Those stultifying days of July... UPDATED: Paul goes back on the attack

With the summer heat and humidity, the campaign has settled into the same bleary-eyed torpor as my dog.  The only substantive development in the last several weeks is that both campaigns submitted their signature lists to get on the ballot.  Although only 1000 signatures from Greenburgh residents who are registered Democrats are required, Bernstein submitted 1,500 signatures, and Feiner… drumroll… presented 4,000 signatures.    It will take about 4,000 votes to win this primary, so if Feiner can rely on his petition signers to turn out, he’s already in good shape.   I never encountered Feiner petitioners in my neighborhood but the Bernstein campaign did visit Mercer Ave. seeking signatures.  

 

Neither candidate showed up at the Manor Woods July 4^th Dog Parade.  This ten year tradition is probably the largest Manor Woods community event and it would have been a good, low-key campaigning opportunity.

After initial indications of panic, Feiner has quickly regained his confidence and is giving the impression that he expects to win handily.  His campaign machine is mobilized: getting the signatures and contacting residents directly  (I got a phone message last week from his campaign).  He’s no longer taking shots at Bernstein, but instead focuses solely on the myriad on-going, new, and proposed programs he publicizes and takes credit for through his usual blizzard of press releases.     Just in the last two weeks, Feiner has been promoting composting, green technology, road re-paving, gym renovations and… the girl scouts!  Talk about covering your bases.   Reading Paul’s various social media feeds recently, you wouldn’t know about his opponent.   This is a sage approach.  Like the Clintons, Feiner is perpetually campaigning.  He’s won many elections and knows what he’s doing.  Heck, he won his last primary with nearly 70% of the vote.   Feiner would be foolish to get drawn into the weeds by  responding to Bernstein’s allegations of fiscal mismanagement. Instead, Paul should stick to what has always succeeded: a positive message grounded in his untiring constituent service.  If I were Feiner, I would avoid debates and pretend that Bernstein doesn’t exist.  But then, what do I know?

An interesting issue is that with the primary scheduled for Sept. 10^th, is that we have an extended summer this year.   With Labor Day on Sept. 2, followed by Rosh Ha-shanah beginning the evening of Sept. 4^th, schools are not opening for regular classes until Sept. 9.  With the start of vacation season beginning in mid-August – those days when open seats abound on Metro North -  the timeframe for candidates to communicate with residents is rapidly drawing to a close.  If one assumes that no one will be paying attention beginning with the week of Aug 18^th, the campaign really only has 5 weeks left. 

Next... we're going to start looking at Greenburgh campaign financing.


UPDATE:  Feiner sent me an invite to "like" his campaign FB page this morning.  The first post I found  - dated 7/11- was a surprisingly snide attack insinuatnig that Bernstein is too lazy to do Paul's job because he wants to appoint a professional town manager.  I'm very surprised by the smug tone which is not characteristic of Feiner's writing.  The post is written in the third-person but is not signed by the author.  I suggest that Feiner exercise some quality control and "supervise" FB postings written in his name.