Grab some popcorn, folks!
If the poll results published in Al Sullivan's column today appeared different than the results of the (3) polls by Anthony 'Stick' Romano, Ravi Bhalla and Beth Mason last month, it's because they are, it appears, the results of recent polling.
Based on sources in-the-know, this poll was likely commissioned from outside of Hoboken's borders.
More specifically, it appears that all roads lead to a certain spectacularly dashing, amazingly charming, witty, light on his feet, Zeus-like fella who rules Union City. Heroically. Unmatched by any living human past and present. Even dead ones.
If you haven't read Al's column, here's the excerpt:
Markedly different in these poll results: DeFusco has jumped from a distant 4th place to tie for 2nd place, while Giattino has lost ground, from 3rd to 4th place.
If GA had to speculate on why, DeFusco has been pumping out a blizzard of proposals- albeit half-baked fantasies. But he is getting his name out there.
Giattino's people have not put out any proposals, and seem to be running on "we're not Ravi."
Giattino's people have not put out any proposals, and seem to be running on "we're not Ravi."
Hudson County View reported Giattino's (heavily advertised) fundraiser attendance at 85; down 15% from her kickoff. It seems like the anti-Ravi " he's a national candidate" theme is not growing support.
Sure, there is plenty of time to put some meat on Giattino's anti-Ravi platform. The 40% of folks who will decide this election have not tuned in yet.
In the meantime, if Stack (did I tell you he was charming?) is looking to get into the Hoboken race, GA wants to know when, who, how and why. Is that too much to ask?
I get how angry Stack was at the "no notice" Zimmer announcement. I was too.
None of the principle players had the courtesy to give me notice. But, no need to call GA a waaaahmbulance. Over and done.
My feelings are not more important than making sure Hoboken gets into the right hands.
GA suspects that the reason Stack may have changed his mind about getting involved in Hoboken are these recent events: (1) Stack's rage at Romano for inviting arch-enemy former Union City Deputy Chief of Police Joe Blaettler to Romano's kick-off, (2) LDS-32 Senator Nick Sacco believed to be backing Mike DeFusco, and (3) behind-the-scenes lobbying of an influential Hoboken politico to support Jen Giattino.
Having been 'burned' by Zimmer, who can blame Stack for being gun-shy. But, if in fact he is behind this new poll, something or someone is pushing him to reconsider.
Don't stick your nose up at (devastatingly appealing) Union City mayor Brian Stack.
Stack's support includes GOTV manpower, and extra hands which in this coming election, may make the difference.
GA to Stack: Where's my birthday card?
Giattino has the edge because she accepts support from many sides, from many sides. The snowflakes over at the militia rally are wringing their hands in hysteria at how anyone could think of them as a pack of alt-right looney-tunes, but they're just jealous. When Giattino has a spokesperson still peddling Pizzagate, rationalizing Arpaio by saying "You want sex abuse cases, go to D.C. John Pedo-esta is walking around unscathed, and so are his pals," who needs an actual campaign? It's like a lighthouse beacon calling out to our people, letting them know where we stand.
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder veteran campaign managers aren't returning our calls - our campaign speaks for itself!
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DeleteThe hallmark of the alt-right is that if they stumble upon a story that makes an "enemy" look bad, they make minimal effort to verify the source. But I can't believe he's still dragging that one around. Everyone has disavowed it at this point, the pizza parlor shooter got 4 years in prison, and it's widely cited as an example of what can happen when people don't think about where their "news" is coming from. Even that lying idiot Alex Jones apologized for his part in publicizing it.
DeletePaper trail
Moron shooter sentenced
Silly fish, this is our campaign strategy! Mr. Horsey builds us up over at the Kooky Konspiracy Kurmudgeons rally site and lets the world know we're in the spotlight everywhere we go, then blasts Facebook with our manifesto. That way, we get our message out to all the "right" people! Remember, this is a nonpartisan election, and any attempt to nationalize it is simply despicable.
DeleteHowEVER - if someone just happens to see Mr. Horsey say things like, "Wait until the Civil Rights investigation. We're going to learn more who ordered the police to stand down. That and other facts will not be to your liking. Why can't any prog just condemn all political violence? Bunch of closet snowflake fasicsts you got there." Or, you know, comparing taking down Confederate statues to "blackshirts tearing down monuments faster than the Taliban and al Qaeda" - well, that's just our way of saying, if that kind of rhetoric speaks to you, well, we don't all agree with it, but we accept support from many sides, from many sides.
That way, it doesn't matter that we can't get ahold of people to run our campaign - our people just hone in on us like a beacon in the night!
Oh and please stop picking on people named "Kurt," as he is a private citizen. A private citizen who believes he's important enough that the Mayor of Hoboken should defer to him on any endorsements she makes for a successor, but a private citizen nonetheless.
