Some facts, observations, and heard-on-the-streets

Ken Kruly

Sep 4

We are at the time of the year that comes with beautiful weather, the football season kicking off, and Republicans fighting to be number 2 in the party hit parade.

Here are some facts, observations, and heard-on-the-streets:

The first Republican presidential debate was … interesting… boring… just part of the new reality show TV lineup that networks are putting together while the writers and actors strikes continue. Maybe the networks can combine the debates with some of the reality TV shows that are long-in-the-tooth like Survivor or American Ninja Warrior.
Ron DeSantis is reportedly coming back to Buffalo again to raise funds for his floundering campaign. His friend, Nick Sinatra, will be hosting.
Vivek Ramaswamy's childish behavior during the debate seems to have caught on for the moment with some Trump folks who are looking for a younger and non-legally challenged version of their candidate. Some polls seem to indicate that Vivek is actually drawing Republicans away from Trump, but at the end of the day mini-me's juvenile antics will wear thin. He also seems to be uninformed about American government in general.
The Buffalo News has noted the involvement in Ramaswamy's campaign by Buffalo politicos Stefan Mychijliw and Chris Grant, the later the owner of Big Dog Strategies. Big Dog served as George Santos's campaign consultant last year, even after they were informed about Santos's non-stop lying. Non-stop lying is also something that Ramaswamy does. He is the 2024 version of Herman Cain, Scott Walker, and Ben Carson, each of whom having briefly led the Republican primary field in years gone by. Ramaswamy will flame out when Trump realizes the potential threat (the ego cannot stand another big ego) and the public gets to know more about Vivek. Enjoy the ride fellas, presidential campaigns can be fun.
It is right to be concerned about the few criminal matters that have occurred concerning asylum seekers who are currently residing in Erie County. Too bad that local politicos don't show the same let-me-put-out-a-Tweet-on-that initiative concerning crimes committed by local citizens. Or for that matter such things as the January 6 insurrection. Republicans seem to think that all the folks that accompanied their families and all the many others who came from Europe in days gone by all turned out to be model citizens.
Here is a newspaper headline you don't see every day: "Lorigo asks judge to overturn primary." Erie County Conservative Party Chairman Ralph Lorigo asked for a do-over for a Town of Evans Conservative primary where the party's endorsed candidate lost by two votes to a candidate who facilitated absentee voting for about 55 new Conservatives. Party leaders don't usually complain about new folks affiliating with their organization.
Lorigo has a valid point about a change in the state Election Law that revised the cut-off date for changing a person's party enrollment to mid-February. That is generally after parties have settled on their candidates now that there is a June primary schedule in place. Candidates who lose out on party endorsements can now round up some friends and relatives to re-affiliate and work to challenge the decision. Seeking some sort of litmus test for party membership, however, could never work in practice.
The success of two or more local candidates who this year put together a party-switcheroo scheme will encourage others to give it a try. It is not something that Democrats or Republicans need to worry about given their large enrollment numbers. It is unlikely but potentially even easier for someone who wants to pick off the Working Families line to do so, given that party's small affiliation numbers. The most likely party switching target will continue to be the Conservatives.
In previous years such efforts were conducted under the Election Law's "opportunity to ballot" provision which allowed for primary challenges by non-party members. That's how Robin Schimminger, in his first campaign in 1973, was able to wind up as the Democratic, Liberal, and Conservative candidate by defeating the Republican incumbent in the Conservative primary.
Given that there are incredibly few seriously contested local races in Erie County this year, turnout will be very low. The party that does the best job of bringing out its enrolled voters will win. In the same year of the four-year election cycle in 2015, a county executive election year, turnout was just 25 percent.
The race for Erie County Executive is the featured race in 2023. The asylum seeker issue has drawn attention but will it bring people out to vote?
Mark Poloncarz's campaign will soon begin their paid media effort and they have the resources to pay for it. We won't know until October 6 how much money Republican Chrissy Casilio is raising.
County government operates with an annual budget of more than $1.5 billion, running dozens of programs over a wide range of services. Poloncarz has mastered those matters.
Casilio has been a candidate for more than six months. Republican analyst Carl Calabrese recently told WBEN that "eventually she should start talking about what she would do as county executive…" Her only comments on such things were in March, when she discussed taxes, and last month when she said "I can't imagine what I might do in the situation" when asked about her plan concerning the asylum seekers issue. The election is just nine weeks away and early voting begins in less than eight weeks. Neither the Buffalo News nor the electronic media, except for WGRZ-TV, have made any effort to determine what Casilio's plans are for operating and managing the county. Debates would prove interesting.
The departure of Michael Wooten from WGRZ-TV leaves a serious hole in public issue reporting in western New York.