Election Day – Here’s The Inside on Mayor’s Race
Turnout is always a key, but even more in a five way race. A lighter turnout, say below 30 percent, could produce a surprise winner. A 36 percent turnout or
higher may prove the recent polls correct. The other factor is how the four TV debates and the Breakfast With the Candidates LIVE debate on KYW Newsradio, may haved actually nuetralized the 15 million dollars in commercials. A total of about 700 thousand viewers and listeners were tuned in — a high amount. It appeared that, after the first debate, the the momentum of some candidates was increased or stopped.
The other issue is race. Minority and non minority voting patterns have been shattered this year. The old politics seems to be vanishing.
For reform minded Michael Nutter, the passion of his followers is key. Can they motivate the voters to vote. Bob Brady claims 10-thousand election workers. Chaka Fattah says he has several thousand along with Dwight Evans, and Tom Knox, as we know has plenty of money to pay staff and poll workers.But the bottom line to all of this, the unpredictability of all of this is the divided loyalties of Democratic regulars and one largely ingored fact — 7 thousand Republicans were recruited to register Democrat so they could vote for their favorite in this election. How they vote may determine the winner.
The city’s large labor unions are splintered. As an non united force, they could turn this election one way or another. If they don’t, even in a 5 person race, their future as an electoral power may be in question. The city’s ward leaders are also split. If independent minded Democrats provethe majority in this election, the Democratic organization as we know it may be weakened.The third question is the role of money. With new spending limits, it will be interesting to see if a self-funded candidate will prevail, or whether in the end, money will actually be the deciding factor.If a llesser funded candidate wins, it may change the way campaigns are financed in the future. Maybe less WILL be more.Finally, there are two sixth men on the court tonight. Mayor Street — will his standing impact the outcome? And crusading anti-corruption US attorney
Patrick Meehan. Will his pay for play investigations actually play a role in altering the outcome? They already have by forcing ethics as an issue.
The time is now. Make your vote count.
Comments(3)
“7 thousand Republicans were recruited to register Democrat ”
What? Nobody recruited me! I was available to the highest bidder! I could have used a free ride to the polls and to my job today!
And driving through the city this morning I noticed an unusual number of school buses on the streets, especially in North Philly. Schools are closed today so large numbers of democrats (teachers) can take a break from the little monsters they babysit. So why were all these taxpayer funded schoolbuses on the road?
MAYBE IT WAS A FIELD TRIP?
heh.
Just keep repeating that, maybe it will stick!