Amazing that for all the arrogant pretenders to the throne, a real gentleman triumphed. Even more curiously, for all the Haitian-Americans who played the political game in central brooklyn for years, it was a real community non-profit guy who eschewed politics that grabbed the first brass ring for Haitians in NYC. In spite of their so-called leadership wanting to go in another direction. Oh well, another political lesson learned.

 This race was won by 1199 and the Clarke political club. To go back to their base so soon after the euphoria of Yvette's win last year was the easy part. It was selling Eugene to that base. Unfortunately, the other candidates didn't have what Eugene had- an experienced political team that had been cultivating this base since 1990 (Una-Yvette-Eugene).

James, as fine as she is, should have swallowed her pride and dropped out once Yvette went in another direction. She really was an outsider with no political or cultural ties in the community. Hopefully, she will not be discouraged and now work in the community to cultivate her own base. The Clarke club is aging out and resistant to outsiders. She can be the new voice of the next generation if she moves quickly and builds on this loss.

Eugene will take some time to learn the ropes (with some overt guidance) and he will be pulled in so many directions by a hungry Haitian constituency who will watch and critique his every move. (For his sake, I hope he keeps his opinions on Haitian homeland politics very neutral, lest he risk igniting civil war in Brooklyn)

As for the rest, well you got spanked by Una once last time. Even sadder, a pretty face with no base took second. Wellington has got to be thinking what the hell am I doing?? Well, his optimism seems eternal and I'm sure he'll go after Nick Perry again. And we'll all look forward to that.

Toney was done in by his hubris. Not surprisingly. Again, once the Clarkes went in another direction, he should of bowed out.

Hamilton probably was the most-prepared of the bunch but he had no business coming south of Empire Boulevard- too light and too Yankee looking for central Brooklyn voters. And the New York Times has no business making political suggestions in a community where they aren't read by the majority and should spend their efforts diversifying their newsroom.

Zenobia was caught campaigning inside a polling place and tried to play it off like she was just out handing refreshments to poll workers. What a clown- no wonder Major abandoned her.

All in all, its was an interesting exercise in democracy.

I feel so weird commenting before Rock but I figure it will be a few days before he brings the much-awaited post-race analysis.

I congratulate the Haitian community on a victory that is long overdue.  No other ethnic community in this city has endured such a long drought when it comes to political representation, though others are approaching that point.  It is my hope that City Councilman Mathieu Eugene will have the guts, independence and tenacity to do great work for all the residents of the 40th Council District. His election is truly historic.

Eugene's victory does remind us, however, that well-organized forces win elections -- even when they are outspent.  This message needs to be heard across the City, not just within this district.  The fact that 1199 has mastered certain techniques and has an embedded constituency within certain districts affords that union a particular level of power.  Where is the rest of labor?  Not all unions agree on all things.  How come few other groups have the roots and the pulling operation to have an impact on elections -- particularly low-turnout elections such as this special?

The endorsement of any newspaper SHOULD matter, as well as other endorsements, if a campaign is organized and equipped to use the ammunition that has been provided.  At a time when the political game is becoming increasingly sophisticated, we are seeing less and less sophistication within certain communities and more surrender to distractions (and by sophistication I do not mean abandonment of tried and true strategies such as door-to-door campaigning).  Therefore, the most sophisticated campaign wins.

And, even worse, this concentration -- or isolation -- of strategic excellence is NOT increasing voter participation overall.  We have become comfortable operating within predefined turnout parameters that are, frankly, unacceptable if New York City is to be truly representative of its people (ethnically, racially, gender-wise and policy-wise).

Being a candidate is very hard work.  These days, building a meaningful organization is even harder -- even for a block association or civic organization, let alone a political group.  Virtual organization has value, but is NOT a substitute for face-to-face contact with real people.  Virtual organization is helpful, but it cannot establish the same gut-level commitment to change at the local level that can be achieved at a good, fired up meeting.

The fact that so many candidates stepped forward in the 40th District was a good thing.  The fact that so few were able to operate effectively was sad.

This is a time of change and we need leaders who do not fear an empowered and politically active electorate.  We need leaders who will be clear that added value comes from having additional voices heard -- not simply voices they can control.

I am sure no one is more disappointed this morning than Mo Razvi, who had the funds needed to operate a good campaign but who succeeded in bringing out only a fraction of his Pakistani community -- and few others -- on his behalf.  He should not give up.  Jennifer James should not give up.  Ricky Tulloch should not give up.  Karlene Gordon should not give up.  This election represented their first forays into the fray and each one showed different but potentially valuable strengths -- as well as weaknesses.  There are other offices out there of different sorts and there are people who need to be replaced.  (Reprising the campaign against Dr. Eugene this September, however, will not be constructive -- particularly not for Razvi or James.)

On the other hand, Wellington Sharpe should rethink his political future, as should Zenobia McNally, Joel Toney and Harry Schiffman.  For different reasons, either they now represent the past, not the future, or they have not proven to be effective enough as candidates and political mobilizers.  There are other valuable roles to play in working to improve our communities.

