SCHENKLER: "The fact is, any of the other half dozen-plus candidates mentioned for the Democratic designation would have done better."
Are you kidding? I yield to no one in criticizing in criticizing the ineptitude of Weprin and his campaign, but the idea that the potential loss of this seat can be lain entirely on Weprin and his associates defies reason.
A better candidate?
First of all, they would have had to find someone who wanted the nomination. But forfeiting one’s job for half a term in Congress was not an appealing prospect for most of the strong prospects.
Which eliminated Mark Weprin and several others.
Who is Schenkler then referring to?
Liz Holtzman, lately a fount of furious anti-Israel commentary?
Lynn Schulman, an openly gay candidate in a race where Same Sex Marriage has become a wedge issue?
Melinda Katz, the political creation of Alan Hevesi (jailed), Hank Morris (jailed) Ray Harding (convicted) and Jack Chartier (unindicted co-conspirator)—the year after Hevesi’s son had unexpectedly tough races in both the primary and general (anyone wonder why?)?—not to mention how the two single parent test-tube babies would have gone down among socially conservative voters.
Liz Crowley, who would have begged allegations of nepotism far more extreme than Weprin’s ancient history?
Peter Vallone, Jose Peralta, Eric Gioia or David Yassky, none of whom ever represented one inch of the district?
Cody McCone from Bay Ridge?
Huma Abedin?
Only Rory Lancman, Karen Koslowitz and Joe Addabbo could even make the argument they were stronger (and can one really see Koslowitz, who barely won back her Council seat, as being a stronger debater than Weprin?), and all of them would still have had to face changing demographics, a bad economy and voters furious about Israel.
And the truth is, on paper, none of them looked as strong as Weprin.
Face the truth; this was a marginal race to begin with, at a very bad time, in a very bad year, and most of the potential candidates mentioned by the political chattering classes were far weaker than Weprin.