I did not do a deep dive into the Buffalo, NY Mayoral race after India Walton shocked corrupt Dem incumbent Mayor Brown in a primary earlier this year. However, I wanted to understand how Brown beat Walton, and read up on Ballotpedia, which broke down endorsements and money. It shows there was no Republican candidate and only write ins after Walton. Had the usual bromides for unity after a primary been stated, Walton would be mayor. Instead, most elected Dems in Buffalo or the county suddenly decided unity was no longer operative, and backed Brown. Worse, so did the majority of unions who have the most members and most money. Add to that all three newspapers backed Brown, as did the business interests, which knew Brown was going to continue getting them public funds at the people's expense. The money result was Brown raised twice as much money and used free broadcast and newspaper media to promote himself.
This is American politics in a nutshell, and why people-oriented activists should strongly consider ending their involvement with the Democratic Party and, if anything, focusing on further development of movement politics. The information in this Ballotpedia website is devastating to me.
UPDATE AND MORE EVIDENCE FOR WHAT I AM SAYING:
Irami nails the politics of pain management, which is Nancy Pelosi in a kente. Irami's analysis of the WaPo charts in the Virginia Governor's race, which ended with corporate Dem McAuliffe's dreadful loss, to show how the class divide among white folks, male and female, explains what is really what is driving our politics. Too many of our voting white folks, mostly older, have already embraced fascism. I am not sure they can be rescued from their desertion of class solidarity, but I know the Democratic Party leadership stands most effectively in the way of that project to bring back those white working class voters to the Democratic Party. And here is the chart Irami cut and pasted to make clear his analysis. The numbers for some or no college white men and women are devastating. Any Democratic Party voter who does not cry over this is part of the problem. We are supposed to be the workers' or labor party. The Party is controlled by corruption, by wealth, and by power. And the Republicans are, too, but speak in a strong voice for cultural resentment, and private power against a world no longer understandable, and use effective media advertising style marketing. Meanwhile, the Dems just punch left and down against their base, and put down workers and the poor from a cultural snob position.
Sigh.
