Welcome to election 2006! And for God’s sake, don’t touch anything—you could catch a disease.
Yes, this extra-special midterm race has brought out the full gamut of terrible choices. From liars to crooks, they’re all available at the nearest polling booth. But that’s no reason not to get out there and vote; despite their shortcomings, some of these candidates are pretty decent guys. And if you’re reading this Tuesday, November 7, or sooner, there’s still time to hit your polling place and let Uncle Sam know what you want.
2006 brings all New Yorkers the chance to shuffle up the highest offices of state power and choose some representatives to ship to Washington. The Democrats are looking to capture control of Congress, and if the hit the Republicans have taken from the recent scandals and failing policies are any indication, they have a good chance. They need 15 of the 33 open seats in the House, and six or seven in the Senate (depending on whether Vermont elects an independent candidate again). So don’t let anyone tell you midterms don’t matter—the balance of power is up for grabs.
If you’re registered to vote, you should have already received a card in the mail with your polling place. Call 1-800-FOR-VOTE or hit elections.state.ny.us to find your county election board if you lost it. If you need an absentee ballot or aren’t registered yet—well, it’s a little late, but register now for next time.
But who should you vote for? That’s ultimately your decision, but here’s what Generation is thinking:
Governor- Eliot Spitzer (D)
After three terms in the saddle, Republican George Pataki is stepping down and leaving the Governorship open. The move has sparked speculation of a 2008 shot at the Presidency, but for the moment, voters are presented with a race that is already over.
Democrat Eliot Spitzer, who earned the title “Sheriff of Wall Street” for his prosecution of white-collar crime as Attorney General, has steadily been demolishing his Republican opponent John Faso by nearly 50 points, which is damn near as insurmountable of a lead as you can get. And it’s no small wonder, considering he’s running with the catchy slogan, “Day One, Everything Changes.” Considering the dismal happenings in Albany over the last few years, voters welcome his promise.
Spitzer’s platform appears to back up his claim; he is calling for lower property taxes for the middle class, says he’ll bring health care coverage to every child in New York State, and has a nebulous plan to revitalize business.
Spitzer’s name recognition has virtually pushed Faso out of the race. To the Republican candidate’s credit, he is also running a campaign addressing the issues. Still, his focus on the Hevesi scandal may be his undoing, as that story is taking up much needed media coverage. The former state assemblyman runs a platform that is similar to Spitzer’s, but does not call for the same sweeping reform in some areas. He has also proven himself a sub-par debater, an arena where Spitzer won all contests handily.
In the end, Spitzer is going to be governor-elect next Tuesday barring catastrophe, and the more votes he has, the better the chance he can do something in Albany. He seems to be our best opportunity for reform.
Comptroller- Write in
It’s near impossible to discuss the comptroller race without first addressing the scandal that dominates it.
It’s a classic case of mudslinging. Repbulican contender Christopher Callaghan recently accused Democratic incumbent Alan Hevesi of using a state-paid car and driver to ferry his wife about town. A special council to Gov. Pataki has already said there’s a “valid legal basis” to remove him from office, though Hevesi has handed over first $83,000, then another $90,000, to make up for his indiscretion towards the tax payers. Of course, the payment makes one wonder why Hevesi chose to end his political career when he had the scratch to hire a fleet of private cars for his wife.
Chauffergate is, unfortunately, the only reason this contest may be the closest statewide race this year. If the scandal hadn’t come to light, Hevesi would be an easy choice. He’s done a pretty decent job—this past year even showed a growth in the state pension fund, although a recent New York Times article says that because of increased state and local government contributions, that’s nothing to get excited about. Unfortunately, his fiscal indiscretions show that this man has no business controlling the $145 billion his office is charged with. Add that to the fact he will probably get booted from office even if he does win.
That leaves Callaghan, who just doesn’t have the experience for the office. His former job was as Treasurer of Saratoga County—not a walk in the park, I’m sure, but you don’t get a promotion to space shuttle pilot because you passed your road test.
If the Republicans were fielding a decent candidate, this race would be closed. Over. A landslide. Instead, Hevesi’s lead has been steadily plummeting, making this race too close to call as election day approaches. Sadly, Callaghan has been all but ignoring the issues and has turned his attention to a “Driving Mrs. Hevesi” campaign built around grainy black and white video of a limousine. While he is scooping up endorsements, we can’t bring ourselves to place the Generation seal of approval on a candidate who is running such a vehemently negative campaign.
Since Green Party pick Julia Willebrand seems to be under the impression she’s running for housing sheriff of New York City instead of Comptroller of New York State, voters are left with nowhere to turn. It just doesn’t seem right to cast a vote for Hevesi, especially knowing he might be replaced later. So unless you feel a real connection with either one of these rejects, write that baby in or leave this column blank. I recommend Scrooge McDuck; he seems to have a good grasp on fiscal management.
U.S. Senate- Howie Hawkins (Green)
Now we’re talking. New York can only send one representative off to the Senate, and heading up the race are Democrat incumbent Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Jon Spencer. Hillary has been running, and continues to run, with a healthy 25- to 30-point lead on her opponent, and in Democratic New York that means this race is pretty much over, excluding the possibility of embarrassing dress stains.
