It is rare to have presidential primary race excitement in New York but in 2016 we have had candidates actually campaigning throughout the Empire State. On the Democratic side, as primary day approached, Hillary Clinton held a 10-point lead in most polls over Bernie Sanders but the Bern Battalion fought hard to try and steal the race.
Bernie holds a commanding lead throughout the nation with the 20-something crowd. His promises make the most sense to them because they would benefit the most from the stated goals of his policy positions.
On the GOP side, Donald Trump has a commanding lead over the New York-bashing Ted Cruz whose anti-immigrant stance and nasty rhetoric about New York doomed him from the beginning. He recently shared thoughts on how the gold standard is something that the U.S. should consider returning to even though our modern economy would be devastated by the elimination of flexibility of policy and the reduction in money supply that the move would have for our currency.
It shows that Mr. Cruz has a sense of humor but so does the GOP since it considers him to be its “establishment” candidate. The foreign-born senator from Texas who has also promised to make the sands in the Middle East “glow” if elected president should consider a return to horse power instead of motor vehicles as an emission reduction idea.
It appears that the Brooklyn GOP will support Mr. Trump although Arnaldo Ferraro, the chair of the King’s County GOP, said the organization’s support does not mean it endorses his controversial policies. State Senator Marty Golden should be happy with that choice since he already shared that he has a “relationship” with the billionaire real estate mogul.
Perhaps Mr. Golden wanted to help his “birther” friend when he voted against an extension of rent control regulations despite the fact it would hurt tens of thousands of his constituents. Mr. Trump, holds a significant lead in all polls despite woman-bashing and anti-immigrant rhetoric. There must not be many women or immigrants or children of immigrants in the party anymore.
Trump needs all of New York’s 95 Republican delegates to have a chance to secure enough delegates to win the GOP nomination outright. Ted Cruz and John Kasich are battling to deny him that nomination which will leave the national Republican party in great disarray after the nomination whoever is selected.
Local GOP members are beginning to posture for a run to replace incumbent Vincent Gentile in the City Council since he will be term-limited in 2017. Golden staffer John Quaglione criticized Bob Capano after he expressed his desire to obtain the GOP nomination for the seat as being out of “touch with the neighborhood,” and because he “would have to move into the district by election day to qualify for office.”
Mr. Capano, who once lived in the district, struck back at his rival almost immediately by stating, “I was very disappointed to see that Mr. Quaglione decided to attack a fellow Republican because I had the audacity to express an interest in running for City Council.” He gave his fellow Republican a parting shot — “I have worked in the private sector as a teacher and running businesses … [while] … Mr. Quaglione has literally been on the taxpayer’s dime his entire adult life since college, working for one elected official.” Ouch.
Why can’t Republicans just get along? It seems that the national lack of focus and animosity splitting the Republican Party is present even in members here in Bay Ridge.
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