It’s a full-time job staying Mayor
I must admit that from Day One I was presuming Luke Ravenstahl would have a difficult time holding the reigns of the ‘burgh, but not much has thus far occurred to rock the boat. It puzzles and interests me, though, how much time and effort has been going into keeping control of things. Note Chris Briem’s interesting post on Null Space about the Wikipedia warfare that’s been going on at the Luke Ravenstahl entry. (Reminds me of some similar efforts that were underway during the last mayoral race on the P2 Knowledge Base, which I’ve heard tell is going to be emerging from the depths any day now).
Now I learn the Young Democrats of Allegheny County (trailblazers that they are) are offering “a night with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.” In the past, there’d been some throwdowns over whether or not it makes for good practice (in a broad, landscape-view sense) to simply give the good old thumbs-up for the established candidates/incumbents. Challenging questions have created some in-fighting among young Democrats and Young Democrats about the endorsement process in Allegheny County, whether the party members and the party faithful should be free to support candidates of their choosing, or should they simply kowtow to the establishment? Since LR has declared his intentions, I can only view the “evening with…” invitation as an indication that the Young Democrats have (as an entity) made it their intention to back Young Ravenstahl.
If not, then why not (at this stage in the race anyway) pursue an agenda that provides an open forum for potential or known candidates?
|
About : Pittsburgh transplant living in Lawrenceville and loving it. |
Loading ...
It would seem to me that having Mayor Ravenstalh’s chief of staff running the Allegheny County Young Dems has made the ACYD’s an organ of the Ravenstahl administration rendering their endorsement a big “SO WHAT”.That’s like the solicitors office saying, “Oh by the way, we support the mayor.” Just as the integrity of the Solicitor’s office has been coopted by the Ravenstahl junta,so too has the integrity of the ACYD’s been coopted.
As for endorsements,one of the questions on a survey conducted by the ACDC in the summer of 2005 was “Do you support an open primary without an endorsement?”
Ideally,I think the party should continue to have endorsements, however,i think that during the primary all Dems should be free to support the candidate of their choice without recriminations.Through the endorsement process the party suggests candidates to the party faithful for their approval. The primary election is when the Democratic voters decide who will be their endorsed candidates to enter the general election. To often, Democrats eviscerate themselves during the primary process leaving wounds that are hard to heal.Keep the primary endorsements,allow the committee to support dems of their choosing,after the voters have picked the democratic candidate,join together to defeat the GOP,which is the real objective of the Democratic Party.
Vanna,
In the spirit of encouraging educated voting among young voters, wouldn’t it be prudent of a group like the YD’s to hold an event with a likely mayoral candidate (assuming the candidate wants to hold an event with the YD’s) so the members can get to know the candidate personally, and not just rely on the media for their information? [Especially when a candidate is eligible, based on his age, to finally - at long last - become a member of the YD's?]
The YD’s as an organization are theoretically bound by the endorsement process, but the party will not endorse until March. More than a few members of the YD’s are committee people, and thus can participate in the endorsement process. Why not encourage candidtates to come to YD’s and ask for support? One would think all potential mayoral candidates would jump at the opportunity to hold an event with the YD’s. If there are any more thinking about running, maybe they should look into that…
Anyway, Vanna, why not go to the YD event yourself and get a better idea of what Luke Ravenstahl is all about? If you are as open minded as you wish the YD’s to be, maybe you’ll come away from the event thinking differently than your first impression.
After all, it would be foolish of any voter (committee person or otherwise) to have taken up sides so soon, especially since there is so much we don’t know about which candidates are running and what they stand for…
Agreed, Pat. I would hope, either by invite or self-invite, other candidates would also show their faces at the ACYDs. May not lead to a desired result, but it would at least make it look like the opponent takes them seriously and might raise some questions among the members.
In response to Patrick, I believe I am trying to point out that by simply having the night be only Ravenstahl and no one else, it in fact is eliminating the option of being open to the various possibilities, since it’s only including one candidate. Yes, yes, you may point out that few have thus far declared. My response is: then why hold said event now? Why not wait until there is a field and invite them all? In response to Chris, I am sure many candidates will ask to visit ACYD events. But it is prudent for the ACYD to provide the opportunities for all as well.
I’ve attended ACYD events in the past and found them to be less than open-minded. It was not simply a matter of a first impression. I realize that there have been some important changes in the leadership and membership, and support that greatly. I am certainly open to attending future events of all varieties, as they pertain to the upcoming elections, and will. But those events, sponsored by a wide array of organizations who actually do support an open vetting of the options and candidates, will include more than one candidate.
There are a few things I would like to clarify for this group:
1) I am the president of YDAC as of late of 2006
2) This event is one of many this season we hope to have for single candidates and for groups of candidates
3) We are not and do not endorse candidates, according to our bylaws we are an arm of the party and must follow that decision, right or wrong
4)I do not know you Vanna and you do not know me, so I personally invite you and any member of any group, as I have done to come to our regular meetings as well as our Meet and Greets with candidates
5)I personally am not part of “the good old boys network” and do not support established candidates/ incumbents, I do what is right for my city and county
i stand corrected….
For further clarification….
The event was exactly what it was called. A “Meet the Mayor Event”, this was not an endorsement nor was it about Luke as a candidate. He is in fact the Mayor and this event was for the opportunity for Young Dems to meet Luke and ask one on one questions or what ever the individual wanted to talk with him about. I say to all the naysayers of the Young Dems to come to the meetings and get involved rather than Blogging inacurate statements.