So Laura Bush is coming to campaign for Ray Meier. Big whoop. Sure, the move will bring in some money for Ray Meier, with two thousand dollar tickets for a couple to have their picture taken with the President's wife.
But why aren't they sending George W. Bush himself?
The race for New York's 24th district seat in the House of Representatives is one of the 20 closest races in the country. Typically, a strong President will go out to campaign for the candidates in the districts where the races are tight.
Yet, so far, there has been no indication that Bush will come here to help out Republican Ray Meier.
The reason is pretty clear. Our district's voters overwhelmingly think that George W. Bush has been a failure as President. 63 percent of likely voters in our district disapprove of the job that Bush has done.
Our district's Republicans can read the tea leaves. They see that the Bush Republican policies they've been pushing on us for years now are not approved of our district's voters.
If Ray Meier is regarded as a Bush-style Republican, he loses. If Meier can convince voters that, in spite of his long years supporting failed Bush policies, he'll be an independent, Lincoln Chafee sort of Republican, he can win. Likewise, Michael Arcuri can win if he convinces Democrats here that he's more like Ned Lamont, a Democrat with a spine who opposes Bush's failures, than Joseph Lieberman, a Democrat who will help Bush whenever it's convenient.
It's hard to get 63 percent of our district to agree on anything, so 63 percent agreement that Bush is bad for America shines out as the key to the election. 89 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independent voters, and almost 40 percent of Republicans disapprove of Bush.
For Democrats, clear victory can come if Mike Arcuri figures our how to communicate the following basic message:
A vote for Ray Meier is a vote for Bush.
Michael Arcuri will stand up to Bush.
All the rest is a distraction.
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7 comments:
"A vote for Ray Meier is a vote for George Bush"?
C'mon Jon, you're sounding like Bob now. Admittedly, Ray may tow the party line a bit more than others in the record, but your barrel is dangerously close to being overscraped my friend.
I also find it hard to believe Mike Arcuri will stand up to anything at all.
He doesn't stand for honesty and Justice... just look at how he arrogantly dismisses the NAACP allegations, instead of saying, "Let's look into it" he acts like it was an attack on his name!
It's all about Mike right?
Are you saying he'll "stand up to president Bush" just like he did when Bush went to this war that the Dems have grasped at?
A war that the Dems arguably caused?
Where was Mike and his opinion then? Oh yeah, I forget, that was not an election year.
And mybe, just maybe Jon, the Republicans can see that Mike is a weakened paper tiger at this point, (his bad track record) and don't feel it's necessary to have W come himself.
Either way, people are reading this as the 'death knell' for Arcurious. Although you, Jon, deserve better, we and many others think that this is exactly what Mike the Dodgy, Arrogant, Cheating DA deserves.
Don't underestimate the power of Laura Bush the way some did Cheney's visit. It's all about media and money, and these visits mean lots of both. Arcuri should be so lucky.
Listen, NoMoreArcuri, you're clearly missing the little, yet very important word "if" in the sentence, "For Democrats, clear victory can come if Mike Arcuri figures our how to communicate the following basic message".
Ray Meier is way to the right of Sherwood Boehlert. He's invited Dick Cheney and Laura Bush here to stand right next to him. Get the picture? Ray Meier is Bush's man. Elect Ray Meier, and Meier will go into Congress to promote Bush's radical, failed agenda. So yes, NoMoreArcuri, a vote for Meier is a vote for Bush.
You know I'm not too fond of Michael Arcuri, but he's much to be preferred to Ray Meier.
A bit of advice on your logo. Right now, it looks like the word "Arcuri" on top of a steering wheel. If you want it to suggest what I think you want it to suggest, then you place the word "Arcuri" behind the red.
OK Jon, I missed the "if"... you're right, but I have to say I "Picked up on the tone of it". And I can argue till Hell freezes over about Michael Arcuri being the "better man".
I've said a million times... Ray Meier is the lessor of two evils.
Sure, I think Ray has a few very questionable issues, what upstate career politician doesn't Jon? His voting record isn't tempered... it's everywhere! We're at odds here how to percieve him at times.
In person, Ray Meier is actually pretty "alive" and engaging, and you can form an opinion much better. I can't argue about the "Meier being farther Right than Boehlert" either, and that by definition isn't what CNY needs.
But here's the part Jon I think you're missing. Ray Meier is actually freakin' there when you call him! And from personal experience I know that you can reason with that man. Oh My God right?
He's not one to make a snap decision either, not afraid to say "I'll get back to you..."
What more could you ask of a politician?
Stay "Clean". Be accessable. Most of all reasonable to people's needs, not your "friends".
The choice for a Democrat we've had foisted upon us this cycle is so far out-of-line that he's not really any of the above three.
Have you Jon, found Mike Arcuri, a potential constituant, (and also a relatively influential blogger/pundit) easy to access? In all the time you've been on 24th watch, has Mike returned a call? Or was it more like calling the CIA?
Mike Arcuri, even for a DA, is so aloof Jon it would make you ill. The touchier the question, issue or subject, the more remote he becomes. Talk about 007! And you yourself have pointed out how he's impossible to pin down on an issue... Remember when you and others asked about Mike's stand on abortion? They treated that like it was a media coverup!
Is Mike Arcuri "clean" Jon? Does he ever seem to you to be forthcoming with specific information that could ease our suspicions? Or does he seem "Dodgy" from a very progressive point-of-view? Which perverted case of Justice lost you Jon? There's quite a few and counting.
Reasonable? What would you say Jon, is a good example of Mike Arcuri being "reasonable"? Mike Arcuri has a My Way or the Highway attitude that's well known. Does Mike's treatment of the NAACP outcry sound reasonable to you? Wouldn't you be more comfortable if this DA, even if he's totally right in his actions, could address that orginization's complaint with at least an effort to explain, or look into these claims of brutality or damage?
All I know is that if you remove the party bias, which I've had to do lately, out of the two men, Ray Meier will be a little more accountable,and Mike will do more damage than good.
The best you could ever hope for Jon, is that if Mike loses, the Democrats locally will rally a more apt candidate next cycle before Meier gets "encrusted" and "ensconced" like Boehlert did.
Laura Bush is already creating more "buzz" than Cheney's visit. Couple that with a strong Republican showing even for Tuesday's Primaries = Death knell for Mike.
And I don't see how Mike would "stand up to Bush", other than vote against this or that. You expect us to believe Mike himself could draft a measure or resolution decrying various Bush misdeeds? With one year before Bush is gone?
That's another one of those "cheerleader" statements Jon, you know, like "We like Mike".
Using that as a selling point, its no hard to see why Mike looks like he's peaked and on the way down.
As for the Icon, it's pretty clear. We tried it the way you suggest but this simplified it, and there's no doubt what it means. There's a new one coming that looks much better, more like glass.
When nomorearcuri says Ray Meier is the "lessor of two evils," it must mean that he's leasing Dick Cheney and Laura Bush.
"Influential blogger" - what does that mean? Something like "powerful mosquito?"
Don't discount Michael Arcuri's inclination to just follow along and vote like a good Democrat. Yes, he's not a policy thinker. No, he'll never be innovative. But, at least Arcuri won't do damage. Ray Meier will. Meier will cast a vote for Bush's policies, putting all America deeper in the hole.
Michael Arcuri is a terrible campaigner, and a rotten politician, and he doesn't seem to care much about listening to constituents. But, Arcuri is a rotten man who is part of a worthy cause.
That makes him ever so slightly better than Ray Meier, who is an effective politician in the service of a despicable cause.
nomorearcuri - this election is about stopping George Bush from destroying the country. His Congressional rubber stamp needs to be removed now.
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