This race was the Sayles-Belton's campaign's to lose, and
they did so with incredible ease...
I was never contacted by Sharon's campaign. Two weeks ago I
sent an e-mail asking if she was still seeking the endorsement. I
eventually received an affirmative response, so I sent another
e-missive asking if they'd like my assistance with some visibility (I
do those cute little radio control models and such that you've seen
on TV and in the papers) Over a week later I have yet to receive a
response. During the same time period I received a personal phone
call from R.T., and he's always been prompt in answering e-mails.
From looking at the delegates that had turned up at the ward
convention I new Sharon had to work hard. If her campaign did a
really good get out the vote campaign and floor strategy Sharon might
just barely get the endorsement. Meanwhile, the campaign appears to
have actually assumed they'd get an easy first ballot endorsement.
Going into the convention I figured that Sharon was at 50-60%, R.T.
at 30-40%, and Lisa at 10-20%.
The vote on moving the mayoral endorsement to the beginning
of the day was a test vote for Sharon and she lost it, not quite even
getting 50%, never mind the needed 2/3s. This still gave Sharon's
campaign all day to drag in their delegates, much like labor did in
the 62nd last year. But such a mobilization was not to be. I also
noted that almost all of Lisa's delegates were in her own ward, and
knew she'd never rise above 20% I also noted that R.T. had nearly as
many delegates as Sharon.
I was "advising" a handful of delegates, most of them leaning
to if not committed to Sharon. Knowing that nothing would be decided
on the first ballot, I cast a protest vote for R.T. and left my
charges to their own devices. The first ballot results showed R.T.
nearly even with Sharon and Lisa at 16% or so. For the second and
further ballots I cracked the whip and pushed mine and hopefully my
charges votes into Sharon's column. I hoped a lot of other delegates
were casting protest votes on the first ballot, and pondered what
would become of Lisa's delegates. If Lisa had a firm hand on her
delegates she could have easily blocked an endorsement, if not most
would go home or to R.T.
Lisa couldn't even hold her delegates on the second ballot,
never mind all night. R.T. gained a slight but increasing lead over
Sharon as the ballots progressed. Sadly, I believe it was Sharon,
defender of the endorsement process, who moved for no endorsement
just before the 5th ballot. It wasn't even 10 pm and with R.T.
leading I hoped we could have gone at least a few more ballots to
confer an endorsement.
This is a major defeat for Sharon. However, she has called in
the Democratic party cavalry before to pull out of a campaign crisis
and may be able to do so again. That suggests a big $$$ media heavy
campaign that probably has no place for me and my toys... I thusly
suspect I will be supporting R.T.'s primary campaign.
peace,
Dyna Sluyter from Hawthorne
--
Dyna Sluyter
friend of Bill W. and Harry B.
USPS TTO, 554 MVS tour 3 operator, 6610142('96 Mack MR tractor, 2.8m
wheelbase ) de N0EGF, qrv 70cm, 2m, 10-80m
proud IBT and APWU member for over 20 years, solidarity forever!
mk.1 Mini Cooper S, mk.2 Golf diezel, Ranger XL 4x4 longbed ("da
service truck")
R100GS mit seitzwagen, R65LS
Teledyne Titan, Santana, Trek 7300
Quickie GP, Fortress AeroEdge
running C/PM, DOS, Linux, and Mac OS. Micro who?
Amtrak 1007, highball!
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