Yesterday, I wrote a bit of analysis about the Democratic primary between David Nachbar and Eric Massa. There were a number of interesting comments and I would like to reply to a few in this post.

Comment: This race is not about Louise Slaughter and making it about her takes away from her as well as Massa. Everyone needs to avoid it.

My reply: If Slaughter were to back Nachbar, it would cut off nearly all institutional donations to Massa and effectively doom his fundraising operation (for the time being). That said, I don’t think Slaughter will back Nachbar, as I indicated earlier.

Comment: Unfortunately, in my experience, if you go after Republican candidates in Republican strongholds, the way they (viciously) go after Democrats, the local newspapers and tv stations label the Democratic candidate a negative campaigner and that’s enough to steer voters in these areas, in the opposite direction.

My reply: I believe this is correct. My sources tell me that, on the other hand, media in the southern tier refused to report on the (possibly illegal) robocalls the NRCC made on Kuhl’s behalf. In Republican areas, the press is often Republican, and will do the bidding of the Republican party when push comes to shove. That’s life. There is no counterpart to this on our side of the aisle, at least not in Western New York (I won’t rule out the possibility that it may exist elsewhere).

Comment: So. “One source tells me that Joe Morrelle has instructed these town leaders to remain neutral.” Let’s see. That would be the same Joe Morelle who just last month, on the eve of the East Side Dems meeting to designate a candidate for City Council, East District, was known to be personally working the phones on behalf of Elaine Spaull.

My reply: We don’t know anything about that, but our point was that Morrelle was to some extent not remaining neutral by ordering the town leaders not to endorse Massa (if the reports we’ve heard are correct and we don’t know for sure that they are).