Posted by Urban Times News on November 15, 2004 at 15:38:05:

WHO REALLY SPLIT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTE

Urban Times News
November 12, 2004 - November 18, 2004

by Arnold Stovell

While not yet official, the early results for the Jersey City mayoral race remain true to those verified by a complete vote count. Jerramiah Healy has won the election and will be mayor until the general elections in May.

This campaign season bought out the worst in two of the pre-election mayoral frontrunners, Assemblyman Louis Manzo and Council President, no longer Acting Mayor L. Harvey Smith. Smith remains bitter about accusations that the Flood candidacy spoiled his own successful bid. An interesting notion considering that with a campaign fund of more than $800,000 and an additional $250,000 in appropriated advertising courtesy of his Acting title, Smith was only able to muster 4100 more voters than the underpublicized Flood whose campaign fund was $125,000 - a staggering sixth of the Council President's budget under the most conservative estimate. Ms. Flood was pleased with her results.

"The election campaign was exhilarating and educational. I was thrilled with the effort we were able to put forth with the amount of time and money we had. The people who worked with me were really with me. They were fabulous and worked hard and were not worried about making money, but just contributing. It was great to see how the community came out and recognized how we need to stick together and get out and vote," Mrs. Flood said in a phone interview.

Mrs. Flood dismisses the suspected actions of former Acting Mayor L. Harvey Smith but praised Jerramiah Healy for his actions on the campaign trail. Mrs. Flood and Sandra Cunningham visited the Healy camp on election night. "I just told him congratulations and wished him good luck. I told him that I knew he would do the best job he could. I am sure he will be that kind of man. I have known Jerramiah and his wife for a long time and I wanted to commend him on his victory and the dignity with which he upheld his campaign."

Dignity is not a word that Mr. Smith or Mr. Manzo has maintained with any consistency. Shortly after projected win was announced last week, the Manzo team filed their challenge of the election results. A week later after the results have shown relatively little change to those first announced, the Assemblyman has still not conceded defeat.

The Smith camp engaged a lengthy whining session in the Jersey Journal. A cadre of Smith cronies and beneficiaries saw their dreams of power wash away like so many Hudson County Democrats before them. In anger they blame Willie Flood and claim she split the vote in the African American community. These gentlemen are misinformed about the principles of democracy or they just don't understand what a vote splitter is. The Acting camp insists that Mrs. Flood spoiled the election of Mr. Smith, a candidate that they do not seem to recognize is despised. He has been consistent. He has always been disliked. It is just now that he has had the best shot at overcoming it. People do not vote for those they do not like. Mrs. Flood with her $125,000 and her definitive majority. support among voters in Ward F was not a constituency Smith could ever count on. He has a history. He is not liked. She took no voters who might have considered L. Harvey Smith. She took voters who were determined to stop L. Harvey Smith, and they have stuck to that decision for the past three elections. To the Smith supporters and campaign leaders, you took your shot, but pandering to new communities at the last minute cannot change history. And many of our Latino brothers and sisters loved Glenn D. Cunningham too, just as much as Mr. Smith continues to despise the very mention of his name.

To explain for our disappointed few, the vote splitter is the person who had the least likelihood of winning so they work hardest to "buy" votes. They make convenient promises. They make convenient alliances. They do what it takes to get votes away from the person most likely to win. If Willie Flood had $800,000 or so to spend, she would have been the most likely to win. She would have drowned out Mr. Smith where his political power and appointees could not help him. Instead, Mr. Smith did that and more to Mrs. Flood. He spent nearly 10 times as much money to getonly a third more votes than Willie Flood. Willie Flood may not be mayor but she and her Jersey City supporters are clearly the winners. They have succeeded in their task for this election. They have successfully taken the meanness out of City Hall.

Follow Ups:

• Uncle Harvey Smith and Frooty Lou Manzo BASTARDS. 09:22:43 11/16/04 (0)
• Re: WHO REALLY SPLIT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTE NOT SPLIT SALE THE AFRICAN AMERICANS JOE,BOBBY,SANDY,FLOOD,DRAYTON THEY ALL SOLD OUT . 21:20:55 11/15/04 (0)
• Happy happy joy joy ! Apollyon 15:50:49 11/15/04 (0)
• Ain't that the TRUTH!!!! Wow I didn't look at it like that. 15:46:27 11/15/04 (0)

Post a Followup

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:
: WHO REALLY SPLIT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTE

: Urban Times News
: November 12, 2004 - November 18, 2004

: by Arnold Stovell

: While not yet official, the early results for the Jersey City mayoral race remain true to those verified by a complete vote count. Jerramiah Healy has won the election and will be mayor until the general elections in May.

