I grew up there, it is nice to read such perceptive reporting on a place I know well.
My unscientific impression (confirmed by the tone of your reporting on this race) is that Bowman is doomed. My parents still live in the district and I've been driving around it doing some errands to help them move. You don't see any Bowman lawn or window signs even in the more racially diverse parts of White Plains. I've only seen Bowman signs in the parts of Yonkers adjacent to the Bronx. There are more Latimer lawn signs than I've seen for any previous political campaign in Westchester, and I assume that the lawn signs mostly correspond to Jewish voters who are registered Democrats and will make a point of voting in the primary. When Bowman was running against Engle there weren't nearly as many lawn signs, and even in rich Jewish neighborhoods it was about 50/50 between Bowman and Engel. I know the district includes Wakefield, but I can't imagine that the people down there are as jazzed up as the people further north, who see this primary as a referendum on Israel.
It is sad, meaningless gaffes aside Bowman seems more solid as a politician and a human being than Jones, but I worry Jones is the one with a political future.
Not to get too deep into lawn-sign polling, but I saw 5 Bowman signs in the river towns (Hastings, Dobbs Ferry) vs. 1 for Latimer on a quick drive around there over the weekend.
Yeah, it isn't science haha. I didn't head over that way so maybe my perspective is skewed, I was just surprised to see none in White Plains. Jones also seems like somebody who knows which way the wind is blowing.
>That is, of course, if he gets back to D.C. Jones can justify his evolutions by declaring, merely, he is following the will of his constituents, and there is truth to that. Voters, though, might wonder what swirls at the core of Mondaire Jones. Who is he? What does he believe? Is there any there there?
Heaven forbid we consider for a second that what he believes might be represented by what he says. Heaven forbid we wonder if his time spent in government may have changed his perspective on who he would like to work with in Congress.
No -- we must assume that all politicians are mere creatures of ambition who have no individual beliefs that they might hew to over what's best for their career. We must take any deviation from the beliefs they "should" hold as per their various characteristics to be a sign of nefarious intent. We must take any change in opinion or association as certain calculation. We simply must - otherwise, we would be governed by mere people - by mere feeling, rather than by ever-calculated efficiency! And that would be terrifying.
Barrrffff! Snakes, scorpions and rats in a bottle. How can anyone put their faith in the people you describe? He should be the candidate because he's gay? He should be the candidate because he changed his stripes over night? He should be the candidate because he's for climate change (aka weather)? I despise all these people. They pop up, new ones every election. They're glib. They have nice suits. They cash in and play the race card, the ethnic card. May they all go down with their ship.
From a purely Machiavellian or academic point of view, "unite your forces and divide your enemy's forces" is interesting to observe in real time. Whereas the threat of Trump appears uniquely capable of uniting liberals and the left in solidarity, the Palestinian question appears uniquely capable of splitting liberals from the left....
This is why local reporting is important, as opposed to blindly voting Democrat.
I grew up there, it is nice to read such perceptive reporting on a place I know well.
My unscientific impression (confirmed by the tone of your reporting on this race) is that Bowman is doomed. My parents still live in the district and I've been driving around it doing some errands to help them move. You don't see any Bowman lawn or window signs even in the more racially diverse parts of White Plains. I've only seen Bowman signs in the parts of Yonkers adjacent to the Bronx. There are more Latimer lawn signs than I've seen for any previous political campaign in Westchester, and I assume that the lawn signs mostly correspond to Jewish voters who are registered Democrats and will make a point of voting in the primary. When Bowman was running against Engle there weren't nearly as many lawn signs, and even in rich Jewish neighborhoods it was about 50/50 between Bowman and Engel. I know the district includes Wakefield, but I can't imagine that the people down there are as jazzed up as the people further north, who see this primary as a referendum on Israel.
It is sad, meaningless gaffes aside Bowman seems more solid as a politician and a human being than Jones, but I worry Jones is the one with a political future.
Not to get too deep into lawn-sign polling, but I saw 5 Bowman signs in the river towns (Hastings, Dobbs Ferry) vs. 1 for Latimer on a quick drive around there over the weekend.
Yeah, it isn't science haha. I didn't head over that way so maybe my perspective is skewed, I was just surprised to see none in White Plains. Jones also seems like somebody who knows which way the wind is blowing.
Is there anything there, there?
A rogue is a rogue is a rogue.
So...probably not.
>That is, of course, if he gets back to D.C. Jones can justify his evolutions by declaring, merely, he is following the will of his constituents, and there is truth to that. Voters, though, might wonder what swirls at the core of Mondaire Jones. Who is he? What does he believe? Is there any there there?
Heaven forbid we consider for a second that what he believes might be represented by what he says. Heaven forbid we wonder if his time spent in government may have changed his perspective on who he would like to work with in Congress.
No -- we must assume that all politicians are mere creatures of ambition who have no individual beliefs that they might hew to over what's best for their career. We must take any deviation from the beliefs they "should" hold as per their various characteristics to be a sign of nefarious intent. We must take any change in opinion or association as certain calculation. We simply must - otherwise, we would be governed by mere people - by mere feeling, rather than by ever-calculated efficiency! And that would be terrifying.
Barrrffff! Snakes, scorpions and rats in a bottle. How can anyone put their faith in the people you describe? He should be the candidate because he's gay? He should be the candidate because he changed his stripes over night? He should be the candidate because he's for climate change (aka weather)? I despise all these people. They pop up, new ones every election. They're glib. They have nice suits. They cash in and play the race card, the ethnic card. May they all go down with their ship.
From a purely Machiavellian or academic point of view, "unite your forces and divide your enemy's forces" is interesting to observe in real time. Whereas the threat of Trump appears uniquely capable of uniting liberals and the left in solidarity, the Palestinian question appears uniquely capable of splitting liberals from the left....
Very informative and clarifying -- thank you.
I would like to share a copy of a letter I sent to my own local Democratic Committee, explaining why I feel their endorsement of Latimer is creating unacceptable liabilities: https://1drv.ms/b/c/237096bb5a462b29/EUxbkMBgvV9Pq7VLT_WGwZEBBTCO7Lf44z0dSSeIJdxz4A?e=h4m0dX.