Tuesday, July 06, 2010

KUDOS REDUX TO LEGISLATOR SWEENEY

Below is a recent post from Legislator Mike Sweeney (C,R,I,-Saugerties)


Party Politics


I'm probably about to step in a pile of junk by getting into this topic, but what the heck... how is that any different from anything I've done in the past?

Coming up, voters will have the opportunity to vote in Ulster County for a new County Comptroller and a new County Sheriff. I don't really understand why we need a choice. In other words, why do parties feel like they have to put a candidate up for a position no matter what--why don't political parties do more cross endorsing? Those 2 positions should be "non political", in my opinion.

While it's VERY early in the election season, and there's lots of time for news to come up to refute this, I personally find both Ulster County Comptroller Elliot Auerbach and Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum to be decent men that are handling their job well.

It's not that I want to discourage anyone from running. If there are candidates that think they can run an office more efficiently, etc, then go for it. But sometimes I think we should recognize elected officials that are doing a good job and let them stay without putting up candidates against them, just to put up candidates against them.

Along the same lines, why do parties endorse people just for the sake of endorsing them? I think it'll be interesting to see which candidates the Conservative Party endorses in the coming years. I would personally rather see the party, which I belong to, endorse candidates that behave like Conservatives. In the Legislature, I've seen a host of elected officials that have been endorsed by the Conservative Party that, so far, haven't been voting like fiscal Conservatives. And if there's something this county needs, its TRUE fiscal Conservatives.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike Sweeney wouldn't know democracy if it hit him over his head. "...I think we should recognize elected officials that are doing a good job and let them stay without putting up candidates against them,..." Who's "we"? He may think that someone is doing a job, but maybe other voters don't. If the voters think that someone is doing a good job, they'll re-elect that candidate. If someone wants to run, the voters should have a choice. That's democracy. Sweeney's philosophy is frightening, especially his use of the phrase "let them stay". Is he a proponent of skipping elections for a particular office? Let's just cancel the county-wide elections this year, Mike.

Anonymous said...

I actually agree with Sweeney on Van Blarcum.
Friends in the Sheriff's Dept have told me that Goodwin is a great cop but not management type.

He should stay on the streets & let Van Blarcum continue.

Many other Republicans felt the same way, too.

I ( as a GOP'r )will be attending Paul's fund raiser - LEVON HELM's Ramble !!!!! ( july 16th )

That's a NO-BRAINER !!!!

Rock on Sheriff Paulie

Anonymous said...

Thanks for thinking for me Sweeney!

In other words, why do parties feel like they have to put a candidate up for a position no matter what--why don't political parties do more cross endorsing? Those 2 positions should be "non political"

How unbelievable is that to everyone else? Because Sweeney thinks so, that must mean everyone else thinks so! One little post on a blog like that speaks volumes of what someone thinks of themselves. Sweeney has a very inflated opinion of himself. Wow, I am stunned that a person who is elected to office could make a statement like that.

I don't really understand why we need a choice.

Thank God we do, and my next one WILL NOT BE SWEENEY!

Anonymous said...

If these guys are doing such a good job then the election will be very easy for them to win no matter who they are running against. Sweeney seems to have gotten his wries crossed somewhere. It is very very important to have elections even if the person sitting in the position is doing a good job. People should have a choice in each and every election.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I'm the only person reading this this way. But I don't see Sweeney saying there shouldn't be elections. I see him saying parties shouldn't put up candidates just to fill a hole in the ballot. If a party has a viable candidate, then by all means run them. But filling a slot on a ballot half heartedly just for show is a pretty poor example of the political process. I actually see Sweeney's comments as a more thinly veiled comment on the political parties and their nomination and endorsement of candidates. We all know the political parties have been hijacked by the almighty dollar these days.
Person, not party....that's my motto these days. Maybe more people ought to think the same.

Anonymous said...

Filling a slot half-heartedly with some boob, may be a bad example but it works. Auerbach has a job doesn't he???