mayorgraham.blogspot.com

Here's where I infuriate the local MSM. This column by WDT Managing Editor Bob Gorman rightly points out the value of local political reporting when an important office like Member of Congress is being filled. In today's Internet world, outside media also plays an extraoridinary role as we noticed in the coverage of the race in NY23.

There was some diligent work done on the Times blog posted by Jude Seymour. He did videos of events and provided links to other entities with interesting coverage. His blog was a good resource for an informed voter, but hardly the only resource. In fact much of Jude's work should have been developed and featured in the print edition

This was an Internet election and the analysis and coverage elsewhere was insightful and informative. There was misinformation as well.
The WDT crows about how they solely fought the battle to force the inclusion of local issues in the race. In fact there is a tone to Bob's tome that suggests a measure of pride in the clear role the Times played in the last minute derailing of Doug Hoffman's candidacy.

In fact Time's coverage of a contentious editorial board meeting with Hoffman did indeed shape national coverage with many national talking heads referencing the incident as evidence of Hoffman's lack of qualifications to be our Congressman. Similar scrutiny of the ultimate winner of the race was not evident, but Mr. Owens did receive a last minute sight-unseen endorsement even though top Times folks say he had blown them off during the camapaign.
The events of the final weekend of the campaign had an almost choreographed nature to them.

Scozzafava's campaign as the local candidate had faltered badly and she was headed for defeat as embargoed numbers from Siena College showed the Friday before. A planned rally for Scozzafava quickly became a withdrawal announcement Saturday morning, thus dominating the Sunday news cycle. Then a non-endorsement by Scozzafava became an endorsement Sunday morning in an editorial backing Bill Owens. A formal endorsement came in the afternoon, just in time for the Monday cycle and an appearance by Vice President Biden. It was a political ballet that led the NY Times to later report that the local newspaper endorsement was not a coincidence, a charge they deny.

In his op/ed today Bob Gorman warns Hoffman that if he runs again, the residency issue awaits him....An issue never seriously raised this year, as from his home in the Village of Lake Placid, he can see the 23rd from his porch.

Those local issues like Drum, winter navigation, zebra mussels,etc may be legitimate, but they should be raised by a candidate and then reported on as news. Days before the election the Times ran a front page piece alleging Hoffman indifference to big labor. Where did that allegation come from ? Not hard to figure out but it is not the job of reporters to brew up the talking points opposing candidates don't want to raise.

I had written frequently in this blog that I thought Scozzafava should play the Drum and geography cards early on...That was not done for whatever reason. It should have been.

Actually, there needed to be far more coverage, print and television, about who these two interlopers were who were trying to take away our Congressional seat. In the end, I didn't see local reporters in Plattsburgh and Lake Placid looking into these fellows. That's the local coverage that was needed, and it was sorely lacking on both sides of the Adirondacks. The one televised debate was covered by the AP.

I know fellows like Jude worked hard on a race that was far-flung with candidates so amorphous it was tough to know what was happening.
Other local sources like Newzjunky.com provided an extensive list of links and original coverage. Other blogs and sources added to the mix.
There was in some ways plenty known about the race, but at the same time little known.

It is frustrating for followers of a race to see one campaign so unable or unwilling to frame the debate as it perhaps should have been. Should it be up to reporters to fill that gap ?

Beats me...I am not a journalist.....Apparently some who are think it is.