Certainly, the fact that “...conservative activists gathered in Brooklyn gave [Lhota] rave reviews...” is not a message that is likely to win Joseph Lhota very many Democrats’ or Independents’ votes city-wide
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears....” — Brooklyn’s Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but he just might be everybody’s Brutus and Marc Antony rolled into one — but do Kassar's orations do anybody any good, other than to see to it that they get buried
Brooklyn Republicans have long known that Kassar has been for a very long time the master of a certain kind of politics — The worse things are for the Republicans, so much the better for the Conservative Party
Is there any kind of explanation for what looked like a “Joe Lhota puff piece” in the Politicker blog, but really was the Kings County Conservative Party in party-hardy mode ? (See “Brooklyn Conservatives Impressed by Lhota’s Debate Performance”
by Ross Barkan, 10/16/13, NY Observer/ Politicker [http://politicker.com/2013/10/brooklyn-conservatives-impressed-by-lhotas-debate-performance/]). Just what are Jerry Kassar, Ross Brady, Fran Vella-Marone so openly celebrating that it was news in a city-wide blog ? Certainly, the fact that “...conservative activists gathered in Brooklyn gave [Lhota] rave reviews...” is not a message that is likely to win Joseph Lhota very many votes city-wide. So what are these very disciplined and narrowly targeted partisans up to ?
In a passing comparison, the author of the Politicker piece that focused on Lhota’s Conservative Party supporters, Ross Barkan, also mentioned the main stream media’s predominant view of the debate via a link to a NY Times article (See “De Blasio, Attacking Lhota, Dominates in Their First Debate” by Michael Barbaro and Michael M. Grynbaum, 10/15/13, NY Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/nyregion/de-blasio-and-lhota-trade-barbs-in-first-televised-debate.html?ref=nyregion&_r=2&]). Contrary to the Conservative Party-centric views expressed by Kings County Conservative Party Executives, Jerry Kassar and Ross Brady, the Times reported that, “Bill de Blasio, not content to rest on a lopsided lead in the race for New York City mayor, relentlessly pounded his rival Joseph J. Lhota in their first televised debate on Tuesday, repeatedly linking him to what he called an obstructionist national Republican Party and the divisive mayoralty of Rudolph W. Giuliani.”
By way of stark contrast, Ross Barkan reported that: “As Bill de Blasio, the Democratic front-runner in the race, repeatedly pounded away at his wonkier opponent, the Republican and Conservative Party members gathered at Frank’s Pizzeria [in Dyker Heights] felt... emboldened. *** In their [own] estimation, Mr. Lhota won the night....” Barkan’s observations continued along that line — “...Equally upbeat and anxious, they watched... hoping the Republican’s right-leaning platform would bleed through.... When Mr. Lhota vigorously defended charter schools, the crowd broke into cheers....”
The evening’s most benighted moment came when “...the otherwise genial bunch later cheered and clapped when Mr. de Blasio, trying to deal a knock-out blow to Mr. Lhota, accurately stated that Mr. Lhota had sought the endorsement of the Conservative Party–a badge of honor for the party members watching.” They didn’t seem to care that Candidate deBlasio’s remark not only didn’t get Lhota one single new vote, it was a devastating blow that probably turned thousands of votes away from Lhota — possibly with a few moving toward the Conservative line, as against thousands completely lost from the Republican or Conservative line.
The fact that Barkan even was there covering the Conservatives and a hand full of Marty Golden Republicans is proof enough that those activists were only interested in some kind of self-aggrandizement. Why else would these Conservative and Republican types be so up front with their “Look at me ! Look at me !” moment ? It certainly did nothing good for Lhota’s city-wide effort that desperately needs Democrats and Independents as cross-overs.
Da da da da daaa.... Lovin it! Staten Island Republican leaders? BYR club? At a Conservative Party event? As de commie de Blasio says BULLSHIT!
ReplyDeleteConservatives? The Republicans are trying to bury him! Craig Eaton still hasn't lifted a finger to keep City Hall in Republican hands. Now that the party's standard bearer doesn't promise to fill his county coffers, Eaton has suddenly lost his ideological zeal. At least the same can never be said of Gerry Kassar and his cadre.
ReplyDeleteHas Lhota called Eaton or any of his operatives to participate in his mayoral campaign ?
DeleteA far as "lost his ideological zeal" -- I agree that "...the same can never be said of Gerry Kassar and his cadre..." His "ideology" is based upon usually serving the selfish interests of a party that is "Conservative" in name only.
Who cares if Lhota calls Eaton or his operatives? You shouldn't have to kiss their rings (or a body part) just for them do to their f**** jobs!
DeleteCampaign for a candidate championed by people suing the county? Yeah, I'm sure Eaton's grassroot people (who carried Catsimatidis on their back for months and battled Golden's crew to a draw) are just lining up for that.
DeleteWhat you're talking about is back-room, ego driven, political BS from all involved in that fiasco. A pox on both their houses.
DeleteThe fact is Lhota is the Party's elected mayoral candidate whether everyone likes it or not. It is the job of those running the Party to organize for and support it's elected slate of candidates. If they cannot put aside their personal gripes to do their jobs, then the county Party should be disbanded.
Who cares if Joe Lhota is part of some "elected slate of candidates"? He's also on the Conservative Party's un-elected slate of candidates along with Democrats like David Greenfield and Charles Hynes.
DeleteLhota has come across as an etch-a-sketch flip-flopper Republican. Every other day he either attacks the national GOP or particular conservative Republicans on the national scene.
Why should any Republicans --- even high GOP officials like the duly elected County Leader and his inner circle --- embrace ANY candidate who does not embrace the Republican Party or many of its key players?
