Republished on Urban Elephants Excerpted From GOP Leadership Release
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The Republican Party continued its screening process of citywide Republican candidates today at the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan.
Several Candidates for Comptroller and Public Advocate were interviewed today and the Chairs indicated they were very impressed with the quality of these candidates, their credentials and their focus on Republican principles and ideals - which when implemented will help make New York City more governable and more responsive to its citizens.
Also screened was former "Minority" Republican Leader of the City Council Thomas V. Ognibene who made an extremely favorable impression.
Chairman Phil Ragusa stated "Obviously I know Tom Ognibene for many years. Long before he served us as GOP Leader of the City Council actings as Giuliani's wingman he helped clean up New York City and ushered in an economic and cultural rennaisance. Because of Tom Ognibene's advocacy our streets were safer and middle class taxpayers had a friend in Cityhall. That's what we need today!"
Chairman Savino noted "Tom Ognibene is a rock ribbed Republican leaders who has the right stuff to be Mayor of the City of New York. While we have other Republican Candidates to screen including the highly accomplished John Catsimatidis I am highly confident the Tom would make a stellar Republican Mayoral Candidate."
Chairwoman Jennifer Saul indicated "I was highly impressed with Tom's credentials, GOP principles and vision for New York City and I look forward to bringing him before my committee in May."
Tom Ognibene said "I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with the Republican County leadership. It was a very pleasant and productive meeting. Naturally the decision as to who the Republican party's nominee will be rests with their organizations as to who will best serve the interests and principles of the Republican party . I think they felt comfortable by the conclusion of the meeting that I am ready, willing and able to serve as their Mayoral candidate."
The Chairs agreed to continue the screening process of citywide candidates in the coming weeks. A discussion regarding the fact that they had already screened one non-Republican mayoral candidate so fairness might require extending an invitation to other known non-Republican Mayoral candidates was tabled for further discussion.
For more on Tom Ognibene (www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/general_2005/cd_profile/M_Ognibene_GT.aspx)
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written by Daniel Peterson , March 15, 2009
A Tom Ognibene candidacy would certainly unite many Republicans and Conservatives in all five boroughs and probably cast away the more liberal Republicans to the Bloomberg camp.
Still, we will need to hear reviews from a John Catsimatidis screening as well. And if there are any other Republican candidates interested in running, we should hear about them as well.
Personally, I feel that the Manhattan GOP can benefit by running real fiscal conservative urban republican candidates this year as a study. An Ognibene on top of the ticket would certainly help that study.
In 2003 and in 2005, when we ran "Independent" Republicans buddying up with the mayor (think liberal), the candidates got 30% to 35% of the vote in those areas. What would they have gotten if they petitioned for the Conservative Party as their second line and ran more Reagan mixed with Giuliani-type campaigns? Don't you think the candidates would do better?
Council Districts 2 & 3 have 77% of their registered voters solely affiliated to the Democrat & Republican Party. The GOP is only 12% or 13% of that number.
In 2001, candidates like Jay Golub and Michelle Bouchard ran in council areas where the registration numbers are about 8 Dems to 1 Rep. They received 27% and 26% respectively in their districts, which is saying they received more than 1 vote from every 4 people. Jay can probably tell us how both candidates ran their campaigns and how basic conservative principles that relate to city office resonate with voters.
When was the last time the Manhattan GOP ran council candidates in the districts 4, & 5 that were Republicans with truly conservative values? Have they ever? These are two districts that we supposedly can win and have!
Eristoff held District 4, Mallard held District 5, but they held their seats when we had Senator Goodman helping them "Moderate" to liberal principles and also encouraging them to seek the Liberal Party over the Conservative Party as a second line.
It's nearly ten years since then. THe make up of the area is different. If you're Republican today, it's probably because of Bush, Giuliani, Gingrich or Reagan. Today's Republican is not registered Republican because of Goodman or Rockefeller or Lyndsey.
Shouldn't 2009 be a study year for finding out how conservative some of these districts are? Lappin & Garadnick are incumbents, do we really think we can beat incumbents by running candidates that sound a lot like them but have an R next to their name? An Ognibene for mayor with true conservative minded council candidates in these two districts would help the Manhattan GOP learn where we need to be conservative in Manhattan and where we need to be moderate. I'm sure it'll be different than it would be in other boroughs, but we still need to find out.
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written by Jay Golub , March 15, 2009
"What would they have gotten if they petitioned for the Conservative Party as their second line...?"
Your discussion of the "lines," Danny, is not really what applicable here. Republicans need to run more conservative campaigns on the Republican line - not run under the Conservative Party's label. Other than the Independence Party line, the minor party lines mean little in terms of attracting voters - other than the voters who are already registered with that minor party (and the IP is only valuable because voters are unaware of the difference between the IP and registering as a Blank. If they only knew who ran NYC's IP, like Ms. Fulani and Mr. Neuman, most voters who consider themselves "independent" would NEVER vote on that line).
The GOP needs to run more conservative candidates - Former Leader Ognibene would be an excellent individual to do just that.
"They received 27% and 26% respectively in their districts, which is saying they received more than 1 vote from every 4 people."
Bouchard and I ran much different campaigns. Michelle was an excellent and tireless campaigner. Her issues were clearly Republican, but an ideologue she was not.
I ran a much less grassroots campaign - largely because I was not fully aware of how the process worked with both political clubs as well party district leaders. I campaigned aggressively, but I was more prone to standing with Robert in the projects talking about how school choice and vouchers were the best way to fix public schools in poor neighborhoods.
Although a tough sell on the Lower East Side, conservative principles can be accepted. Maybe one couldn't win a race in that area as a strict fiscal and social conservative, but people would be surprised how many Democrats, when confronted with the issues directly, are not as Liberal as people in the GOP tend to think they are.