And then there's Jesse Hamilton.  He really has to rethink his entire approach to politics, because he is now on the edge of political irrelevance.  For Jesse, this campaign was ill-advised and he definitely did not make the most of the opportunities he created and those that came his way.  Hopefully, there are some constructive lessons in this spanking for him to learn.

Only in New York ...

Wise words, Mr. Owens, with application far beyond this race  

On the other hand, Chris Owens should alos rethink his political future, as  either he now represents the past, not the future, and  has not proven to be effective enough as a candidate and political mobilizer.  There are other valuable roles to play in working to improve our communities.

He really has to rethink his entire approach to politics, because he is now on the edge of political irrelevance.  For Chris, his latest campaign was ill-advised and he definitely did not make the most of the opportunities he created and those that came his way.  Hopefully, there are some constructive lessons in this spanking for him to learn.

The thing is Matthew Eugene doesn't live in this district.  I think it was highly hypocritical for Yvette Clarke to endorse a candidate who doesn't live in the district when just last year she was openly attacking David Yassky for running in CD11 after just having moved there from a block and a half away.  Does she think its okay for a candidate to be a carpetbagger or not?  If she does think it is in fact okay, she owes Yassky an apology for those attacks.

James is a totally manufactured candidacy by a powerful group called Bill Lynch Associates. If Bill Lynch decided to support Karlene Grodon or even Wellington those candidates would have come in 2nd.

 This race was decided by the better operatives, not the candidates. The candidates in first and 2nd place were the least important aspects of this race.

Rwall; you may be the only one in the world who does not understand that Yassky's place of residence was absolutely irrelevant to the reasons he was attacked as an interloper.

If they were, how come carpetbaggers James and Eugene were not attacked for "pulling a Yassky", but district resident Harry Schiffman was?

Keeping with the Progessive ideal, Chris Owens exempts Razvi, who is "of color", from his anathema, while lumping poor pathetic Harry with the over the hill Ambassadors and multi-time losers, even though this was his first race. Why is that? It's not the numbers, given there are far fewer South Asains in the District than there are whites.     

And what, pray tell, does Chris Owens have against serial losers anyway? Might have thought he'd consider them an affinity group.  

Should Chris Owens run again ??

Owens run again?

The two candidates (Hamilton & McNally) who divided his "base", Hamilton and McNally, managed, combined to attract the same lousy 13% in the area that he did, despite the fact that Hamilton had significant support (including a good portion of the old Norman club) that in no way owed to Owens.

Then Owens turns around and disses the both of them. They might not have been much, but surely, even when attempting to reach out to others, one does not cavalierly burn what little bridge you have left.

And why are Wellington Sharpe (704 votes), Harry Schiffman (445),  Jesse Hamilton (438) and Zenobia McNally (363) anymore yesterday's news than Leithland Tulloch (287) and Karlene Gordon (64)?

And, if the answers is that Sharpe, Hamilton and McNaslly are now Stassenized losers for life, where does this leave Owens?      

Sure Chris should run again, he's an excellent candidate.  Just not for the 11th CD or for this city council district, both of which have shown that SEIU 1199 are the kingmakersn there and they have the incumbents now.  Nor for the brooklyn borough president's race, which is going to be full of Machine politics and lots of big names.  The race Chris needs to be looking at IMO is the Public Advocate's race.  Chris was a supporter of Norman Siegel, and he could run pushing once again Norman's idea of an activist PA office.  This race is where he could make the most difference.

And Wellington Sharpe got 12%, thats respectable.  He can run again.  Wellington would make a fine candidate for Kings Co. DA.  Hynes is bound to retire or move on to other things one of these years soon.  With Rock in his corner, Wellington could easily make a run at DA.

She was the clear winner last night. She came up against the heavyweights and gave a good account of herself.

My vote is for Jennifer James for congress!

To those people who cloak their disrespect with anonymity -- and who have probably never received nearly 10,000 votes in an election or been victorious in two others -- I present my more detailed thoughts on the race: 

James 15% (876 votes) -- I don't know where exactly Jennifer lives, but if she's in the 42nd AD, she should be looking at replacing Rhoda Jacobs -- and always be wary of her former employer.  Regardless of who originally backed her, she has the tools to succeed in politics and potential offices in the 42nd, 43rd and 44th ADs, as well as a possible reprise of the 40th CC race.  I don't know if she and I agree on issues, but that's not what I am addressing at this point in time.

Sharpe 12% (681 votes) -- He has run for office many times, sometimes not making the ballot.  Voters remember the perennial candidates ... but not positively.  This race was his opportunity to explode through the crowd.  The Sharpe campaign was respectably run, but there will be few chances this good again.  As people like Jennifer James emerge, it is hard to see Sharpe with alot of political headroom.

Shiffman 8% (440) -- This was Shiffman's race to win or at least make a strong statement.  He's a good guy, grounded in some good work, but his presentations were not overly impressive and he clearly had not built an organization.  He does not end this race with a clear path upwards.  For the record, I never said anything critical about Harry during this election and certainly never cared about his race.  I am not critical now of Harry because he is white, but, realistically, who in the area is he going to defeat for an office in the 44th AD?  Assemblymember Jim Brennan?  District Leader Jake Gold?  Not likely.  And he didn't connect with a whole lot of Black voters.  So where is the political future?

