The primary is near. Thanks goodness.
Today's haul.
The way to a primary voter's heart is through... their mailbox?
It seems the candidates think so. We've been deluged by campaign mailers recently -- we got six just today. @Mrs_Misanthrope reported getting eleven. We could probably wallpaper half the house with these things.
And if the flurry of campaign mailers wasn't annoying enough, it seems the candidates have bought robocalls in bulk this year.
Just make it stop. Please.
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Comments
Each of these candidates campaigned to keep post offices in Albany open by way of mailing out 25 tons of $hit.
... said daleyplanit on Sep 14, 2009 at 4:34 PM | link
From William Kennedy's book Roscoe, there's a great line about gathering up votes in Albany. "Go to the graveyard and get all the names. Just because they're dead doesn't mean they're Republicans."
... said Chuck Miller on Sep 14, 2009 at 4:35 PM | link
I agree -- these campaign mailers pretty annoying. On the other hand, if more Americans would get off their asses and vote, maybe the campaigns would ease back on their advertising.
... said Justin on Sep 14, 2009 at 5:18 PM | link
I just went outside and saw another one in there, bringing today's grand total to 12 campaign mailers. Except this one wasn't mailed. It was just stuffed in my mailbox.
Attn candidates- did you know that it's illegal to put things in someones mailbox if it hasn't been mailed? Really. It's why the Chinese restaurant leaves their menus between your doors. Not exactly the best way to gain my confidence. Just sayin.
... said Mrs. Misanthrope on Sep 14, 2009 at 5:19 PM | link
Had 10 in the mailbox when I got home from work, but then I found a door hanger on the front door with a personalized handwritten message!
Now that's campaigning... or stalking. Not sure which.
... said Sandor on Sep 14, 2009 at 6:39 PM | link
Kind of makes you wonder about the high cost of running a political campaign.. like, where does the money go? Yes sure, staff, offices, phone costs, etc.,... but I'd be curious to know how much is spent on flyers, mailings, lawn signs and radio and tv ads. Printers and media must make a BUNDLE this time of year.
... said Barold on Sep 14, 2009 at 6:51 PM | link
I came home to 11... 4 from the same candidate (who we have a sign for in the front yard!). There's gotta be a better way to spend!
... said Melissa on Sep 14, 2009 at 8:04 PM | link
Glad to know my perception is accurate. Yup, piles of them... never to be read by me, inside the mail slot and outside the door, littering the street, and going straight into the trash tonight. As a marketing pro looking for a job, all I could think is that if all the money spent on printing these things could be compiled, there was a years salary in there for me somewhere. And the phone calls? It's completely out of hand this year - I haven't answered my phone in a week and am averaging 5-8 robo-calls a day going to voice mail.
... said EP on Sep 14, 2009 at 8:26 PM | link
Thank you! I'm going out of my mind with the non-stop robo-calls and piles of election junk in and around my mailbox every day. My dog hasn't stopped barking in 3 weeks thanks to the constant traffic coming up the front porch to drop off yet another mailer and my phone doesn't stop ringing. Makes me not want to vote just to get off the list of likely voters to harass next election.
... said Jessica on Sep 14, 2009 at 8:47 PM | link
I think would prefer the mail to the constant door bell ringing and robo-calls. ENOUGH! I am a grown up who can make a decision. Your mailers, phone calls and visits will not sway me.
... said Pam on Sep 14, 2009 at 9:15 PM | link
Mother-in-law just told me they filled up her answering machine with robo calls. She wants to complain but isn't sure who to complain to. Any ideas out there?
... said Mrs. Misanthrope on Sep 14, 2009 at 9:18 PM | link
I live in Rensselaer, and have gotten flyers in the mail for Corey Ellis.
... said Rob on Sep 15, 2009 at 9:12 AM | link
Hey all you naysayers!
Yeah, it's an annoyance, but boy aren't you LUCKY to be so annoyed? This is the price you pay for democracy, and if you ask me, it's chump change. So quit your whining and be thankful you actually have a chance to vote.
