When The Spectrum editorial board sat down to discuss whom to endorse for the Congressional offices up for election this year, we were unable to come to a strong consensus behind any one candidate. All had either strong platforms or strong experience; none had both. Thus, the board chose to endorse none, but to point out strengths and weaknesses in the general political offerings this political season.
While it is no surprise that Republicans control the Western New York political landscape, considering the high number of registered Republican voters, it's interesting how the Democrats will continue to lie down and take this dominance, on both a state and national scale. Assuming that Republican candidates will automatically bag the elections, the Democratic party has provided little to no campaign support or funding for its candidates, or even put forward candidates who stand a chance at defeating their heavyweight opponents.
For Congressional elections in the Niagara Falls region, the Democratic candidate is Ayesha Nariman, a virtually unknown candidate. She is being tossed to the wolves against incumbent Tom Reynolds because no one else wanted to run. Even though there is little doubt he will be reelected - Republicans out-number Democrats three to one in the district - he is still spending about $10,000 a day on his campaign, which is more than his opponent, Nariman, has spent on her entire campaign. Her requests for support from prominent Democrats have been denied, as neither senator will come speak on her behalf.
On a smaller state level, the problem is still evident. It seems as if incumbent State Senator Mary Lou Rath of Amherst is unbeatable, since most of her district is Republican. For this reason, the State Democratic committee did not want to waste their time or effort in selecting a formidable opponent for Rath. When their first sacrificial lamb dropped out, current UB student Marla Greenberg entered the race. While Greenberg serves as a great example for students who want to get involved with government, it is unfortunate that Democratic voters in the area cannot vote for someone with more experience and a clearer stance on issues not related to higher education.
Like Greenberg, Daniel J. Ward is a Democrat going up against Republican incumbent James P. Hayes for his State Assembly seat. Although Ward has a decent amount of political experience under his belt, his platform and the means by which he plans to achieve his political goals are vague, and without the backing of strong party support, it is unlikely Ward will be able to defeat his opponent.
The elections are essentially run like triage, where only if a candidate has a decent chance of winning will a party devote monetary resources to the candidate's campaign. While it is, perhaps, a wiser management of funds, voters are deprived of a fair electoral process, an essential element of democracy. This issue can be seen on the gubernatorial level, where Democrats pulled funding from candidate H. Carl McCall when it seemed that he no longer stood a chance against Gov. George E. Pataki.
It is unfortunate that residents of Western New York are being robbed of an interesting election. It is a shame that parties will forego the democratic process in the interest of saving money. Voters should be better educated regarding different government positions, but they still deserve the option of better candidates. As Election Day nears, the people are apathetic as ever, and the brains and money behind the elections are doing nothing to encourage enthusiasm and involvement.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
