Much ado about Russo

Russo's 2011 campaign "fighting hate with love:"  mocking opponent's Mormon religion under screen name "LincolnWives"


GA can't figure out the hullabalo our local paper is making over the (so far) uncontested race in Ward 3.

Of course, Reform would like to run someone, or at least have Dark Side candidates firing cannons at each other.  But the fact that Reform does not have a candidate in the Third Ward is not all that deep.  It's not a metric of Zimmer's influence, nor a predictor of anything.  In fact, the Zim-bot Theory is disproven in Ward Three; Reform does have substantial support in Russo-ville as evidenced by the 2011 Election Results.


Reform candidate Greg Lincoln garnered 1/3 of the votes in 2011.  The fact is this: those interested in seeking public office are not evenly distributed in Hoboken's six wards, like sprinkles on a sundae.  No, some wards have plenty of sprinkles, others have less. In 2015, (so far) it looks like the Third Ward has none.

That's the way it goes, Dark Siders. Why get your bloomers in a twist?

As for Pupie Raia, GA would like to see him take on Mike Russo.  But the following came from a source:
Frank Raia will not be a candidate in this election. He's under doctor's orders not to run. Told me himself.
Was Frank telling the truth?

GA would implore Raia not to run if this is true.  But you know, people do what they want to do and not what they should do  (If GA had Frank's dough, I'd cash out of Hoboken in a heartbeat and buy a lakeside camp in the Adirondacks.)  So, who knows what Pupie is going to do, but MSV is reporting a rumor that "petitions were picked up late Friday on behalf of Frank "Pupie" Raia for the third ward City Council seat."

Well, it looks like the Dark Side is blowing a lot of smoke about the Third Ward, which tells you they're sh*tting pickles about the others. Ouch!  There goes another one!   

GA figures the Dark Side wants Reform to blow resources in the Third Ward, and so, this ado about Russo.   

To anyone who cares to step up: you've got 24 hours to get your petitions in.  But don't hold your breath, Dark Siders!

Comments

  1. Well it's always nice to pop by on Grafix Avenger and revisit the "love" shown challengers to the Old Guard. In this instance, it's lovely to see the personal attack on Lincoln's third ward candidacy in 2011.

    That fishy brew was just an old friend of Mikie's so you know plausible deniability. Mikie's all about the love.

    The petitions being taken out on behalf of Frank "Pupie" Raia is not a rumor. That's already confirmed with a reliable source. The rumor is whether he'll actually "punk" Michael Russo and file the petitons and run a third ward race for the council seat.

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    1. Thank you Horsey for, as Terry Castellano would say: "clearing it up."

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    2. Pathetic... suck up

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  2. I think the term I would use to describe the Russos is "GAVONES."

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  3. Thank you, GA. We can always count on you to put things in perspective, you hit the nail on the head.

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  4. A crying shame no one in the 3rd ward is running. How one runs unopposed in this day and age is mystifying. That slime ball gets to spend his war chest on his cousin now because no one will run against him.

    Greg Lincoln did a fine job judging from the numbers. There must be a reformer in those votes that could have been tapped.

    I don't live in the 3rd otherwise I'd run. Very disappointed in this unopposed bs.

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    1. AGREED. It's terrible That Dawn is giving Russo a pass. Wonder if a deal was cut? "I Do Park for you, you do Park for me" You Capiche Dawn?

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    2. That's just dopey, LTD. If a Reformer wanted to run in the Third Ward, we'd have a candidate. Unless you have proof that the admin denied support to a someone on the Reform side who stepped up to run, you are just spewing. I get it, you don't like the mayor.

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    3. Someone keeps trying to float this ridiculous theory, "Zimmer made a deal with Russo", on different sites. It's a nice try but so stupid. NO sane person would believe that

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    4. It's being repeated as part of a developer lobbyist campaign.

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    5. I also wish that someone would run in the third. But it is a time and financial commitment that not very many people are willing to make, especially if they consider the probability of winning to be very low (which for an unknown reform candidate, it would be).

      But winning isn't the only concern. Having someone from reform run in the third is vital if Raia doesn't run, simply because it forces the Russo mob to direct their resources and attention differently. Unchecked in 2011, where would the Russo resources have gone? Probably into the 4th, 5th, and 6th ward contests. I don't pretend to know that the outcomes for 5 and 6 would have been any different if the Russos had directed the $30K or so they spent (as well as the "volunteers"), but it could have made a difference.

      But I think there are very few people who want to enter into a race knowing it will be exhausting and likely end in defeat. It really and truly is "taking one for the team". Myself, I don't regret it- I knew what I was walking into. I played a small part, worked hard, had some good help, and got a modest result.

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    6. You are a Hero Greg

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    7. But Greg, isn't it a zero sum game to tie up reform resources so as to tie up Russo resources?

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    8. @Anon 7:38- No, I don't believe so. If you look at it from a pure dollars expenditure, I spent about $11K (mostly fund raised) and they spent about triple that (if I remember correctly- it has been 4 years...). That's a definite plus.

      From a people power perspective, again I had limited resources. Deirdre was a great campaign manager and I couldn't have done it without her help (or her husband Greg's). Several others made valuable time contributions, and while it all adds up, I'm not sure if all of that aid would have gone to someone else's race. I know for myself, I wouldn't have put as much effort as I did.

      @ Anon 4:09 - While I appreciate the positive sentiment, I think "hero" is a complete overstatement.

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    10. Well Greg, you certainly took one for the team and did us proud. I still wear your T-shirt.

      Since Pupie jumped in yesterday, that should keep Russo occupied.

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  5. GA- you are so off the mark on this one.
    35% for a no name is an amazing feat, please don't knock it honey. Dawn Zimmer only got 45% to win the Mayor's seat last time
    It's called building a base. If Zimmer would have started cultivating a 3rd ward candidates 4 years ago they could have picked up where Greg Lincoln left off.

    If Zimmer had an organization, a base and wasn't globetrotting trying to get herself an EPA gig ( exit plan ) she could have focused on ridding us of the Russos. Instead she may very well be supportive of Raia. He's coming to collect his 2007 debt.

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    1. Did I say amazing feat? 34.6% for Reform in my ward, the 6th, would suck. 34.6% in Russo-land for a tiny, grass-roots campaign with no $$$ and few hands to GOTV, is in my opinion, "substantial."

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    2. The usual doom and gloomers who constantly second guess everything, everybody and tell anyone who will listen how they would have done things are just feeding their own starved egos. Ignore them and carryon.

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    3. No I said it's IS an AMAZING FEAT!

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    4. What does the Mayor have to do or not do with someone deciding to run in the third? Has anyone expressed interest in running? The Third is a tough race and a serious person would want to start early.

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  6. DING DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD !

    BETH IS OUT.

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  7. Hoboken One Day Will Have Some Real leaders And Not Make Believers

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