If such an effort to deliver a conservative message was done throughout all five boroughs and a regular and consistent basis, we'd win over hundreds of thousands of independents and Democrats to vote on the GOP line. This would enable us to get back a few of those council seats we've lost over the last few decades and could help revive the two-party system in NYC.
"Shouldn't 2009 be a study year for finding out how conservative some of these districts are?"
It shouldn't be a "study," Danny. As well, we shouldn't expect immediate victories in the 4th and 5th C.D.'s in 2009 if we run hard-core conservatives.
The rebuilding process will be a relatively long one. I would prefer to desribe running a candidate like Ognibene for Mayor and a slate of conservative candidates for Council in '09 as the beginning of the party's reformation...
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written by Tom Lynch , March 16, 2009
Even if Tom Ognibene could get on the ballot, remember last election. Were does the many millions of dollars needed to win an election come from? Any formidable candidate either needs rock star recognition or unfortunately a big bank account, can Tom raise the dollars necessary in eight months from Queens Republicans because that mainly is his base. If a candidate started back in 2005 he might still be many millions short to get his message out, in this race against the Democratic machine or a Billionaire. That the voting public is as attuned to issues as political activists are, is an understatement. Just seeing things as they are. Tom L
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written by The Real Deal , March 16, 2009
Tom, don't be silly. Eric only won because the real city councilman to be to be was not on the ballot. I was at one of your meetings when it was made clear that Adabbo was supporting Eric. Why? Because with the Republican party lable on the ballot in a partisan election Eric is toast and his cheif of staff is in. Eric is a nice guy, but to consider him the second coming of Christ in Queens? Please, Eric is fun to have a beer with, I am sure, but he is unaccomplished and EXTREMELY arrogant. Aside from collecting petitions, what else? Nada. He loses in November even if Ronal Reagan, and Ghandi were on the ballot above. Sadly your group Tom didnt wait until the county chairs finished screening candidates. You jumped the gun.
Oh well.
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written by RRR , March 16, 2009
I think Eric can still pull it out if we have a real Republican on the line notwithstanding the Rock Club's sophmoric move. They were clearly spun about by Bloomberg operatives who are being paid royally by King Bloomberg to basterdize and corrupt teh process. Heck they spun around Kings County and Chairman Eaton probably already regrets it. Anyone who has been to Kings County events knows Eaton could not really stand Bloomberg. Somehow they made him cry uncle or spun him around the way these neophytes were in Rockaway. They are really not a bad group. Hard to see how they sold out for nothing though.
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written by evannyny , March 16, 2009
If Tom Ognibene. who I as a MANHATTAN Republican, petitioned for and supported in 2005, could get our line and Haggerty and company do NOT knock him off like they did last time.........I would put NOTHING past Blooomberg... if Tom was our nominee and it was Ognibene vs Thompson vs Bloomberg, he might have a chance.
The Conservative Party can be a help in some parts of the City and for fund-raising purposes.
I remember in 2005 the debate at the Apollo Theater, between Ognibene and Freddy Ferrer, with MIKE BLOOMBERG absent! There was some talk that by not coming to Harlem for the event, Bloomberg was showing disrespect to the black community. That was NONSENSE. The Mayor was a no-show, because he wanted NO part of any debate that included the intelligent Tom Ognibene!
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written by Jay Golub , March 16, 2009
"I remember in 2005 the debate at the Apollo Theater, between Ognibene and Freddy Ferrer, with MIKE BLOOMBERG absent!"
This is the entire point RE: Bloomberg and the GOP line. HE DOESN'T REALLY WANT IT.
Bloomberg can't fight Ognibene in a Republican Primary without ruining his chances in the General Election. Simple.
Therefore, he will do everything he can to destroy the line, it's candidates, it's clubs, the party operations, etc...just so that he doesn't get a challenge from his political Right.
The fact that anyone could think it's best for the party or the city to have this "flamin' liberal" back for four more years is ridiculous...
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written by Daniel Peterson , March 16, 2009
Ognibene is a formidable candidate if he was to secure both the R & C lines. He's smart and strong willed. He could and would do everything in his power to campaign all five boroughs and do it with local GOP candidates as well. He's a Republican that believes in what the party stands for and that is someone we can get behind.
Could he win?
It's theoretical that if the WFP and IP split and make this a race of four or five candidates in the General, then it is anyone's game. Both parties were extremely upset on the overturning of term limits by the council and mayor and i thought they swore to run their own candidates in the 29 districts where the council candidates that voted yay are running for re-election.
It's a crap shoot and I honestly don't think this should be about winning. Could we win? Yes. Will we win? I don't know. What is important in 2009 is that we be an actual party that stands on GOP principles.
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written by Jay Golub , March 17, 2009
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03...159954.htm
""I'm not making any trades with legislators. I think the issue is serious and is important on its own value," Paterson said when asked about his willingness to use the $279 million in pork-barrel "member item" money as an inducement for senators to back his bailout plans for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority."
What's really funny about this is that Bloomberg uses his OWN MONEY to buy off the Council and local leaders. This is what he calls "philanthropy."
And Bloomberg supposedly gave about $250 million to buy off his votes this past year.
Our democracy is, sadly, hanging by a thread...
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written by Bonghits , March 17, 2009
the question is not whether Tom could win, but will Tom run. He did work with the Haggerty's to get Ulrich elected, but that does not mean that the bad blood is gone...or does it? He may be holding himself out as a stalking horse to prevent others from entering the fray.
If he really wants this he will put his team together and announce he is running no matter what happens with Bloomberg and the 5 (4) Chairs. Force their hand if you will.
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