D&C Op-Ed
There’s an interesting D&C guest editorial today on the 2006 elections in New York State. I don’t like the subtitle “in with the old, in with the new” — it reminds me too much of the ubiquitous “cautious but upbeat” description that New York Times reporters use when they’re too lazy to pin down the public’s reaction to something.
And this strikes me as wrong:
For all that we complain about the state Legislature, just one of 212 incumbents appears to have lost in a close race — Republican Sen. Nicholas Spano of Yonkers. Three other incumbents had been defeated in primary races — not exactly a show of voter anger.
Yes, the voters are resigned to a horribly gerrymandered State Legislature and to a de facto agreement between the parties not to dispute control of either House. That doesn’t mean we’re not angry.
But I think this is an interest point, and something that had never occured to me before:
But there was something additional going on — Spitzer’s promises and popularity overshadowed the legislative races. With the outcome seemingly assured, the governor’s race was never exciting, but it still consumed voters’ attention at the state level. The activism we saw in 2004 around defeating legislative incumbents never reached the same volume.
All in all, it’s a good read. And any attempt at intelligent discussion of politics at the state level is always welcome.
No comments yet.