Saturday, April 30, 2005
New York Mayoral Race 2005: What the Hell's "Coachella"? Edition
I'm sure most of you don't particularly care. Hell, I'm having trouble caring at this point -- gimme another week or so, and it'll become rage at the new york democratic party. It doesn't really matter which of these idiots they pick. I'd throw my vote away on a third-party candidate, but our third parties exist to endorse and often embarrass the two-party candidates.
Anyway, the only real news today is this:
Well, at least the lede didn't make reference to the story-of-the-story of the notorious Diallo gaffe (no, not "giff"). You'll have to wait for the third paragraph to see how effectively a dead horse can be objectively beaten by an inverted pyramid:
For more examples of how the New York media works, check out the reaction to Ferrer's proposed stock-trading tax. Initially, it was played as a pretty good liberal move that would play well in Peoria (or the Bronx, or whatever the New York equivalent is -- I never go above 14th, how should I know?). Only Tony Weiner attacked the plan:
Then came Mr. Murdoch to do a little tone-setting, and suddenly it was a fucking disaster!!! The New York Sun, read only by people who work at other newspapers, led the charge, calling it a "poisonous" "$1 billion tax hike." Then Post, came a'callin' and the Daily News declared it an "unpopular" proposal. The other candidates adjusted their views accordingly.
It may be a bit early in the game to quote Curtis Mayfield, but it's lookin' like Freddy's Dead.
Anthony Weiner, resident douchebag, is now the official idea-man of the race.
C. Virginia Fields is making news primarily by being a target of inexplicable hatred. Some guys (angry hipsters?) registered a bunch of Fields-related domains and put up an attack site. They're a bit nuts, but they may be the only people actually calling her out on hypocrisy as she attacks Ferrer for holding more or less her own views.
Here's what it's looking like right now: For Weiner and Fields, the "underdog" narrative is assuring good press. But as Fields catches up to Ferrer, it remains to be seen whether that'll change the tone of her coverage -- Ferrer is locked in a negative spiral of "FERRER MISSTEP" stories, and the Giffster is a living joke. My own prejudices are towards Ferrer, mostly because Weiner's a dick and Fields doesn't seem to stand for anything besides being an alternative to Ferrer.
And Bloomberg, New York's own Berlusconi, hasn't done a damn thing to get in the news lately, which may be the savviest campaign move seen yet this season.
For news about the race that's updated a little more often, go to the Observer's Politicker blog.
If you don't give a shit, go see The Decemberists and pretend that you'll be able to parlay your B.A. and Buddy Holly glasses into a career as an indie heartthrob. I know I will. Except for the part about seeing that boring-ass band. I mean, christ, how can a guy who wrote a book about loving the Replacements say something like this:
Is it wrong of me to want to see a rock band actually fucking rock out without feeling guilty about it? Thank god New York has the nation's last surviving Bar Band. |
Anyway, the only real news today is this:
Two senior officials abruptly quit the mayoral campaign of Fernando Ferrer yesterday over "strategic differences," a spokeswoman said, a sign that recent problems consuming his candidacy are causing serious discord among his close advisers.
In a terse statement issued late in the afternoon, the campaign said that David Axelrod, a senior media adviser, and Chad Clanton, the director of communications, would leave the campaign "effective immediately due to strategic differences."
Well, at least the lede didn't make reference to the story-of-the-story of the notorious Diallo gaffe (no, not "giff"). You'll have to wait for the third paragraph to see how effectively a dead horse can be objectively beaten by an inverted pyramid:
The resignations come as Mr. Ferrer, a Democrat, has struggled to regain his footing since remarking last month before a police union gathering that the 1999 police shooting of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant, was not a crime.
For more examples of how the New York media works, check out the reaction to Ferrer's proposed stock-trading tax. Initially, it was played as a pretty good liberal move that would play well in Peoria (or the Bronx, or whatever the New York equivalent is -- I never go above 14th, how should I know?). Only Tony Weiner attacked the plan:
When another candidate, Fernando Ferrer, dared to get past his recent troubles with a wonky speech of his own, on proposing a tax on stock transfers, Mr. Weiner went after him - alone among the other Democratic contenders.
Then came Mr. Murdoch to do a little tone-setting, and suddenly it was a fucking disaster!!! The New York Sun, read only by people who work at other newspapers, led the charge, calling it a "poisonous" "$1 billion tax hike." Then Post, came a'callin' and the Daily News declared it an "unpopular" proposal. The other candidates adjusted their views accordingly.
It may be a bit early in the game to quote Curtis Mayfield, but it's lookin' like Freddy's Dead.
Anthony Weiner, resident douchebag, is now the official idea-man of the race.
C. Virginia Fields is making news primarily by being a target of inexplicable hatred. Some guys (angry hipsters?) registered a bunch of Fields-related domains and put up an attack site. They're a bit nuts, but they may be the only people actually calling her out on hypocrisy as she attacks Ferrer for holding more or less her own views.
Here's what it's looking like right now: For Weiner and Fields, the "underdog" narrative is assuring good press. But as Fields catches up to Ferrer, it remains to be seen whether that'll change the tone of her coverage -- Ferrer is locked in a negative spiral of "FERRER MISSTEP" stories, and the Giffster is a living joke. My own prejudices are towards Ferrer, mostly because Weiner's a dick and Fields doesn't seem to stand for anything besides being an alternative to Ferrer.
And Bloomberg, New York's own Berlusconi, hasn't done a damn thing to get in the news lately, which may be the savviest campaign move seen yet this season.
For news about the race that's updated a little more often, go to the Observer's Politicker blog.
If you don't give a shit, go see The Decemberists and pretend that you'll be able to parlay your B.A. and Buddy Holly glasses into a career as an indie heartthrob. I know I will. Except for the part about seeing that boring-ass band. I mean, christ, how can a guy who wrote a book about loving the Replacements say something like this:
"When we first started playing, I assumed that we would eventually hit a wall," Meloy says. "That people wouldn't be able to swallow seeing a bunch of people performing, recording, getting photos taken of themselves, not trying to posture in this rock and roll masculine way. So I always assumed we would never really get that far because we just don't exhibit that."
Is it wrong of me to want to see a rock band actually fucking rock out without feeling guilty about it? Thank god New York has the nation's last surviving Bar Band. |