Hamilton 7% (421) -- Jesse was the only sitting elected official in the race and had received a decent number of votes within the 40th CC portion of the 43rd AD just last September.  He had followed up with some good outreach to prime voters within the 43rd AD (personal mailings, etc.) and, to his credit, had created some name recognition.  Jesse had the Times endorsement, Congressman Owens' endorsement, endorsements and assistance from DC 37, District 1707, etc.  Most importantly, he was potentially eligibile for up to $50,000 in matching funds that he never received -- crucial funds which would have allowed him to be much more competitive.  It is not "dissing" Jesse to question his future in light of the incredibly poor operation and results in this race -- it is being objective and honest.

Razvi 7% (437) -- Now that Mo has taken the first step for the Pakistani community, he and the community (if it can unite) have to decide if they are going to pursue real political empowerment.  This means looking hard at the male District Leader position in the 44th AD (currently held by Jake Gold), since no other position is likely to be winnable with a smaller turnout (or voter drop-off during a primary election).  The Pakistani community will always be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, but candidates like Razvi can build bridges.  It will just be very hard.  Razvi, too, has limited political headroom, but he demonstrated he can raise competitive funds -- and that is a key factor in any election, particularly one for a non-paying, few-vote-getting position like District Leader.

McNally 7% (353) -- Zenobia is a good person and a breath of fresh air, but she did not do her homework after the 2005 primary election loss to Yvette Clarke.  Furthermore, despite having done this before, she failed to get matching funds and raised very little money.  She had some helpful endorsements that she could not leverage.  Again, this is not a "dis" but an acknowledgement of reality:  politics is not going to be Zenobia's business -- particularly in a competitive area like the one she lives in.

Tulloch 5% (282) -- I didn't know Ricky well at the start of the campaign.  He was clearly an inexperienced politician, but he impressed me with his earnestness and, again, he could become a Democratic District Leader in the 42nd AD if he has the guts to make that move (not likely, however, given where his politicl support came from.)  With alot of political homework and personal coaching, he could also run for Assembly when Rhoda Jacobs retires.

Toney 4% (247) -- I like Joel and his wife; they are good people.  The Ambassador showed the fire of a competitor, but his demeanor was too brittle and out of touch with the people.  It's not likely to change, frankly, and he lives in an area where it will be hard to get enough votes to win any election with that problem.  Again, this was a chance for him to make a statement and it didn't happen.

Gordon 1% (54) -- Karlene had nothing going for her.  Yet, unlike some others, she made it on the ballot her first time out.  She was inexperienced, yet she conveyed sincerity, courage and genuineness that people liked -- they just couldn't take her seriously as a candidate.  All Karlene has to do is her political and civic homework -- and resist the temptation to run another race too soon.  I believe she lives in the 43rd Assembly District, which provides her with a potential opportunity to become female District Leader one day (if she's a Democrat) and the 40th CC when Mathieu is term-limited.

Overall, many of these candidates could attempt to become Delegates to the Democratic Convention in 2008.  It would provide a good training and personal development opportunity for the Fall, 2008 elections and those coming in 2009.

There are other valuable roles to play in working to improve our communities.

Hey Chris, the valuable role you should play in working to improve our community is to not give advice or say what others should or should not do. You can not even do much for yourself without the help of dad. You even asked for funds after you lost claiming you were broke and without a job. Who the hell in their right mind would want you to represent them in anything. It goes beyond just speaking well. And please Rhoda brings $$ into the community. She has been an asset which is some thing you nor dad could claim. Mcnally has what it takes as long as she stays away from people like you. And as far as Yvette goes she is way ahead of you pal.

Me to Candidate--- Are there alot of Hatians registered to vote?

Candidate----  Yes.

Me to Candidate---If they show up will it be a BLOWOUT?

Candidate----  Yes

Me to Candidate---Why Are We Running?

Candidate---- Good Question.

This really happened. Honest

Well, Chris, your second round of thoughts wer so much better I take back some of what I said, but not all.

But, victories for school board don't count; even Jesse Hamilton managed that. They demonstrate knowledge of a peculiar game, thst's all. If knowing how to play chess was translatable to general electoral politics, then Rock Hackshaw would be mayor.

And your comments concerning Ravzi are out of touch. Ditrict Leader in the 44th? At the district's south end he will get zilch from Orthodix Jews. In the north end. his conservative views on gay issues, contrasted with the liberal views of Jake Gold, will forclose any support there? What's left besides the South Asians? Perhaps other white in Flatbush if that weren't already Gold's base; perhaps a few old line Irish in Windsor Terrace, but somehow I doubt it.

And convention delgate is not a proudctive place to build name recognition. People vote for the pres contender they liek, and then usually all their delegates, no matter who they are.

Still, even with thses lapses and others, this post at least makes some sense.