| Proud Sponsor |
|
| News Sections |
|
|
| Membership |
|
|
| Features |
|
| Sponsored by |
|
| About the Smugtown Beacon |
|
|
| |
|
| Gantt Defeated After a Quarter Century in Office (It Could Happen) |
By: Aaron E. Wicks
|
|
Is time -- and history -- catching up to Gantt?
|
|
Rochester, NY (February 24, 2008) -- If David Gantt is one thing, he's a survivor. Despite his abrasive demeanor and countless plots against his political life, no one has yet touched his hold on the 133rd Assembly seat. Recent events, however, indicate that Gantt's crown is slipping.
For the first time, Gantt is no longer "the" political voice of African Americans in Rochester. Adam McFadden and Van White have each cultivated large and loyal constituencies and both have displayed a willingness to go their own way. McFadden and White also appeal to a new generation of Rochesterians who have had greater access to the political system. Granted, Smugtown is still Smugtown, but not nearly the place it was when Gantt began his career.
Three years ago, Gantt's political obituary was being written by the likes of Molly Clifford, Patty Malgieri and Bob Duffy. Pairing the popularity of Chief Duffy with the simmering hatred of Gantt in some parts of the city (particularly among some of the political elite), the Duffy campaign dismantled the heavy-handed machine that Joe Morelle and David Gantt assembled to put Wade Norwood in office. Yet Gantt was crafty: he understood that Duffy needed cooperation (read: state aid) from Albany, and only the dean of the local delegation could deliver those favors.
Ironically, Gantt has delivered little for Duffy. When Duffy went to Albany a year ago, hat in hand begging for money, the legislature awarded him a pittance but denied him his most urgent request: an escape from the city's maintenance of effort agreement to continue funding the city school district at previous levels.
This year, Gantt not only endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, but went so far as to register as a potential Clinton delegate to the Democratic convention. Citywide, our incumbent Senator won only 8,800 votes to Barack Obama's 11,500. Recall, though, that Democratic delegates' names appear on the ballot in New York. Citywide, the number one vote-getting delegate was Adam McFadden. McFadden defeated Gantt by a 1,000 vote margin.
The story become even more intriguing when one looks at the vote from Gantt's 133rd Assembly District (which extends from Rochester into the town of Gates). Across the district (which Obama won 2 to 1), McFadden trounced Gantt, 4,130 to 2,911. Even School Board member Tom Brennan, from the city's northwest, outpolled Gantt district wide with 3,040 votes. So much for Gantt's name recognition and popularity.
In this context, Gantt's recent high-profile activities smell of political opportunism. Though it is quite likely Gantt genuinely feels outraged by the public defender selection process, it is also obvious there is another angle to this story. Gantt has slowly begun to be eclipsed by the likes of McFadden and White. His mouthpiece on the school board displays behaviors that could best be described as erratic. With his political empire eroding, Gantt needed an infusion of credibility. He needed to be seen as "the old David" who wasn't afraid of a fight. Interestingly, when the gallery refused to vacate the legislative chamber that infamous Saturday morning, Gantt insisted that only he (and the two other leaders of the protest group) be arrested. Evidently Gantt did not want to share the spotlight.
The sad footnote to Gantt's recent activities is that they have harmed relations in the County Legislature and also divided the community. That which makes Gantt stronger makes the suburban Gantt-haters stronger too.
Who can beat Gantt? Clearly not a Republican. The district, notwithstanding its inclusion of Gates, is solidly Democratic, anchored by the 22nd, 25th and 27th Monroe County Legislative Districts. Thus, the challenge would have to come from within. A fellow Democrat would have to challenge Gantt and the County Democratic machine -- or, strike a deal with Democratic apparatchiks to at least keep them on the sidelines of a primary. With a potential Obama candidacy in full swing during the summer, a Gantt challenger could fairly demand why David supported Clinton. Such a question could be interpreted as a challenge to his race-loyalty or it could simply be seen as a comment on Gantt's deteriorating political skills: he went with the easy choice rather than taking a risk to support someone fresh and new.
The Clinton campaign might just provide the final line to Gantt's political obituary: "Rather than take a political risk, Gantt played the game to the end in a futile bid to hold his grip on power. But this time, the game played him." Rest assured that when Gantt's political obituary is written, you will read it here first.
|
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
|
|
