Matt Ryan’s vanquished primary opponent has declared his loyalty to the party, and endorsed Matt, proving military courage doesn’t necessarily translate into political courage. Are you ready to follow that lead? “Party unity” might save his job and home, will it save yours?
Take a look at your tax bill. Take a look at Binghamton’s Census data. What has your party’s “unity” done for you, your family, or your neighborhood? Are you really ready for four more years of Matt Ryan, for the sake of “party unity”? How much more “party unity” can the city take?
Whether it’s Democrat party unity or Republican party unity, it really isn’t unifying. It pits neighbor against neighbor, in some cases family member against family member. The real beneficiaries are party leaders, their families, friends and allies. If you aren’t one of them, you lose.
If 500-600 of you changed your votes last time around, I would be running for re-election right now. You have the chance to put this chapter in the city’s political history behind you. Don’t let vague notions that benefit party insiders only stand in the way.
Those of you that grew up admiring common sense Democrats like Harry S. Truman, Estes Kefauver, or Henry “Scoop” Jackson, those of you who worked, saved, and dreamed, and put all of those things into a home, only to see your hard earned investment go up in smoke; don’t be sucked into believing you have nowhere to go but back into the fold for four more years of west coast crystal worshiping kumbayaism.
There is somewhere for you to go. There is a candidate willing to put our hometown’s interest before any political party’s interest.
Understand, the interests of those calling for “party unity” are far different than people like you that pay the freight. They have taken you for granted, and will contiinue to do so. I will never do that. I will make sure the people paying the freight come first, every time. I owe nothing to any party organization, and never will.
Leave the “party unity” political players and their back room deals behind. They’ve done nothing for you but damage. Come with me, and we’ll forge a new political alignment with independent minded members of all parties that will protect people’s interests, not party patronage machines.
Breaking free of the habit of voting party line, and succumbing to appeals for “party unity” is not easy, but it must be done to save this city, and time is not unlimited. Do it now, by electing independent leadership.
Go Doug Drazen! Sorry I’m not there to watch you win.
Thanks Charles. I was very honored to have gotten to know your late father, the great Edwin Arthur Hall, Jr., who served in the US House of Representatives from 1939-1953, and who is arguably the most significant political figure to have come out of the Binghamton area in the 20th century. From him I learned a lot of very important lessons about bypassing and defeating party organizations, and campaigning, especially about the importance of personal contact with voters at their homes, which he told me was the secret to his success.