Response to Feedback

I have received an email and some comments questioning my assertion about the lack of formal Republican support for Joe Corcoran.  I have decided to add a further and more detailed comment to clarify my remarks.  My initial comment was one line without detail.  Allow me to elaborate.

There were a handful of longtime party loyalists who helped Joe.  There have always been 3 to 4 people in the City GOP committee who have worked their tails off no matter how high the odds.  I did not intend to disrespect them.  If I did, I apologize.

My comments are focused on the lack of any true GOP party machine in the City of Kingston.  My comments also are focused on the decline of the City GOP since 2011.  If Joe had the backing of the type of party GOP machine that existed prior to the 2011 debacle, he would have won.

Unfortunately, the City GOP has never recovered from the 2011 election debacle.  To recap, the party split completely over the 2011 mayoral election.  The candidate's committee selected me as the candidate.  The City Chair at that time was to endorse the candidate chosen by that committee, but failed to do so.  Instead, despite promising me support (which he now denies ever doing), he chose to back a different candidate thus resulting in Andi Turco-Levin with the GOP line and myself with the Conservative line.

To make matters worse, a third GOP candidate (Ron Polacco) won the GOP primary.  Without the party splitting between myself and Andi Turco-Levin, Ron would never have won the primary.  He would have gotten his 40% in the primary, but either Andi or myself running without the other would have won.  So, you had Andi knocked out of the race with her supporters being angry because she did not get any real chance to win.  You had me on the Conservative line with my GOP supporters angry because of outright betrayal.  You had Ron on the GOP line with a split ticket and a fractured party.  Gallo went on to win easily.  I will not claim that I or Andi would have beaten Gallo in a 1 on 1 race.  I will say that the race would have been substantially closer and --win or lose-- the party would not have fallen apart as it did subsequently.

The long and short of it is that I left the committee and joined the Conservatives.  The GOP Chair (Tony Sinagra) stepped down as Chair shortly thereafter.  Ron left the committee.  In the time since then, the party has been hopelessly fractured.

By example, look at the complete lack of candidates in 2011.  Wards 1, 2, 5, 7 were blank.  In wards 3 and 8, the candidates endorsed sought the Dem line which angered GOP loyalists.  I am not going to roast any particular people, but the fact remains that the City GOP committee has still not recovered from 2011.

Joe Corcoran came very close.  The race is still in recount though Ball has a clear advantage.  My frustration is seeing the decline of the City GOP, an entity I supported and for which I worked hard for over 20 years.  The GOP could have won 3 or 4 seats on the Council this year.  They could have potentially walked away with wards 9, 6, 3, and 1.  Instead, only 1 ward has a GOP lead and Dems have total and dominant control.

Again, if I offended my old friends in the City GOP, I offer my apology.  I do not apologize, however, for my belief and my statements that a better organized City Committee of the type that existed prior to 2011 would have a made a substantial difference in 2013.  That is just an absolute fact.