Looks like Hatfield McVictim's victimhood is contagious!
SGI- It sounds like these objectionable quotes were posted on Facebook. Please respond to them over there.
DeleteI want folks to stick to issues that matter to the public and not internecine fights between screen names and Alt-Right blog hosts. Let the internecine vitriol stay "over there". The "other site" lost local support and interest when it turned to the Alt Right.
The topic is the new polling. Now, you could make an argument that Giattino's slip in this new poll suggests the campaign's association with the Alt-Right blog is hurting, not helping- if that is your opinion.
saying jen has "slipped" in the polls implies that she previously had a high standing, which i've actually never seem evidence of. as for her lagging poll numbers, there might be a number of reasons:
ReplyDelete1) her lack of outreach to voters beyond her core 100 (or should i say, 85) followers,
2) lack of any real policy positions (if she's taken policy positions, they certainly haven't gained any visibility and traction beyond her core 100),
3) a campaign apparatus in denial: maybe, just maybe, voters in a heavily democratic town actually DO care about having a GOP mayor.
4) what could possibly go wrong with having crazy horseshitville as your most visibly mouthpiece/cheerleader, amiright?
GA great reporting. You're working and talking to sources and it shows. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis more recent poll by Stack is important for a few reasons:
1. First, impressive Michael. I have seen/heard the horse race numbers from the Beth poll and the Ravi poll both in late June and early July. DeFusco is a truly a say anything piece of work but whatever he's doing is moving folks. He was at less than 10% before. He obviously moved the needle and leapfrogged Jen;
2. This is sad for Reform. We're divided. I still don't get the rationale for Jen's candidacy other than we're mad at Dawn. We were told "don't worry" repeatedly by Peter and Tiffanie and other Jen supporters because "we'll be unified in September." We were told Jen has character and so do her main backers so of her campaign has no momentum or Ravi's falters, she'll bow out. This was said clearly multiple times. Where are they now? Will their word actually be their word?
3. It looks like Ravi's lead is holding despite the divide in reform and the focus of Jen's candidacy simply being lingering anger at Dawn and by extension Ravi. Imagine what we could do if the adults in the room got together and said, "let's win together and reboot in a post-Zimmer world." Dawn's is a popular Mayor. I know they don't like her and this is a bitter pill to swallow but running an anti-Dawn/Ravi campaign is a loser strategy. Every poll says folks are happy with the direction of this town. Maybe there was something to being unified. It's clear voters are happy with us and what we did the last 8 years. Why destroy a winning formula? Are Jen and Ravi so far apart policy wise that it's worth handing the Council and Mayor's office to Mike and Anthony and creating division amongst us and tens of thousands of dollars and hours fighting each other?
4. I'm tired of non-data driven assertions that Jen has grassroots momentum. It's not professional and makes me think the people speaking on Jen's behalf are not all there. Can we fact check there please?
I had dismissed Michael but GA you called it consistently. He's pulling a Peter Cammarano (for who he enthusiastically campaigned) on us. Working hard to get his message out there, raising money from developers and unions, marketing his message will to undecideds. This will be a dogfight.
Thanks, All Hoboken. Now you know why I've been beating DeFusco like a drum. He is the least qualified, least honest, and most well-positioned to win. He's got $200K that we see, and $300K (my estimate) that we don't. 40% of the electorate is undecided. This infighting, and other nonsense is handing City Hall to DeFusco, Perry Belfiore, Ruben Ramos and a whole constellation of Dark Stars. If/when we lose, don't blame Zimmer.
DeleteNon-Data driven backs into being data-driven eventually. It ends up meaning there IS no supporting data.
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ReplyDeleteThe thought of giving Mike, Perry, Ruben the keys to City Hall makes my skin crawl. They'll be partying again like it's 1999 and developers and unions will get what they paid for since Mike will be beholden to them. You're right that despite our fantasies of a different world raising funds matters. One of Mike's campaign videos has 26,000 views and the other two have over 5,000 each. I am assuming he's spending money to promote them. Expect glossy mailers, TV, social advertising (and fake social media accounts), etc. And what about the dark developer money that will flood into our mailboxes at the end?
ReplyDeleteAnd we're foolishly sitting here and shooting each other. For what? People can't get along? Isn't that fixable, can't they reset their relstionship with each other in post-Dawn era? Where's Peter and Tiffanie here?
Ramos was in the Reporter this weekend, quoted as saying that the mayor did nothing while Washington Street decayed, when he and his colleagues had a chance to vote for forgivable loan / grant funding to repair Washington Street several years ago. Upon retirement, he will collect three pensions from the three jobs he held, while only doing one at a time, none of them well. And yet he rallies around De Fusco who constantly complains about Romano running for two offices. Sheesh!
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