Election Day

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Today is election day. I'm sure that most of you, like me, have received about a metric ton of mail in support of (or in opposition to) various candidates (although probably over half of it was from one in particular). I've pretty much only read good things about candidates from their direct supporters and bad things from their opponents, but I haven't seen anything along the lines of a (relatively) objective analysis of the various people running. That may not exist, because it could be that everyone who cares at all also has a strong opinion, but I figure it's worth asking: Can any of y'all talk about the pros and cons of the various candidates in anything resembling a neutral manner?

Also, what sort of actual power/responsibility do the various types of Aldermen actually have? The school committee?

Local elections get so weird.

(FYI, Davis Square is in Ward 6. To check your ward/polling place, go here.)

Vote early and vote often.

Comments

Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[girlsnqueers.livejournal.com]

After a little googling last night I found Progressive Democrats of Somerville's Endorsements (http://www.pdsomerville.org/endorsements/2005/municipal) which also includes links to lengthy Q & As with the candidates, so you know exactly where they stand on the issues.

[unferth.livejournal.com]

Mass Vote (http://www.massvote.net/site/PageServer?pagename=Somerville_Elections) has some basic information on the candidates for the ward alderman, but not for the alderman at large candidates. It's mostly just a list of endorsements and links to the official candidate sites, though.

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

pheromone, this isn't relevant to the elections you're voting in, but I know there are a lot of Medford folks who subscribe to this community, so...www.votemedford2005.com.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'll vote for Medford!

[darthcr1.livejournal.com]

"(although probably over half of it was from one in particular)."

Wait... you're saying Kim Foster Hirsch isn't own personal obsessive stalker by mail?

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

The problem with that site, is that it only has the Q&A for the people they endorse. (And even if I was going to go with their endorsements across the board, that still leaves two more openings for Alderman-at-large.)

I found another site with Q&A for all the candidates and honestly saw little difference in the answers for many of them. So even reading stuff I like there doesn't tell me that anyone else's responses are any different.

Election politics are so very weird. I wonder what the average length of Somerville residency is among the Ward 6 voters.

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

re: Alderman at large

The way the math works voting for two can be better than voting for four, if you assume the two you vote for you really want, and you don't have a strong preference between the others.

Endorsements:

I wrote up a short list of my endorsements that are almost identical to PDS (hmm maybe I'm a member or something) you can see here:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/gothic_peacock/185149.html

I don't know he averge length of residency but I recall someone telling me that the median was around 5 years. But take that unattributed statistic with the appropriate does of salt.

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

For the most part, I can't tell by reading your endorsements why you picked any one candidate over another.

In the case of Ward 6 Alderman, for example, I've met and talked to both candidates. They are both very nice people and for the most part, seem to share the same views. One is more like me, and so I am more instinctively drawn to her, but that in itself doesn't make her better for the job, imho.

I also can't help but wonder when one candidate is full of endorsements from local groups composed of long-time residents and the other is full of endorsements from national groups. The vibe I get is that the latter has her eye toward bigger things and this is a mere stepping stone.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

the somervilledog website had q&a for various candidates. while you may not particularly care about dogs (they're not my major political agenda item either) i found the answers enlightening as to the writing and reasoning skills of the candidates. kim foster hirsch lost my vote between #1 and #2.

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

Somerville politics can be roughly divided between traditionals and progressives. The traditionals are almost always life long residence. Their voting block tends to come from people who have known them for years and done favors for each other. Thus the traditional candidates have more endorsements from groups of long time residence.

The progressives tend to be new comers who have been in Somerville 10 years or less (though there are exceptions ie Pat Jehlen). Their voting block comes from people who share their positions on issues and ideology. Thus the progressive candidates have more endorsements from issues group (ie. local chapters of NOW or Sierra Club).

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

thanks! how'd you find this?

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

My lovely roommate told me about it. I think she got the information off the Medford yahoo group.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I had to go look if just to see what in the answers could have swayed you. Uh huh. I also enjoyed the "sooooooooooooo important". :)

And while I don't have a dog, I totally adore them. I stop and pet just about every dog I see. Doggies!

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

the somerville ward/polling place lookup has never worked for me in six months.

Try http://www.wheredoivotema.com./bal/myelectioninfo.php

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Indeed. And, well, poor people voted for Bush, so folks don't always support a candidate that will help them. But still, action is a little more direct in this case, so wouldn't they be more likely to know if they were getting screwed by their neighbor? Who knows.

But even so, I don't actually hear you saying why exactly one candidate is a better choice than another.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Weird. I tested it myself before posting the URL. Are you right on a ward line or something?

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

nope.

11 Jasper St

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

nor did it work when I was at 3 Highland Rd.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Waitaminit!
I thought your photo looked familiar . . .

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

There's a yahoo group? What's the name?

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

At the risk of undercutting some negative campaign messages, the choices in Somerville are generally between the good and the better. While the Somerville traditionals are less progressive, they aren't conservative reactionaries either. I'd vote for almost any traditional Somerville Democrat over almost any national Republican candidate.

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

medfordmass (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medfordmass/), apparently.

Re: Good Site For The Low-Down on Progressive Candidates

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the math point -- I did in fact prefer two over the others for at-large, so that's how I voted today.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

And your, uh, lack of photo does not. Care to introduce yourself? :)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I'm on okc.
email me at this acct name on livejournal dot com