Home › Blogs › Tim W's blog ›

Local media in NY23

Submitted by Tim W on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 16:36

 Our local newspapers in Northern NY have long been accustomed to being the big frog in a local pond. (Frog is singular; it's all owned by the Johnson family, newspapers and televison alike.)

It's also not surprising that they resent fiercely having their turf invaded by outsiders. Local editorials in the Watertown Daily Times and the Ogdensburg Journal have been strongly pro-Scozzafava and dismissive of Hoffman as supported by "outsiders."

The Times in particular has been after Hoffman for not supporting earmarks to improve the local army base, which is the home of the 10th Mountain Division.

The Journal has been dismissive, angrily so, of Fox News, etc., for interfering with what should be a local decision.

It's been a bit of an eye-opener just how biased the local papers have been, not just in editorials, but in choice of news stories. (Many about Scozzafava, her local roots, her local supporters, etc.) I should not have been surprised...but I am.

There's never been much local political organization up here. I was a registered republican for years and the only time I got contacted about a campaign was when a candidate for local town clerk (now there's a hotly contested election -- it's got a good salary) stopped by. No precinct workers I've ever seen in years.

If the tea party people, and Hoffman, want to make a difference, they will have to do it with organizing. Setting up precinct workers, telephone banks, etc. They will have a lot to overcome, but it will be worth the effort. This is an ingrown political culture, and there a lot of local apple carts that need upsetting.

 

Tim W.

0
Your rating: None

Comments

Watertown Daily Times endorsed Obama in '08

Submitted by Ironman on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 17:22.

I expect no favors.  What about local radio up there? Does it offset to a degree?

Interloper

Submitted by Democritus on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 11:22.

From what I understand, Hoffman doesn't even live in the district or have a clue about local issues, so I'd be pissed too about some teabagging wingnut coming into my district who's only concerns were abortion, never ending wars and tax cuts for the rich.

Exactly. Hoffman is an

Submitted by classicliberal2 on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 21:17.

Exactly. Hoffman is an astonishingly stupid man, doesn't live in the district (and no, acknowledging the fact that he hasn't lived in it for 7 years does nothing to refute this), was just shown, by the Watertown Daily Times, to be woefully ignorant about the most significant local issues with which he'd have to deal if elected, and hasn't been able to raise money in 'his" district, either--he's had to rely on his personal wealth and on huge infusions of cash from right-wing sources, nearly every penny of which has come from outside New York.

IOW, he, like the teabagger "movement," is entirely phony, an invention of a lot of right-wing cash.

Sound awful scared

Submitted by Ironman on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 22:05.

Jeez, we ought to run more geeky accountants

Hoffman's lived in the Adirondacks his whole life

Submitted by Ironman on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 18:14.

So you have none of your facts right.  He lives a few miles outside the district boundary (it was moved in 2002; he didn't move) and has a number of business offices inside the district.  And besides insults, your point was? 

Besides. I think after the 2000 election the "interloper" charge has been retired from NY politics.

RE: Hoffman's lived in the Adirondacks his whole life

Submitted by mlindroo on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 13:20.

Ironman -- although Hoffman essentially is a local, how come he seems to have a very poor grasp of  bread-and-butter  issues imporant to local voters?  A few examples:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091023/OPINION01/310239957/...

Regarding the proposed rooftop highway across the top of the district linking Watertown to Plattsburgh, Mr. Hoffman said only that he was open to studying the idea that has been around for years and will require federal financial assistance to complete.

Mr. Hoffman had no opinion about winter navigation and widening the St. Lawrence Seaway with their potential environmental damage. He was not familiar with the repercussions of a proposed federal energy marketing agency for the Great Lakes, which could pay for Seaway expansion contrary to district interests.

A flustered and ill-at-ease Mr. Hoffman objected to the heated questioning, saying he should have been provided a list of questions he might be asked. He was, if he had taken the time to read the Thursday morning Times editorial raising the very same questions.

 

Beats me

Submitted by Ironman on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 17:55.

This is a different charge than being a carpetbagger, though. As noted, maybe he simply presumed he'd get nada out of this paper and neglected to prep.  

I would also suggest that since winter navigation was proposed and rejected back when Abbie Hoffman (aka "Barry Freed") was living in this area in the late 1970's, maybe  THIS Hoffman thought that issue wasn't still on the table.