The final stretch: A look at the polls

Donald Trump’s forward movement in the polls, in my opinion, has more to do with him sounding more presidential and responsible as well as the publication of several detailed policy positions on issues ranging from the economy to public safety and illegal immigration, than as a result of questions concerning Mrs. Clinton’s health.

Make no mistake about it, Mrs. Clinton’s problems have provided the Trump campaign with opportunity. The video of her getting into the van was quite disturbing. For Trump and his campaign, it was a point at which they could take one of two directions: Really press on the health issue or simply allow her health to be an issue for the media,both mainstream and secondary, including social, to discuss nonstop for several days independent of Trump. And in taking the route of wishing her well, keeping the comments at a minimum, he showed many skeptical people that he does have a different side that is appealing.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Clinton, the questions of her health will take on a similar flow as the questions concerning Ronald Reagan’s age did as he prepared for his second debate in 1984 after seeming poorly focused in his first debate that year against Walter Mondale. Everyone will be watching the debate to see how she looks, sounds and acts (at least for the first hour) as opposed to what she and Mr. Trump are saying. And Hillary Clinton is no Ronald Reagan so I would not expect some funny, dismissive comment that wipes the perceived issue away.

In any event, we have a close election coming up in both the popular and electoral vote, maybe the closest election since Bush vs. Gore in 2000. It certainly has become very exciting, particularly with so much of the action in New York with both candidates living and operating their campaigns in the immediate area.

The annual 9/11 ceremony on the 69th Street Pier hosted by State Senator Marty Golden (whom I serve as chief of staff) was one of the largest he has conducted over the past 15 years. The bigger attendance might have been as a result of the special anniversary, the good weather, the fact it was on a Sunday evening or a combination of all three.

Personally, I think it was simply a desire by many to remember the actual tragedy at a meaningful location as the tragedy drifts into becoming more of an historical event than a current event. Many of us, like myself, have no intention of letting it go even as the years pass, so memorials like the one Marty holds every year become more important.

And clearly this is what Senator Golden and Victoria De Salvo of his staff who organized the event had in mind. Victoria had the St. Anselm’s Boy Scout troop, few of whom had been born back in 2001, play a significant role including the reading of a special poem. And the music was updated to reflect not only a prayerful tribute to those who died but also a testament to a great nation moving forward.

It was a wonderful tribute!

One local primary that did not receive much attention was the attempt by perennial candidate Lucretia Regina-Potter to wrestle the Conservative Party endorsement away from Mikail Usher in the 46th A.D. The preliminary Board of Election results showed Usher winning better than five to one.

Lucretia has run for the Assembly something like five times in the past 12 years. Sometimes she wins a Republican primary: sometimes she loses. She has lost two Conservative Party primaries in landslides over that same period. She also has lost every general election that she has managed to get into in a landslide. She raises little to no money, receives no endorsements and is getting a lower and lower number of votes each time.

Why does not the Republican Party run someone else? It is simple. Lucretia is the Republican district leader and nominates herself every two years.

This year, when petitioning was over, she worked to remove the 47th A.D. Republican candidate, Malka Sharar -– the first Russian woman in Brooklyn to run for legislative office from any party –- from the ballot. The end result is that there is no Republican Party candidate against Assemblymember Bill Colton, although Malka remains on the Conservative Party line.