TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK --- the final moments of the biggest GOP primary campaign in years are passing with four very relevant candidates making their last minute pitches to Republican prime voters and others among those candidates' identified bases of GOP voters

John Quaglione, Lucretia Potter, Robert Capano and Liam McCabe are all reaching out to touch somebody  ---  and hopefully motivate and maximize their Primary Day turnouts

The mail is falling into my mailbox fast and furious  ---  separated only by my mail carrier's ability to pick it up and bring it to me.  My phone's been ringing with real live people calling me and asking over and over whether I will  "...  talk about..."  "...consider voting for..." and/or "...be counted on to vote for..."  one particular candidate  (BTW, that was three (3) separate calls from yesterday alone).  I also received two different survey calls about this City Council race in the 43rd District.

All of the GOP candidates for City Council in the 43rd Council District in 2017 had their individual reasons to come into the race when each of them did.  Even before active campaigning, either at the beginnings of their organizing or shortly thereafter, they all identified  their personal goals, targets and objectives for their 2017 races.  Some assembled inner circles of seasoned and established pros, others relied, for good or ill, on what was already there in place.  In any case, all four candidates put together campaigns that were best for them and attaining success  as they defined "success."

My observations (including the buzz I'm getting from my BSIs in the 43rd Council District, and conversations with most of the Republican candidates and a couple of the Democrats too) show me that all four Republican candidates clearly seem to be firmly on their personally selected paths to success in 2017.

What they will achieve by and after Primary Day is yet to be seen.  There can only be one "elected" Republican candidate for City Council to contest for the seat now held by Democrat Vinny Gentile. However,  all four GOP candidates are to be commended for putting forth their candidacies in credible and creditable ways.  There have been sort of  "big campaigns" and sort of "modest campaigns" and one might even have been described as a "solitary campaign";  nonetheless,  all of them were "credible and creditable"  (I know, I'm quoting myself).

JOHN QUAGLIONE

I want to specially commend the efforts of John Quaglione and his supporters from top to bottom. The 2017 Quaglione campaign for City Council looks and sounds like it is light years ahead of that candidate's 2013 efforts  ---  and I do mean from A to Z,  and from soup to nuts.....  John has been able to present himself as a mature and very well experienced public servant, who is well equipped to become a member of the City Council.  Unfortunately, from my point of view,  JQ is unambiguously Republican State Senator Golden's candidate in the race  ---  that is the biggest weakness of the Quaglione candidacy;  it is also its greatest strength.   It remains to be seen if it's all enough for John to win.

LUCRETIA POTTER

Another year, another Republican primary for GOP State Committee Member (GOP 46th AD District Leader) Lucretia Potter.  This time, Lucretia went "all in"; and she didn't just let the >>> powers that be in the Republican and Conservative parties <<< only  take their potshots at her on her home turf.  She flexed her considerable organizing muscle and got herself on the GOP primary ballot in two slots  ---  one of them for the City Council in the 43rd District.....  Hers is the most "solitary" of the 2017 GOP council campaigns.   It's modest, being largely personally and club-based;  but it IS there, and it IS organized, and it IS targeted.  One wag specifically told me that Lucretia won't win the City Council primary, but she will get her vote out and she will have her impact on that race  ---  more important, that wag said Lucretia Potter would probably hold on to her party post as a member of the GOP State Committee and keep her slate of Kings County Committee members in tact and in office. (BTW, that wag should know  ---  she has been a direct Arnaldo-Lucretia antagonist for years.....)

ROBERT CAPANO

Bob is now the "Wild Card" in this race.  His hope was to have been a big part of a big city-wide effort for John Catsimatidis for Mayor.   John C. himself explained quite succinctly why that did not eventuate during his brief speech at Bob's most recent fund raiser.....  But, Bob has used his contacts and significant abilities to reach out and cobbled together a solid and pretty well-funded campaign.  In addition, he is the real UN-COLA in this race,  being the "organization candidate" of the GOP organization in exile.....  Or as they might refer to themselves  ---  "Not Marty Golden, not now -- not ever."  In a four person race, that might be enough for Bob to win  ---  unless Lucretia sops up too many of the anti-Golden voters.....

LIAM MC CABE

And there was Balto....   As the one-word line in "The Quiet Man" would have it   ---   "HEROIC !!!" Liam has put himself out there as the man who has turned his life around.   I believe him;  but is it enough for Liam McCabe to win it all in 2017 ???   He sells a message of rugged individualism AND salvation by a power greater than himself.  That's both a description of his personal journey and his political journey.  Liam has put together a heck of a GOP primary campaign (it might be the best of these campaigns in the GOP primary)  ---  but he did it with the help of some very significant friends.....  Like I said,  Liam is on both a political and personal journey  ---  BUT  ---  for 2017 Liam's journey might include "A Bridge Too Far".....   Where that bridge actually intersects Liam's path forward is yet to be seen  ---  I'm far from sure that Liam's "...  Bridge Too Far" is in the September primary.....