Spencer is a cookie-cutter conservative and Clinton a moderate liberal, so voters choosing between the two don’t have a hard decision to make when it comes to the issues. They tend to preach along party lines. Not all citizens are pleased with Clinton’s work in D.C., however, citing her as a key part of a “do nothing” Congress and a supporter in action of many Bush administration policies.
And then there’s the third choice. Howie Hawkins is running under the Green Party flag, and is one of the few decent candidates the grassroots group is presenting this year. He has been running for various offices almost constantly for over a decade, and offers a stance that is farther left than Clinton’s, running primarily on a “bring the troops home” platform. He’s also preaching solar power, universal health care, drug legalization and taxation, and an Electoral College abolishment. His platform may reek of patchouli, but those who lean left and aren’t thrilled with Clinton should consider the often-overlooked Hawkins.
Although the Democrats are aching for every Senate seat they can get, don’t worry too much about Nader-ing this race; Clinton is only a few poll points away from being a shoo-in.
Congress NY-26- Jack Davis (D)
While those voting with absentee ballots will have their own list of candidates for the House of Representatives race in their district, students who call New York’s 26 district home (or at least are registered to vote here) will have the opportunity to cast a vote in one of the hottest contests this year.
Republican Thomas Reynolds’ name has been thrust into the national spotlight for his connection with the Mark Foley congressional page scandal. As a high-ranking Republican in the House, Reynolds supposedly knew about Pedogate before the story broke, and is taking heat for not bringing it to light. It has recently been revealed that his aides participated in secret damage control meetings two days before the story broke.
Despite the damning evidence, Reynold’s opponent, Jack Davis, is only edging out five to ten points ahead in the polls. Davis is a businessman who owns and operates a manufacturing company in Akron. His success in the business world has triggered a deluge of negative ads from Reynolds tagging him “Millionaire Jack Davis.”
In response, Davis has released one of the rare positive ads running this election cycle, stating he would take pay of only $1 and waive his health and pension benefits if elected to Congress. It’s depressingly refreshing to see that on the TV these days. At the same time, sincerity isn’t what makes a good representative.
Davis has no experience in office, although he did run for this position in 2004. He has also not solicited campaign funds or support from other Democrats. Perhaps this is because he runs on a platform which supports a bevy of Republican beliefs. According to a vote-smart.org survey, Davis is for a southern border fence, the elimination of the death tax, easier gun laws, expansion of nuclear power, use of the death penalty, and the elimination of governmental affirmative action—all considered Republican stances. Conversely, Davis also supports relaxed drug laws, new stem cell lines, the withdrawl of troops from Iraq, and a lift of the Cuba travel ban. Reynolds didn’t fill out a form. Notably, the two candidates differ on the course of civil liberties; Reynolds thinks laws like the Patriot Act are useful tools, Davis thinks we need to keep an eye on our rights.
We ultimately endorse Davis—it would be interesting to see what he could do in office, and the only alternative is neck-deep in a controversy that will hurt his political influence even if he retains the office. Voters are advised to catch up on where Davis stands on their own interests before hitting the polls, though.
Attorney General- Andrew Cuomo (D)
With Eliot Spitzer poised to move on up to a gubernatorial office, New Yorkers have a fresh slate of candidates for the office of Attorney General. Heading the race are Democrat Andrew Cuomo and Republican Jeanine Pirro.
Keeping with this year’s trend, a scandal is brewing around Pirro. She allegedly attempted to use her influence as a Westchester County district attorney to bug her husband’s boat, suspecting him of infidelity. Although such an act is illegal, it isn’t the reason Pirro fails to measure up.
Pirro’s platform is deeply confused when it comes to the duties of the Attorney General. She goes to great length to point out the numerous rapists, murderers, and pedophiles she has put behind bars, and says she’ll continue to do so. Like her opponent, Pirro also plans to address Medicare fraud, although her methods are more resource-intensive than Cuomo’s.
Her stance indicates that Pirro doesn’t know the difference between a district attorney and Attorney General; her proposed methods suggest she plans to play glorified cops and robbers, when in reality the Attorney General must do far more than simply take cases to court. It’s perhaps a result of her many years in the courtroom, which spur her to note that her opponent is not a “practicing attorney.”
Which is true. Cuomo didn’t spend much time in court as an assistant district attorney, but served under President Clinton as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a position that left him in control of 300 prosecutors. He pegs himself as a champion of social justice and civil rights, and the fact he focuses on larger problems like housing and discrimination shows he has a good idea of what is needed from the office. He’s also looking to fight government corruption, which Pirro maintains is chiefly the responsibility of district attorneys.
Cuomo isn’t the perfect candidate. He has taken donations from a group he lambasted his primary opponent Mark Green for accepting. A recent New York Times article also claims Cuomo allowed fraudulent practices to continue at HUD during his term as secretary, although he was not directly involved.
Although these issues are worth considering, the fact that Cuomo’s vision for the Attorney General’s office is broader and clearer than Pirro’s still remains. With his close ally Eliot Spitzer in office, he would also be far better equipped to work with the administration in Albany as well.
Those are the big ones. When you actually enter the polling booth on Tuesday, you’ll also see a bunch of candidates running for local offices and the state legislature. Check out the local paper or search “election coverage” at your favorite national paper’s website to get the basic information. Whatever you do, don’t just go in there and start flipping switches. The voters are responsible for making good decisions long before the officials they elect.
