Update: Not surprisingly, all three lost, getting in the neighborhood of 40% of the vote in each case (with a third candidate helping, ZT might have received closer to 35%). Notable figures, I guess, especially for the two newbies running and the usual uncompetitive local races. As to the affect of Cuomo's national potential, maybe, but not sure especially with Clinton, what his national cases were anyway.
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Today's a somewhat atypical NY primary day in that there are multiple serious races in my sleepy district though likely at best one upset (helps the lieutenant governor has few duties other than Dave Barry's old line about wearing a suit and checking to see if the governor is still alive ... or not getting into trouble with prostitutes). No problems at the empty polls (once I had to fill in a paper ballot, but have simply not had problems voting over the years) and received a "I vote" sticker. No more lever machines.
Primaries are a chance to push candidates to the left/right, Andrew Cuomo promising, e.g., to be more progressive to get the Working Families Party line. They provide means to send messages and at times even knock people off (a local pol was just last year). Cuomo has gotten in trouble for problems with an anti-corruption panel and for generally not being liked in part because along with same sex marriage and gun control, he supported some more conservative things like fracking and financial matters. The tax free commercials I see promotion business in NY these days are a bit weird. And, generally speaking he rubs people the wrong way.
Zephyr Teachout, a local professor and campaign finance activity, does not just have a name that sounds like a character in a sci fi movie, is clearly the progressive choice. The lieutenant governor choice, Timothy Wu, on a separate line so might win over the not too well known conservative leaning Democrat Cuomo pick, is an expert on net neutrality and other things. Finally, we have Oliver Koppell, a long term local pol, running for state senate over Jeff Klein, who threw with the Republicans to cement their control when again in a span of years it was almost evenly divided.
Meanwhile, a constitutional amendment to deal with Citizens United advanced in the U.S. Senate. There is value in lost causes, and this won't get the supermajority necessary to advance when the big vote is taken, so it being a loser is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm with election law expert Richard Hasen that there are better and more useful in the long run ways to address campaign finance reform. As to the text, the Congress and states already have power to regulate in this area but the "political equality" reference does address something the USSC repeatedly found a problem. OTOH, what the freedom of the press section will stop is unclear and just what "appropriate" means (see current 14A/15A law such as Shelby overriding clear text via vague underlining constitutional principles.).
I'm wary, but it seems somewhat "eh" since it won't pass.
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Today's a somewhat atypical NY primary day in that there are multiple serious races in my sleepy district though likely at best one upset (helps the lieutenant governor has few duties other than Dave Barry's old line about wearing a suit and checking to see if the governor is still alive ... or not getting into trouble with prostitutes). No problems at the empty polls (once I had to fill in a paper ballot, but have simply not had problems voting over the years) and received a "I vote" sticker. No more lever machines.
Primaries are a chance to push candidates to the left/right, Andrew Cuomo promising, e.g., to be more progressive to get the Working Families Party line. They provide means to send messages and at times even knock people off (a local pol was just last year). Cuomo has gotten in trouble for problems with an anti-corruption panel and for generally not being liked in part because along with same sex marriage and gun control, he supported some more conservative things like fracking and financial matters. The tax free commercials I see promotion business in NY these days are a bit weird. And, generally speaking he rubs people the wrong way.
Zephyr Teachout, a local professor and campaign finance activity, does not just have a name that sounds like a character in a sci fi movie, is clearly the progressive choice. The lieutenant governor choice, Timothy Wu, on a separate line so might win over the not too well known conservative leaning Democrat Cuomo pick, is an expert on net neutrality and other things. Finally, we have Oliver Koppell, a long term local pol, running for state senate over Jeff Klein, who threw with the Republicans to cement their control when again in a span of years it was almost evenly divided.
Meanwhile, a constitutional amendment to deal with Citizens United advanced in the U.S. Senate. There is value in lost causes, and this won't get the supermajority necessary to advance when the big vote is taken, so it being a loser is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm with election law expert Richard Hasen that there are better and more useful in the long run ways to address campaign finance reform. As to the text, the Congress and states already have power to regulate in this area but the "political equality" reference does address something the USSC repeatedly found a problem. OTOH, what the freedom of the press section will stop is unclear and just what "appropriate" means (see current 14A/15A law such as Shelby overriding clear text via vague underlining constitutional principles.).
I'm wary, but it seems somewhat "eh" since it won't pass.
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Thanks for your .02!