For example does it make any sense for somebody at the same time to be for Senator Ted Cruz and HIS principled stand against Obamacare, and to support Joe Lhota who denounced Cruz for all of that.
Don't get me started on my opinion of the fusion voting BS in NY. We are talking about the Republican Party here, not the Conservative Party. I don't give a flying f*** about 3rd parties. Registered Republicans of NYC elected Lhota as the Republican mayoral candidate of the Republican Party, for better or worse. It is the job of the 5 Republican chairmen to support the candidates on the Republican line.
DeleteOther than Steve Lonegan, please enlighten me if there are any Ted Cruz type Republicans in office or running for office in the NY metro area. Were any of the mayoral candidates in the primary? Chris Christie? Mike Grimm? Pete King? Marty Golden? So, we are left with wishy-washy Democratic-lite/Rockefeller-Republicans/billionaires pretending to be Republican or no one. I guess if it is left up to people like you and the 5 Republican county chairmen, we'll eventually end up with no one anyway. In the meantime, enjoy the People's Republic of NYC under De Blasio. I'll be looking at red states to move to.
You are setting up a straw man. I think the issue that "Anonymous October 17, 2013 at 3:56 PM" was pushing is that Joe Lhota has mauled the GOP as a whole, its conservative national leadership and its necessary Tea Party supporters. Just because Republicans are stuck with Lhota on their line, doesn't mean that they need to support him.
DeleteErick Salgado looks like a good alternative on the School Choice Party line. One Brooklyn Republican City Council candidate has already endorsed Salgado and maybe another will do the same very soon.
Republicans are stuck with Lhota on their line because they ELECTED him. What northeast Republican politician hasn't attacked the tea party? Obviously, individual Republicans who didn't vote for Lhota in the primary don't have to support him, but the Party apparatus does. It's their JOB. If they are so personally opposed to it, they should resign in protest. Of course, they won't do that. They'll just wait in the shadows for the next billionaire pretending to be a Republican comes along.
DeleteSalgado might be a good choice if all you care about is social conservatism. Good luck with that.
I certainly didn't elect Lhota. Eaton didn't elect him; and most of the Brooklyn GOP activists didn't elect him, either. As for our jobs in the GOP, they are pretty much self-defining.
DeleteBut, you know, when you're right, you're right. Lhota was elected ... and so was I (sort of) ... and so was Eaton... and so were most of the Brooklyn GOP activists. So just like when Obama goes out and tells the GOP Members of Congress to win elections --- I answer just like some of the GOP Members of Congress answered POTUSBHO yesterday --- we did win our election(s); and you're right elections have consequences.
As for Christie, Grimm, the bad Congressman King (Peter) and Marty Golden --- A lot of hard core right-wing Republicans that I know would sooner vote for a hard core Sandinista-loving crypto-left radical Marxist-Leninist Democrat ahead of any one of them, because the hard core Sandinista-loving crypto-left radical Marxist-Leninist Democrat can't stab the hard core right-wing Republicans in the back the way that Christie, Grimm, the bad Congressman King (Peter) and Marty Golden, and the rest of their ilk have.
btw, when you do move to a real Red-state, you'd be well-advised not to mention that you supported Joe Lhota when you were here in New York; and as for your last line about Salgado and social conservatism --- if you've watched the ML playoffs, you should well know that one side can win one-to-nothing. Salgado's social conservatism is "ONE" (1) --- Lhota's brand of Republicanism is "NOTHING" (0) ZERO ZIP NADA...
When I do move to a redstate, I will be happy to say that I supported Republicans and not Democrats. My friends in redstates understand my choices suck.
DeleteWhy bother becoming a GOP official if you're going to actively support non-Republicans? If you like socially conservative Democrats so much, change your party registration to Democrat and get them elected in the Democratic primaries. In the meantime, again, good luck getting Salgado elected.
I'm not actively supporting any non-Republicans. I've put up posts and comments about a few others, who are actively supporting non-Republicans; and I have indicated that I am leaning toward voting for a non-Republican for Mayor of NYC.
Deletebtw, Salgado won't be elected mayor .... AND neither will Joe Lhota.
A vote for Salgado on the School Choice line is something called a "protest vote" .... it's because Salgado is the only social conservative running in the general election and because so much of Lhota's campaign has included bashing Republicans.
Kassar and Golden are too busy shredding petitions and changing Proxies from the convention to do anything else. They are such bums and it is absolutely pathetic. I hope fat Marty gets destroyed in 2014, along with his little curly headed friend Kassar.
ReplyDelete"... little curly headed friend Kassar..." ! ? ! Maybe, you're mixing up Jerry Kassar and Fran Vella-Marone.
DeleteKassar looks more like "...Brutus and Marc Antony rolled into one..."
Lhota needs the Conservative party now as much as Obama would have needed Farakhan in 2008.
ReplyDeleteKassar is little?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to get Kassar & Chris Christie on a seesaw.
For some reason, the Conservatives and Conservative Party Chairmen Mike Long and Jerry Kassar are suddenly saying issues like the right to life, and legalizing the use of pot and gay marriage don't matter to the Conservative Party in this race for mayor.
ReplyDeleteWhy not ?
So-called conservative Republicans like Timothy Cochrane should be screaming at their Conservative Party buddies, " WHAT'S UP WITH THAT ! WHY HAVE THE CONSERVATIVES SWITCHED THEIR POSITIONS ON LEGALIZING POT AND ABORTION AND GAY MARRIAGE ??? "
Also that there is a Social conservative alternative to voting for Lhota --- ERICK SALGADO FOR MAYOR --- That's something worth screaming about, Tim, THAT'S SOMETHING WORTH SCREEEE ---AMING ABOUT ! ! !