... said Ellen on Sep 15, 2009 at 9:28 AM | link
I have stopped answering my phone for any unlisted number. Imagine my surprise when I checked my messages and Peter Grimm had actually called me personally to ask for my vote (we're both working on the Troy co-op). I was gonna skip the primaries, but now I feel I have to go!
... said Jessica R on Sep 15, 2009 at 9:54 AM | link
Here's an idea for a promotion - C'mon businesses and candidates employ this concept.
Candidate John Doe get sponsored by ABC Pizza. Sponsorship equates to a 5 cent coupon (merely a sentence on the flyer) towards the purchase of a slice, or whole pizza at ABC pizza. The pizza place would accept flyers with recognizable addresses only. Usable flyers would be handed back to the candidate for redistribution (via a new label). The rest would be recycled.
The candidate saves money on printing, the pizza place drums up some business and publicity, the flyers are recycled, and the resident can enjoy some cheaper pizza to offset the annoying volume of mail.
Maybe next year's candidates will employ it.
... said daleyplanit on Sep 15, 2009 at 10:47 AM | link
I agree the mailings and robocalls are annoying, but I haven't been getting QUITE as many as some of you. Eleven or twelve per day??? My sympathies. I loved the robocall from Lenny's wife, however: "Please ignore the rumors and vote for my husband." She was begging! LOL!
... said MarkD on Sep 15, 2009 at 10:48 AM | link
... and in other campaigning news: we had a "block party" here on Danker Avenue on Saturday, and got a permit from the city to barricade the street. Apparently this got back to a few pols, including the mayor, who stopped by for some hand-pumping, perhaps thinking that a mini-Larkfest was taking place. It wasn't; this being our first year doing this, we only had about six families. Mr. Jennings probably kicked himself the next day for bothering with us. In any case, it was mentioned in two paragraphs of Sunday's T.U., along with my comments to a T.U. reporter.
... said MarkD on Sep 15, 2009 at 10:54 AM | link
@barold: "I'd be curious to know how much is spent on flyers". I'll give them credit (I think), they are not spending it on me. Either they are sparing Spring St., or they know if people can vote or not, because I got zilch flyers so far. Just saved some trees right there.
... said -S on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:11 AM | link
To those of you thinking of skipping the primaries in favor of the general election:
Please don't.
The primaries are the real election in Albany. It's practically a given that Democrats will be elected across the board, so whoever wins this primary will with certainty become your new representatives.
If you're gonna vote, do it today.
... said B on Sep 15, 2009 at 3:10 PM | link
@B You said it! Hard to believe, but after more than 40 years in Albany, this simple fact never occurred to me. Just this month I heard someone say exactly what you just said and I had an "Aha!" moment. Totally correct, and it should be so obvious! In Albany, your only real choice is between two candidates in the democratic primary; the general election is a foregone conclusion, where the democrat will get about 75% of the vote.
... said MarkD on Sep 15, 2009 at 8:29 PM | link
MarkD, probably more than 75%, Albany has an 11-1 ratio of registered Democrats to Republicans.
Jerry's narrow primary victory solidifies him as our Mayor for thenext four years. From the tone of his comments last night, it doesn't sound like he's taking the very real threat that Ellis put up, against a campaign that raise ten times as much money as he did, seriously. Then again, not much about Jennings is real or serious, including his concept of reform or his skin color.
I hear Ellis will be on the ballot in the general under the Working Families Party. If that happens, at least we get a round two. In a small victory, at least we got rid of Betty Barnette, but it's hard to get rid of a machine one nut at a time.
... said B on Sep 16, 2009 at 11:51 AM | link
So sad to think that ppl will vote someone in office strictly because of his party. If our system worked, we would ideally be voting in the BEST possible candidate. Our upcoming October issue features my interview with Republican candidate Nathan Lebron, who is well worth a second look. And I am registered independent!
... said GAES Mag Editor on Sep 21, 2009 at 11:27 AM | link