Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Confused by Bruce Tytler

I have to admit that I really don't get it. I don't understand why Bruce Tytler chose to drop out of the campaign, and I don't understand why he chose to run in the campaign in the first place.

Oh, don't paint me as naive. I know full well that the fundraising figures for Tytler to be reported soon are not likely to be impressive. I also know that Arcuri is getting a lot of Democratic committee endorsements, and because Bruce Tytler would be trying to run on Democratic committee support outside of the District, he didn't really have a leg to stand on any more.

But, I'm not speaking on a strategic level. I'm speaking on a personal level. I'd like to know what was going through Bruce Tytler's mind when he decided to announce a campaign for Congress, and then when he decided to drop out.

Tytler must have know that the race would be competitive, with Michael Arcuri and Les Roberts in the running. Surely, he didn't think he'd come in on top. If he was at all realistic, he must have been planning a long, drawn out battle, perhaps based on the gamble that at least one of his top Democratic competitors would be unexpectedly eliminated because of some personal crisis or scandal.

Perhaps Bruce Tytler planned to campaign merely in order to promote his favored issues, but if that's the case, he didn't do a very good job, and barely had time to get an issues campaign started in any case.

Given that Tytler got in, I have to wonder what he was thinking when he dropped out. If Tytler really believed that he best represented the agenda most needed in the US House of Representatives, then he owed it to the district to keep running. Perhaps Tytler genuinely decided that one of the other candidates would do a better job than he would in Congress. Perhaps Tytler's interest was in seeing another candidate not succeed, and he decided that he'd do better to drop out and put his support behind the main rival to the other Democratic candidate.

Perhaps Bruce Tytler was simply offered a deal he could not afford to refuse. Maybe he was just tired.

If any of those gung ho Cortland Democrats who were so eager to sing Bruce Tytler's praises a few weeks ago would like to offer their thoughts on Tytler's departure, I'd love to hear them.

As it is now, the race for the Democratic nomination lies between Les Roberts and Michael Arcuri.

I have to say, I wish to hell I weren't working in Chicago today. I'd love to hear more about what's going on from the ground.

As it is, I feel like a bit of a schmuck for getting up early this morning to transcribe my interview with Tytler from late last week. During that interview, Tytler assured me that he would see the race through all the way to the primary. Thanks for the word, Bruce.

Here's a selection from Tytler's announcement of withdrawal:
"I plan to remain active and to talk about the issues important to the people in our district every chance I get. I thank all the people who gave their time, energy, and resources to our campaign and who believe, with me, that we can do better in the 24th congressional district"


Talk every chance you get, Bruce? I hope you mean that. I'd like to talk with you about your full reasons for dropping out, the process you went through in making the decision, and what went wrong with your campaign. Give me a call after you take a rest.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

can't seem to find the ithica journal article, have a link?

Anonymous said...

never mind, the Binghamton paper had it this morning anyways.

Anonymous said...

Use this instead:

http://www.news10now.com/content/
top_stories/default.asp?ArID=63070

Anonymous said...

Bruce Tytler is an individual that this country and central New York needs. His motivation was never $$$ it was to make a difference. When the only question that matters is "how much money have you raised" we should know that democracy is dead in Central New York. Come on people- it is time to support one that will truly represent you- not those with inherited wealth or those that have sold their vote- let alone their political souls.

Bruce's ideas are accurate and necessary priorities- I challenge everyone to require the remaining candidates to seek the true needs of central New York.

Anonymous said...

I've been waiting for some insider in Bruce's campaign to respond but I guess they have nothing to say as usual.

I would point out that Bruce said in his Cortland Standard interview this past week, that he hoped to raise $100,000 but only got less than $10,000 so far so he wan't going to make it. I think he was completely missing the magnitude of a congressional race if he expected to do it for $100,000.

Anonymous said...

We now know what was going thru Bruce Tytler's mind when he dropped out. He had only raised $7,535 in cash and March was drawing to a close. His own family hardly backed him. His own supporters, like Bill Wood and Ron Walsh, hadn't written a check big enough to qualify for a reportable donation (if they wrote any at all). His own campaign committee treasurer, with a lawyer husband, hadn't written him a reportable contribution.

It isn't much, but what is Bruce doing with the remainder? Is he returing it to the contributors?

Anonymous said...

I read re: your 2006 "interview with Tytler" - and (the hassle) of trying to transcribe it.

If you have any others, I can transcribe them, lickety split.

That's it - that's all.

AK