[lbo-talk] FW: Help Defeat Question 3

[nathanne at nathannewman.org]

> nathanne at nathannewman.org wrote:
>>There is little question that nonpartisan elections in New York will
>> shift
>>politics to the right, especially at this point where progressives
>>actually are active within the primaries.
> I completely agree - I just don't see Bloomie's move as part of a
> national Republican strategy. I doubt Trent Lott or Tom DeLay would
> find him very congenial.
> Doug

There are some ways in which I like Bloomberg, but he is playing very
close to the national GOP.  He has been doing a number of major
fundrasisers for national GOP leaders.  See
http://www.observer.com/pages/story.asp?ID=7277
http://www.politicsnj.com/kornacki120402_rove.htm

Admittedly, the nonpartisan elections has as much to do with Bloomberg's
bizarre alliance with Lenora Fulani and the Independence Party.

It's often too easy to look purely at the local coalitions that make
particular campaigns possible, while ignoring the national strategy
pushing them forward.  This push by the GOP to heighten partisanship in
their strongholds while talking "nonpartisan" in places like NYC and
California is too clear not to take seriously as explicit strategy.

-- Nathan