Samadee kept forgetting it was Election Day. He woke past 6 a.m., the time it took for him to be first in line at his polling place, until the new wave hopefuls lined up the stairs and down the hall to pull the lever for Obama. With the television tuned to feed his addiction to Law and Order, he snoozed through two imaginary investigations, amazed that there were still episodes he had not yet seen. In the locker room at the Y the Fish Man asked him if the city and county offices were closed.
“Why would they be,” Samadee wondered aloud.
“It’s Election Day,” the Fish Man replied.
“They shouldn’t,” Samadee reflected, an impolitic thought, since the closings freed workers to phone bank, door knock, help get out the vote for the administrations to which they were beholden. This year, however, there apparently wasn’t much effort.
“Lunch,” Samadee remembered, soaking in the Jacuzzi. The annual Election Day lunch at Our Lady of Pompei, at which, mythology held, candidates who spilled spaghetti sauce on their ties would be guaranteed success at the polls. The mythology, however, offered no clarity for opposing candidates both sporting stains, nor was there post-feminist proviso for those whose style of dress eschewed ties.
“I’m looking for Khalid and Howie,” a journalist called to Samadee, “the two who wouldn’t be here.” Hawkins and Bey, the 4th Common Council District candidates running the most intriguing race on the ballot, had no need of schmoozing the assembled pols and their posses, most of them had already voted. And Howie wouldn’t have worn a tie. Bey did show, but with a perfunctory breeze-through, evident his distain for traditional campaign posturings.
Wearing burnt orange to avoid identification with reds, blues or greens, Samadee was told by Bernie Mahoney, former Common Councilor, State Assemblyperson, unsuccessful mayoral candidate and father of County Executive Joanie, that he looked like either a rabid Syracuse University fan or a left-over from Halloween. It was probably the most contentious remark of the event, traditionally characterized by such a home-free-all atmosphere that even the most intense political rivals bend over backwards to be friendly and talk about the weather, the food, but not the voter turnout, especially this year’s record lowest 26 percent of those eligible.
Former Common Councilor, State Assemblyperson and unsuccessful mayoral candidate Joe Nicoletti stood on the serving line, dishing out big smiles with the spaghetti and meatballs, leaving Samadee to wonder if the appearance heralded another comeback campaign for the Democrat turned Republican turned back Democrat. If he stayed Democrat and snagged a nomination next time around, Nicoletti might be on to something, since Democrats swept everything in the city except the front doorway of the former Bell Telephone building, just as Republicans might as well have in the county—nailing (with some absentee ballot possible switches) 13 of the County Legislature’s reduced 17 districts.
This does not mean, however, bulldozer politics for the two major parties on their respective turfs. Common Councilors have been woofing at Democrat Mayor Stephanie Miner lately, as County Legislators have been airing differences with Republican Mahoney. Ironically, the two leading ladies get along just fine.
Three-time New York Press Association Writer of the Year, Walt Shepperd is a weekly columnist with The Eagle.