: This campaign season bought out the worst in two of the pre-election mayoral frontrunners, Assemblyman Louis Manzo and Council President, no longer Acting Mayor L. Harvey Smith. Smith remains bitter about accusations that the Flood candidacy spoiled his own successful bid. An interesting notion considering that with a campaign fund of more than $800,000 and an additional $250,000 in appropriated advertising courtesy of his Acting title, Smith was only able to muster 4100 more voters than the underpublicized Flood whose campaign fund was $125,000 - a staggering sixth of the Council President's budget under the most conservative estimate. Ms. Flood was pleased with her results.

: "The election campaign was exhilarating and educational. I was thrilled with the effort we were able to put forth with the amount of time and money we had. The people who worked with me were really with me. They were fabulous and worked hard and were not worried about making money, but just contributing. It was great to see how the community came out and recognized how we need to stick together and get out and vote," Mrs. Flood said in a phone interview.

: Mrs. Flood dismisses the suspected actions of former Acting Mayor L. Harvey Smith but praised Jerramiah Healy for his actions on the campaign trail. Mrs. Flood and Sandra Cunningham visited the Healy camp on election night. "I just told him congratulations and wished him good luck. I told him that I knew he would do the best job he could. I am sure he will be that kind of man. I have known Jerramiah and his wife for a long time and I wanted to commend him on his victory and the dignity with which he upheld his campaign."

: Dignity is not a word that Mr. Smith or Mr. Manzo has maintained with any consistency. Shortly after projected win was announced last week, the Manzo team filed their challenge of the election results. A week later after the results have shown relatively little change to those first announced, the Assemblyman has still not conceded defeat.

: The Smith camp engaged a lengthy whining session in the Jersey Journal. A cadre of Smith cronies and beneficiaries saw their dreams of power wash away like so many Hudson County Democrats before them. In anger they blame Willie Flood and claim she split the vote in the African American community. These gentlemen are misinformed about the principles of democracy or they just don't understand what a vote splitter is. The Acting camp insists that Mrs. Flood spoiled the election of Mr. Smith, a candidate that they do not seem to recognize is despised. He has been consistent. He has always been disliked. It is just now that he has had the best shot at overcoming it. People do not vote for those they do not like. Mrs. Flood with her $125,000 and her definitive majority. support among voters in Ward F was not a constituency Smith could ever count on. He has a history. He is not liked. She took no voters who might have considered L. Harvey Smith. She took voters who were determined to stop L. Harvey Smith, and they have stuck to that decision for the past three elections. To the Smith supporters and campaign leaders, you took your shot, but pandering to new communities at the last minute cannot change history. And many of our Latino brothers and sisters loved Glenn D. Cunningham too, just as much as Mr. Smith continues to despise the very mention of his name.

: To explain for our disappointed few, the vote splitter is the person who had the least likelihood of winning so they work hardest to "buy" votes. They make convenient promises. They make convenient alliances. They do what it takes to get votes away from the person most likely to win. If Willie Flood had $800,000 or so to spend, she would have been the most likely to win. She would have drowned out Mr. Smith where his political power and appointees could not help him. Instead, Mr. Smith did that and more to Mrs. Flood. He spent nearly 10 times as much money to getonly a third more votes than Willie Flood. Willie Flood may not be mayor but she and her Jersey City supporters are clearly the winners. They have succeeded in their task for this election. They have successfully taken the meanness out of City Hall.


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: 

 

Hoboken Guide

Jersey City and Hoboken Real Estate Waterfront Apartments and Condominiums

Featured Link Featured Listing Advertising Program Business name, Web Site Link and a brief description or motto – runs for one month in the Page (or Pages) of your choice. Sales Associates Wanted! GET NJ seeks sales associates to market ads on a commission basis. For more information, e-mail your resume and contact information to sales@getnj.com – Be sure to mention the area of New Jersey and/or the market segment that you plan to serve. GRAVE ROBBER Jersey City Computer Repair 297 Griffith Street, Jersey City, NJ - 201-798-2292 - In the Heights just off of Kennedy Blvd. - Very close to Journal Square and Union City, just five minutes away from Hoboken, Downtown Jersey City, Newport, the Waterfront, Secaucus, North Bergen and Weehawken - Tech support for The Jersey City Mayor's Office during the administration of Bret Schundler - PC repair - Tivos, too!, upgrade, hardware install, software install, data recovery, spyware removal, virus removal, replace hard drive, replace motherboard, copy files from notebooks, backup information from dead laptops Wanted! Used Computers! Used computers bought and sold. Located in Jersey City, NJ - convenient to the Hoboken 2nd Street Light Rail stations and the Journal Square PATH subway station. E-mail graverobber@verizon.net with an itemized list (description) of what you have for sale and the price. Pickup in the New York City Metro area -- minimum 10 units. Secure, guaranteed data removal is available.

For All Sorts of Unique New York City Information, Visit GET NY!