does not help much with Dem voter turnout when the Dem voters have to vote with one hand while holding their noses with the other.
