Getting beyond the "primary them all" mentality in New York State

by: Adam Bink

Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 19:00


Liz Benjamin is reporting that Tony Avella, a NYC City Councilman who is leaving office at the end of this year, and lost a primary to Thompson for Mayor, is considering running against Republican Senator Frank Padavan, a no vote on marriage equality. Padavan lost a very tight, recounted race in 2008 for his seat and is a big Republican target. Avella is very much in support of marriage equality and said he would have been a yes vote on the bill. He is also very respected for his work on zoning issues while on the City Council, and was endorsed for his Council races by the labor-backed Working Families Party. While, as we have witnessed, people can go back on their support for marriage equality, that is promising.

The reason I'm pointing this out is because, as I talked about last week, there is been an emerging "primary them all!" theme with regard to the eight Democrats who voted against marriage equality as the solution that will solve all our problems. There are a number on that list who are very likely to still retain their seats. With a target like Aubertine's, his seat is one we are not likely to get back. My point here is that all of this anger over the eight Democrats ignores that there is a target-rich environment among Republicans. Padavan is one. It's important to target district-by-district, not party by party.

Adam Bink :: Getting beyond the "primary them all" mentality in New York State

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Getting beyond the "primary them all" mentality in New York State | 13 comments
Nothing like leading with a straw man (4.00 / 2)

there is [sic] been an emerging "primary them all!" theme with regard to the eight Democrats who voted against marriage equality as the solution that will solve all our problems.

With all due respect, a theme emerges, that any radical suggestion to punish sellouts is claimed by its proponents to be the solution  to all our problems, and then is refuted on the grounds that it really won't solve all our problems.

(Isn't voting against marriage equality a sellout?  If not I stand corrected.)  

Full Court Press!  http://www.openleft.com/showDi...

? (0.00 / 0)
I have been very clear that Democrats like Monserrate sold out and deserve a primary. It is far from radical. I have also been very clear that only targeting Democrats is only part of the solution, and that Republicans must also be targeted. It must be both.


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[ Parent ]
then you're in favor of primarying them all? (4.00 / 1)
In that case, we are in agreement.  Frankly, I don't like people who try to oversell their tactic.


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[ Parent ]
But WHY should Aubertine be spared? What's he good for? (0.00 / 0)
I mean, at last there has to be some advantage of having him, and not a rethuglican, in the Senate. Where's the progressive stance in his bills, for instance this one:
S4162:  sponsored by AUBERTINE
Committee: JUDICIARY | Search
Enacts the uniform trade secrets act to provide improved trade secret protection to industry; provides statutory rights, remedies and a statute of limitations to parties who have had trade secrets misappropriated.

Or here:

S4163:  sponsored by AUBERTINE
Committee: CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS | Search
Authorizes a religious corporation to sell real property where consideration paid therefor and fair market value thereof is less than $200,000, and mortgage real property when such mortgage secures debt of less than $200,000, without leave of supreme court.

http://www.nysenate.gov/senato...

Dunno, would it make any difference if he was a rethuglican?

[ Parent ]
Don't get me wrong (4.00 / 1)
Aubertine does totally suck.

On the other hand, I'm told, not surprisingly, that there's no progressive bench in that district whatsoever. Remember we have a 32-30 majority. Losing Aubertine's seat is problematic. Growing up in NYS in a union household, I remember life under the Republicans.

Also, it's hard to be a "we demand a vote on marriage" advocate and then sign off on handing the Senate over to the Republicans, who have a history of refusing to allow a vote under Bruno. There's a possibility Skelos is more lenient for a coupla reasons, but I'm doubtful.


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[ Parent ]
Because of Aubertine (0.00 / 0)
Malcolm Smith controlls the agenda and not Dean Skelos.

[ Parent ]
Here's my thought (4.00 / 1)
Let's primary a FEW of them.  Diaz, for example, who is a thorn in the side of Democrats on many issues.  Onorato, who is barely a factor in the State Senate.  Huntley, who is an uncompromising stubborn hag that holds her seat as the result of Ada Smith's corrupt ways.  Primary a few of these guys to spread the fear of the left in a caucus that was apparently more afraid of conservative backlash than their own base.

Meanwhile, go after a few Republicans.  Padavan needs to go.  Golden should face a challenger, which he hasn't since he first won the seat in 2002.  Vinny Leibell's district is do-able and a Leibell-Ball primary would be a ballbuster on the right.  We also have a great candidate named Regina Calcaterra running out in Suffolk against Ken LaValle.

The point is that we need to elect progressives to the State Senate in two different tracts.  We have to elect them through competitive primaries of bad Dems in safe seats and we need to support progressives in competitive Republican seats and swing a few that way.

This won't be easy.  We'll need money, we'll need organization, we'll need candidates, and we'll need a whole lot of activism.  

To continue to promote as I've been doing lately, ReBoot NY .

"Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority." -William Jennings Bryan

Good logo on that page, and nice color, but... (0.00 / 0)
...isn't something missing there? Like, uh, content?
Or is this an avangarde concept, and the news can only be read in the newsletter?
[ Parent ]
Sorry about that (4.00 / 1)
The content is being developed as we speak.  We're going to hit the social networking scene in a few days to increase content exposure.  I can tell you that when the content on the site is up, there will be some great things!  

Until then, I'm just trying to increase name recognition of the group.  Anyone in the netroots who cares about NY politics needs to know about Reboot NY.

"Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority." -William Jennings Bryan

[ Parent ]
Addabbo (4.00 / 1)
Addabbo must be primaried.  He was elected with the specific promise that he was for gay marriage and then folded with a flood of late phone calls.  

Monserratte was convicted of stabbing his girl friend in the face.  He and Diaz instigated the farce abourt party control.  He's got to be primaried, gay marriage or not.

My gut feel is that Stachowski would be a good challenge.  He's very old and has been around too long.  He's typical of the type that can be surprised.  Manny Cellar/ Liz Holtaman from way back anybody?

Diaz?  Of course.

[ Parent ]
Unlikely (0.00 / 0)
gay rights activists are moving to name and recruit primary challenges for each of the NYC Democrats who voted no...except Addabbo.

Addabbo has a huge warchest and support from socially conservative Democrats in the district. This reminds me of a Dan Lipinski situation.

Like I said, I was at Addabbo's victory party last year, the only person in the room as popular as Addabbo was Sarah Palin, and these were all Democrats.  

[ Parent ]
It is indeed a target-rich environment (4.00 / 1)
The New York State Senate mostly needs targeting because of its inherent dysfunction. As Brian Keeler pointed at The Albany Project, it is like an organism designed to protect the power of its members and that's about it.

If we want the Senate to function on behalf of the people then we need a large infusion of new Senators. Targeting the usual one or two a year won't cut it. No matter how good they are they will be assimilated into the Borg collective.

There are handful of truly terrible Democrats that must go. There are few dinosaur Democrats that ought to go. There are 30 Republicans that fit into one of those two categories and several into both.

The rest of the Democrats aren't high on the list for replacement but in the interest of infusing the Senate with new blood it wouldn't break my heart to see several if not most of them go too.

So... while I think you are absolutely right Adam that simply focusing on these particular 8 Democratic Senators is not at all the solution, I also am taking a different view that if I had the resources available I would strongly consider targeting all 62... even the handful I personally like.

The entire New York State Senate needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Peace,

Andrew

Fear is an important tool for getting things done. (4.00 / 1)

Getting beyond the "primary them all" mentality in New York State | 13 comments
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