In revealing piece that might as well been a blog entry, Dr. Chartock of WAMC implicitly endorsed political new comer Kristen Gillibrand.
Chartock goes onto to say, " Sweeney has at least one well-heeled New York City transplant lawyer type Democratic opponent in the coming election with blood in her eye . . . The press corps seems to be a lot more sympathetic to Sweeney and a lot more critical of his opponent than they were before his hospitalization."
The other day Mr. Chartock was touting the fairness of WAMC on his Media show. Citing the example of Spitzer talking at the 'Linda' on the environment. One wonders whether the good doctor would allow the probable candiate for AG for the NYLP give a talk about the Drug War at the facility.
The Tragedy of Political Science is that it can only quantify so much. When they run the numbers and do the polls it is driven by an electoral mechanism which distorts sentiment. The sentiment is frustration and hopelessness that has become the two party system. Without choice people are backed into a wall and will exercise lesser of two evil voting.
A hundred years ago a professor at a state college would not have been allowed to dismiss the swirling parties and social movements present in that Progressive Era. Emerging standards of professionalisation were infusing themselves into the field of study. No more were idle speculation the casue of the day. Measurable standards and decisions were made that would raise the profession above the hack in the newpaper room or the outspoken eurudite acustom to captive elites and intelligentsia at a talk.
The only blood we're seeing from the Gillibrand campaign, blood money. So far over $300K buys you an announcement speech that spurs a grassroots candidate's movement in Ed Pell and Doug Walters. It gets you an anemic .pdf labeled 'comprehensive'. Our guess is that the debate invitation will not even be answered.
So the good doctor has already accepted the fate of the two horse race. The gloves are off at this campaign.