Monday, January 17, 2011

It's filing time again -- they're going to grieve me ...

As the Tribune recently reminded us:

The first day candidates can file to run in the city primary is Jan. 19, and the majority of current New Albany City Council members plan to seek re-election this year ...

New Albany candidates have until noon Feb. 18 to file in the county clerk’s office, which is located in room 235 of the City-County Building at 311 Hauss Square.

A few random thoughts.

The local Democratic machine’s decline was underway long before last November's comprehensive shellacking; in the months since, it has disappeared from view. Does New Albany’s Democratic Party still have the strength (and the will) to contest municipal elections in 2011?

In spite of the Democratic drubbing, the inner city still held the line, thanks presumably to straight ticket voting. Remembering that precious few Democrats in New Albany know or care about the party’s national platform, ongoing pockets of resistance in the inner city are a good thing for Democrats overall.

But: Given that those city council’s principal dullards most in need of removal register as Democrats and benefit from these straight party votes, it makes it harder to facilitate their forced retirement without the pre-assistance of the machine – which was unwilling to cooperate when breathing, and now barely exists at all.

And yet, some insist that the unprecedented size and scope of last November’s Republican victory – albeit benefiting from county GOP cadres and without municipal offices up for grabs – make it at least possible that Republicans might do better in the inner city this time around.

Do the Republicans have candidates? One would think that success has bred greater numbers and a larger pool for selection. If the GOP has a credible candidate in a place like the 3rd district, is there any way such a candidate can beat Steve Price, who typically routs Republicans in the fall after winning divided Democratic primaries in the spring?

Is there any room for viable independent candidacies in any of this (or these)?

Discuss?

3 comments:

G Coyle said...

suggestion: Make local city council elections non-partisan. This is the law in other places. Why? Why does it matter who you like for president when at the local municipal level, it is not about vision or agenda, it's about public safety, paving, sewer stuff, etc. Most political considerations are not relevant at this level. Let the mayoral office reflect the political aspirations of the citizens. Make the city council focus on getting the town run.

SBAvanti63 said...

AMEN!!!

Ruthanne said...

If I'm not mistaken, there are at least a few regulars on this blog who reside in the 3rd District. Can we expect at least one of you to step up and make an announcement by Feb. 16th?