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SD-51: So, I Finally Met Don Barber

by: phillip anderson

Wed Jun 25, 2008 at 15:51:30 PM EDT

He's having another event here in the city tonight (Details in the extended entry) and Don has agreed to take a few minutes to speak to us on camera. For those who haven't yet met Don, I'll soon have some video of him speaking directly to us.

Our good friend Bouldin was there as well last night and I completely agree with what he had to say:

Very impressive, for several reasons. First of all, he's a nice guy, who I'm pretty confident isn't going to turn into an aloof elected aristocrat like some of the GOP senators one might care to mention.

Then, there's his platform: Don is running on a really simple idea that's gotten short shrift in New York for a while: that we're all in this together, that jobs matter, that the yawning gap between rich and poor in this state is scandalous, that we need to take better care of each other and the world we live in. As he says, he grew up on a farm, and it shows: the man is steeped in the values of a small, close-knit community that exercises stewardship of the land. Yes, that matters.

...

In every cycle, there's a competition between candidates for the affections of the netroots and grassroots at a given level of government. In 2006, Brian Keeler held that pole position for State Senate candidates (and rightly so, because Brian is awesome). This time around, if I had to take a guess at this point, I'd say Don Barber is going to be the marquee grassroots Senate candidate.

I wholeheartedly agree with that assessment and I'll add the following: Not only is Don a great candidate who is building a true grassroots campaign up in the 51st, the 51st District itself provides some really excellent opportunities for both volunteer mobilization as well as a great chance to educate people around the state about why it's important to finally retake the state Senate. The very shape of the district, the infamous "Abraham Lincoln riding a vacuum cleaner" district, is such a monstrosity. It's simply indefensible, but it does lend itself to bringing volunteers in from around the state. There are few places in New York that are more than an hour or two drive away from this thing. A sustained effort from activists statewide could really make a difference in this race and the very shape of the district makes it easy for folks from all over to get to at least part of it.

Secondly, the shape of the district itself should be made an issue. I think the campaign should start putting the image of the district on all sorts of stuff with a tagline like "There's a reason that our state Senate district looks like this and it has absolutely nothing to do with representing us or our interests in Albany." I think such a message, besides being a potentially effective campaign piece, is also an opportunity to educate folks about reform issues like the absolutely ridiculous gerrymandering of legislative districts across the state.

I guess what I'm saying is that Barber's campaign seems ideal to me for a concentration of our efforts. It appears to me to be an excellent opportunity for the New York net/grassroots to get involved in and behind a great campaign and one that is going to be extremely tough, but is indeed winnable. There are certainly other races worthy of our efforts. I imagine many folks down here in NYC will be spending some time and money on races closer to home in Queens and Long Island, but the 51st is a great chance for those from pretty much anywhere in New York who are willing to roll up their sleeves, put their walking shoes on and open up their wallets.

Who's with me?

On the web: Don Barber for State Senate.

Join the movement for a new Democratic Majority in Albany, at a party in Manhattan.

Hosts
Lew and Bobbie Frankfort
The Beresford, 211 Central Park West
(adjacent to the Natural History Museum)
Mr. Frankfort is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coach, Inc.

Honored Guests
Michelle Paige Paterson, First Lady of New York
Reggie LaFayette, Executive Committee Chair of the New York State Democratic Party

Special Guests
(List In Formation)

The Honorable Malcolm A. Smith, Democratic Leader, NYS Senate
The Honorable Eric Adams, NYS Senate, District 20
The Honorable Neil D. Breslin, NYS Senate, District 46
The Honorable Martin Malavé Dilan, NYS Senate, District 17
The Honorable Thomas K. Duane, NYS Senate, District 29
The Honorable Jeffrey D. Klein, NYS Senate, District 34
The Honorable Liz Krueger, NYS Senate, District 26
The Honorable Velmanette Montgomery, NYS Senate, District 18
The Honorable Bill Perkins, NYS Senate, District 30
The Honorable Diane J. Savino, NYS Senate, District 23
The Honorable Eric T. Schneiderman, NYS Senate, District 31
The Honorable Toby Ann Stevisky, NYS Senate, District 16
The Honorable Antoine M. Thompson, NYS Senate, District 60