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Posted by Pepe Bonmot
on April 07, 2002 at 08:32:38:
Between the Lines Al Sullivan Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham claims his municipality has 40 percent of the Hudson County population and 50 percent of the Democratic vote. These are powerful numbers with which he believes can propel Bernard Hartnett back into the county executive's seat. Critics claim Cunningham's math is flawed, and that the Jersey City vote can't get tossed into his election bin so easily. With Jersey City so acutely divided, how can Cunningham honestly believe he can drum up enough votes to overcome the rest of the county? Eleven mayors have already thrown their support behind DeGise. In determining voter support, people like Cunningham and his principal political advisor, Congressman Bob Menendez, do not look at voters themselves, but to community leaders who can sway blocks of votes: ward captains, municipal leaders, civic groups, mayors, even prominent businesspeople. Menendez lays claim to a victory for DeGise based on the support of 11 mayors and the past performance by DeGise in Jersey City. While DeGise - as one-time councilman and mayoral candidate - can muster a formidable number of votes on his own, much of his power throughout the city came from alliances with other people and organizations. Last year, DeGise was aided by council allies like Heights Councilman Bill Gaughan and civic leaders like Eliu Rivera, director of the Puerto Rican Association for Community Organization (PACO). Even former Mayor Gerry McCann threw his support behind DeGise. Cunningham's camp has been seeking to erode that support, and has had a few successes in that regard, adding McCann and Rivera to his own strong base of support. Former freeholder Lou Manzo, community organizer Mike Manzo, and Freeholders Bill O'Dea and William Braker have all committed themselves to the Hartnett-Cunningham ticket. But is it enough? Gaughan claims five of Jersey City's council members are committed to DeGise, leaving those powerful vote-generating machines to work against Hartnett. Without more complete support from Jersey City, Hartnett can't win. But the Cunningham-Hartnett campaign has the feel of a holy war. Their supporters are highly motivated, and they will struggle hard to get out their vote during the June 4 primary. Can the same be said for the Menendez-DeGise camp? While Menendez may lay claim to support from 11 mayors, it is lukewarm support at best. Several mayors claim they are afraid to anger the powerful congressman and fear loss of federal dollars for projects ongoing in their towns. Will Democrats in Secaucus, North Bergen, Bayonne, or Kearny fight as hard for Menenedez's choice as workers in Jersey City will for Cunningham's? Voters - even in the primary - tend to be unpredictable. During the 1999 campaign for county executive, for instance, Bayonne voted for Peter LaVilla over Robert Janiszewski, bucking the trend. If Bayonne or North Bergen voters were to fall in line with Hartnett, could DeGise still win? Will workers loyal to Mayor and State Sen. Nicholas Sacco slave hour after hour for Menendez's choice when only six months ago Sacco opposed Menendez? In the past, Sacco had even sent some of these workers to Jersey City Heights to work against DeGise. Although DeGise and Sacco kissed and made up for last year's election, they are hardly each other's avid fans. Secaucus Democrats may follow the lead of Mayor Dennis Elwell to support DeGise, but even that relationship is strained. In 1999, Elwell fired Menendez ally Donald Scarinci as town attorney. Elwell, Sacco and Bayonne's Joe Doria all voted against Menendez's choice for county executive last October, and again against giving Menendez the county Democratic chairmanship. Hard to call any of these enthusiastic supporters. This is likely to be trench warfare, and - for the first time in a long time - the fate of the county rests with the foot soldier. Those who work the hardest and bring in the most votes in their district will win the day. In the ever-escalating hostility, Cunningham seems to have proposed a compromise, offering to withdraw Hartnett in favor of Lou Manzo, if Menendez would withdraw DeGise's name from the race. Union City Mayor Brian Stack has supported Manzo for the post since the beginning of the dispute. A survey of the county's mayors was underway this week. One source claimed two mayors are open to the change. "I said no," one mayor said. "But that could change. But it seems a little late to name someone else, especially with all that's been said." Definition: Political faker - a person who claims to control a block of votes but does not. A faker often offers to throw his or her support behind a candidate for some political favor or job. |
