The abbreviated special election to fill the seat of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the 20th Congressional District is in full swing and there is little room for error.
Earlier this week, however, Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco admitted that he wasn't a resident of the district, which includes all or parts of Columbia, Dutchess, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties but said that it shouldn't matter to voters since he's from the general area.
Yes, he is within state Election Law and Tedisco has represented a portion of the 20th Congressional District while in the Assembly. It's also true that the district is so shamelessly gerrymandered to protect former Rep. John Sweeney that it does not indicate a shred of congruency or continuity so not living in it matters less than say someone sitting on a City Council.
Yet, residency means a great deal when it comes to who we want to represent us. Tedisco knows that well enough and before he confirmed to the Associated Press that he lived in Glenville, which is outside the district, he criticized Murphy for not being a native New Yorker.
Tedisco's campaign slogan even tells us: "He's one of us." He may be, but he's not one of the 20th Congressional District he wants to represent in Washington so his criticism and his slogan are disingenuous at best.
It's unfortunate the GOP hasn't learned anything from the last two general elections and that their divide and conquer tactics just don't work. People don't want the same old rhetoric, the same dirty politics, the same grand standing. They want something positive. They want hope. They want a breath of fresh air.
Perhaps, since there is less than a month before voters will head to the polls and fill the seat, Tedisco's camp thought it had no choice but to lean heavily on negative rhetoric.
It's hard to give up the playbook, after all.
Tedisco and his pal Michael Steele are still using the same tired old "divide and conquer" playbook, apparently unaware that these tactics simply don't work anymore. Don't believe me? Ask Senator Aubertine.
