> Working Families barely made it last time, so this is
> probably a relatively safe way to do it (assuming that Senate race vote
> totals count for ballot status in New York).
In fact, they don't. In New York only gubernatorial races count toward establishing ballot status. Once you've cleared that threshold, your party automatically appears on every ballot for the ensuing four years.
(Hence L. Fulani's runs for governor several years ago.)
> The interesting place to judge the WFP will be their more local races-- how
> they use endorsements of Dems or independents to influence politics
> throughout the state. Give it at least one or two election cycles before
> you piss on other peoples strategies.
This is exactly right, I think. I'm a cautious WFP supporter (I recently moved to Wisconsin, so I'm no longer a member). And I'm willing to hold my nose for the HRC endorsement even though she's clearly done more harm than good in public life.
The questions are:
(1) Will the WFP make creative use of the 2001 NYC municipal elections (where, because of term limits, roughly two-thirds of the city council seats are up for grabs)?
(2) Will the WFP expand the range of neighborhood/community groups and non-labor social movements in its active leadership, or will it continue to look like an ACORN-plus-union political directors clubhouse?
For the moment I'm cautiously optimistic. Their staff + volunteer leaders are smart folks, and they aren't working fifteen hours a day just to reinforce the world of Dem Party hackdom. . .