| The Aubertine HQ is just behind that large building two blocks away from our room just across this bridge:
When we arrived at the Oswego Headquarters
we were warmly greeted by a great young staff of party activists.
The campaign felt real energized by the Zogby poll showing Darrel up slightly but some 20% of voters still undecided. The campaign seems to be in a two prong mode this final weekend. To move as many of those undecideds to Aubertine and to get out their committed voters on election day. These Specials are notorious for low voter turnout, especially February on the shores of Lake Ontario!
But both campaigns have now invested a combined two million dollars on this race so I expect the voters I will canvass latter will have been well mailed to, newspaper added to, radio and tv'd to death.
We spent the morning Friday bundling canvassing materials and stapling signs together. My wife was pretty wasted from the long drive up the day before and so while she napped at the room I returned for some late afternoon canvassing in a Ward nearby the HQ. I was speaking with a volunteer constituency from Buffalo 61st SD. They confirmed Robert Harding's view that the Ward candidacy will take another nod and leave the Senate seat to Michelle Iannello in November, primary free. I also had a great conversation with State Senator Eric Schneiderman from Manhattan's Upper West-side and Mark Lapidis of the NYS SCC. They couldn't believe that Janet and I traveled up all the way from SD3. They both wanted my take on the SD3 developments and confirmed that they supported my take that Chris Bodkin was a much better fit to win that district and end Uncle Joe Bruno's majority!
I rang about 30 doorbells and found about six voters at home. They all indicated a strong sentiment of support for Aubertine and a commitment to vote come Tuesday. They all seemed very informed from the paid media I earlier wrote of. One couple had a long conversation with me about the campaign issue concerning the Salmon River and the fees charged by the Barclay family whose estate the river runs through to sportsmen who want to fish there. The taxpayers of NY have already paid for the hatchery and stocking of the river and even though a river flows through ones property there is a wide easement on either side that is still considered public land. Now Oswego and the Salmon River are ground zero, home assembly district for young Will Barclay whose dad represented the area in the State Senate.
The Aubertine TV spot on this issue really seemed to resonate with voters here in Barclay's home turf. These are largely blue collar, white working class folks with High School level of education earning a modest income, when they can find work at all. Barclay seems to strike a lot of the folks who know him best as "the guy who was born on third base but thought he had hit a triple!" The Democratic Party has been weak for a good many years in this area and often times incumbent Republicans like Will Barclay find themselves unchallenged for re-election. The voters I spoke with who raised the fishing issue did so because they are also active deer hunters and they told me that if you're out hunting on state land that borders the Barclay Estate and you bag a deer but it does not go down until it wandered off state land onto Barclay's land that the Barclay's charge you a fee for getting the animal. This all seemed to sit rather poorly with these folks.
I was asked about Darrel's background, particularly folks wanting to know if he really is a farmer and has lived in this part of the state all his life. Aubertine represents the 118th assembly seat in Jefferson County located a pretty fair distance north/east of Oswego. The 48th is actually a huge area and for somebody like me who campaigned around the LI 3rd SD where a ten minute drive north/West/East would bring you into three other neighboring senate seats, it took a little adjustment to get used to the enormity of a three county seat. In fact you can fit LI from Brooklyn Heights to Montauk Point inside of this place with room to spare! I am heading back with my camera and rested wife at 10AM Saturday for four hours of canvassing followed by a 2PM campaign rally. I will get more photo's and have some more war stories to share.
Saturday morning, like Friday morning started out with yet another great omelette breakfast at Aunt Mary's, a regular spot for the campaign workers. Mary is a great cook and she and my wife Janet made good friends quickly.
Well, we are back at HQ and the folks were real happy to hear the state Appeals Court uphold the lower court ruling leaving the IP line vacant on the ballot. The Law Firm of Hiscock and Barclay (I am not being snarky, that is the name!) have spent a good piece of time and money fighting this and Barclay seems to be shocked that the courts are not giving him his decision! Barclay is challenging this to the states highest court and even talking of a federal court action. Don't you love these conservative Republicans who tell us about the need for Tort Reform, eliminating frivolous lawsuits and honoring states rights? But when it effects them they go all the way and even want the Federal Government to tell the People of NY how to run their local elections! This will put a little extra spring in today's canvassing steps!
During our next 70 door bell rings, we found several folks who said they already voted absentee and they voted for Aubertine! After canvassing a nearby ward with great old homes like these:
We returned at 2PM and all met at a nearby Hall to rally for the candidate!
The candidate was one of the most sincere, comfortable in his own skin, real people I have ever had the privelege to meet:
After the rally, we headed back to the hotel and on the way saw an air conditioned Coach Bus pull into the area with a contingency of Barclay foot soldiers. They were carrying bags of literature and seemed to be doing a general lit drop in all the wards. I wondered just what it meant to see Barclay having to worry about dedicating this level of resource here in his home assembly seat just three days out? Amazing and who would have thunk it?
We are back home in SD3 now and I can finish this campaign diary. We wanted a third straight delicious breakfast at Aunt Mary's but Mary takes "The Lords Day Off"! As hard as she works, she needs to! I truly feel that Albany can be reformed with this man in the State Senate:
and with the hard work of folks like these:
I will be able to tell my kids that I proudly stood by the side of a real people powered candidate:
Election Night Links for SD48
Remember this is a three county race so results need be checked at the three BOE sites. Polls close at 9PM, here are your links:
Oswego County
St. Lawrence County
Jefferson County |
