What?! Democracy in New York?!

I don't know if I'd vote for her or not, but I'm happy to read that Rep. Carolyn Maloney intends to challenge  Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Hillary Clinton.

No knock against Gillibrand. I just think voters ought to have a choice. Unlike, say, Chuck Schumer and the Obama crowd, who have been working to avoid a Democratic primary.

I understand, there's that magical 60 votes in the Senate to consider. Then again, there's that quaint notion that voters have a choice when they go to the polls.

I know that's not in vogue here in New York, where incumbents in the state Legislature win re-election 98 percent of the time. But given that Gillibrand has never run in a Democratic primary for her Senate seat, much less a general election, what's wrong with Democratic voters test driving her?

As for Maloney, I interviewed her this winter when she passed through to meet the locals when Hillary's seat was up for grabs. I wasn't particularly impressed, but then again, I don't know how Gillibrand would have struck me, either. (Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know there's not many pols I'm impressed with.)

Speaking of Schumer, I see where he showed up the other day for a press conference (what a surprise!) in which Yahoo! made it official - it's coming to Lockport. Schumer declared that with Yahoo! here, the high tech world will beat a path to our door. That's not what the experts I've spoken to have said.

Data centers usually don’t act as a catalyst to other high-tech development, however, said Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology Innovation Foundation, a technology policy think tank in Washington, D. C.

“They tend to be relative stand-alone entities,” he said. “They don’t generally have a lot of spinoff.”

The whole scene involving Yahoo!'s announcement underscores to me what economic development in this town is really about - ribbon cuttings and press conferences. But hey, what do you want for a measly subsidy of $810,000 per job?

Comments

[Buffalo Libertarian]

Of course, the United States is not - and has never been - a democracy. It's a constitutional republic and each of the states are guaranteed a republican (as in republic) form of government not a democratic (as in democracy) form of government.

[frquarter]

new york state isnt a denocracy or a republic....look at the scenario,,,,unions endorse democrats...democrats control the budget of new york state...next years census shows democrat will gain more seats...so why vote ...a republican cant win and 1 does seek in a upset election his vote is useless in a senate...and you what democrats have downe to ny state...so i cant vote anymore ,,,it is a waste....shelson silver and democrats of nyc control the state....when ny state must have a budget with 3 men in a room,,,,1 bossman sheldon and 2 puppets davy and smitty ...why vote if you vote any other way but democrat,,,,you are a loser...so let them become their own worse enemies by raising taxes and fees and loss of population,,,,getting to be like a cult

[Justin]

BuffLib, you've got a weird interpretation of the word "republic." Let's have a look at Merriam Webster's definition:

1 a (1): a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president (2): a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government b (1): a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (2): a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government c: a usually specified republican government of a political unit.

It's not a direct democracy, yes. But 'republic' and 'democracy' are not mutually exclusive.

[Hank]

A good case can be made for Imperialism. The U.S. projects military and economic power worldwide.

[gravedancer]

"A good case can be made for Imperialism. The U.S. projects military and economic power worldwide" Excuse me while I get my tire tread sandals, bong, and Hair album to remember the good ole 60s with Hank.

[Cynical]

I don't understand frquarter's argument. Wasn't Pataki a Republican? Wasn't the State Senate controlled by Republicans for something like 40 years? Isn't Collins a Republican?

The problem with NYS politics isn't as simple as Democrats v. Republicans, and pretending it is isn't doing us any good.

[Hank]

gravedancer, what? You don't pay taxes for all that military spending and foreign aid? You're still back the 60's. The OMB will give you all the details you need.

[Buffalo Libertarian]

Justin wrote: "It's not a direct democracy, yes. But 'republic' and 'democracy' are not mutually exclusive."

Well, Justin, I'd suggest that you have a "weird" definition of democracy if you think the two are not mutually exclusive.

What sets a republic apart from a democracy is that in a republic it's the law that rules (lex rex) and in a democracy the people rule (publius rex) - even if it is through representatives. The founding fathers were fairly contemptuous of democracy and specifically chose not to bring it to our shores. One of them compared it to two wolves and a sheep trying to decide what's for supper. Democracy, in short, is majority and/or mob rule and one of the reasons the founding fathers rejected democracy was because they were specifically concerned about the tyranny of the majority that would result (wherein the majority engages in tyranny against the minority - very much like what whites inflicted on blacks following the Civil War and on down until well after the Civil Rights Movement).

[Buffalo Libertarian]

Cynical wrote: "The problem with NYS politics isn't as simple as Democrats v. Republicans."

Actually, it is exactly that simple - particularly since here in NYS the two parties are essentially interchangeable.

[pgr88]

The most dangerous place on earth is to get between Chuck Schumer and a TV Camera.