My calls for Monday night Cobourg council election
Unlike others, I am not making my choices public, but as a dedicated political junkie, it is hard to resist making a call on who will be the winners and losers, at the very least.
While Councillor Lloyd Williams may be the better choice in some people's minds, incumbent mayor Peter Delanty will take this job with a slam dunk. It would be overly optimistic to believe droves of dissatisfied citizens will come out Monday to drive him from office. Instead, they will stay home, feeling left out. Williams is a good person and a solid politician, but he ran a campaign that doesn't work in modern politics. He sounds like a sagely man and has vast knowledge of process and legislation, plus he commands facts on a list of issues that is mind-boggling. He advertised with verbose ads in the newspapers and the radio spots sounded like the obituaries, not a stump speech. Certainly, there are those who like the old style because it is substantive. But, he never nailed Delanty, nor did he capture the imagination of the town with his ability to lead.
Delanty does what he does best: public relations. So, he knocked on every door in town. He had signs up, everywhere. He has snappy ads. And, he looks pretty. He never met a camera he didn't like. And, he takes a great picture. His agenda is overly simple and easy to understand. How it will play out is vague enough that he won't get caught. He is highly organized and gets lots of professional political advice.
Finally, he knows everybody and everybody knows him and his family.
Bridget Campton will hurt Williams. Her campaign was noble and intelligent, but she never stood a chance. God love her for trying. she deserves credit, but local politics is far more sophisticated and hard nose than anybody really want to admit. This campaign reminds us of that fact in spades.
Delanty will win by a landslide.
Deputy mayor is the true contest. Hard to call this one. Manfred Schumann has done a credible job and given the old political machine run by Brocanier a good workout. The mismanagement of the senior's centre this past spring and fall sent Brocanier into a tailspin. It is enough to make him weak. Schumann is a letter writer to the newspapers and appears before council regularly. He is credible and he has worked hard.
This one is too tight to call. Schumann will get an upset, but by a slim margin. Don't be surprised if there is a recount.
Council is wide open. Dean McCaughey is a shoo-in. He shouldn't be due to his gutting of the official plan, the Mr. Sub fiasco and the fact that he has been on council for far too long. There are times when he sounds bored and he acts like it. But, he will win.
Bob Spooner will win. It is not that he deserves to win. But, he will win. 'Nuf said.
Bill MacDonald is vulnerable. Barely won last time. He is likely gone.
Miriam Mutton stands a really good chance. Two big reasons for this are her gender and he ability. Cobourg likes to elect at least one woman to council (this reflects the town, not my own chauvinism). But, she appears before council regularly and is a solid activist in the community. She is intelligent and will get the job done. Her strong character and her determination means she will not be afraid to bloody some noses (and take a blow just as easily).
Stan Frost is another likely councillor. He is well respected and knowledgeable. He was nearly elected last time, so this won't be a big shocker.
It will be a battle for the final spot
Howie McCourt may surprise everyone. He is well-known to many parents and community members. He certainly is qualified, but it would mean McCaughey would need to lose. That is not going to happen. He deserves it, but it will be tight.
Gerry Drage will be fighting for the last spot against McCourt. His hard work and innovative campaign may pay off. The food drive he did in conjunction with the door-knocking demonstrated his creativity. He has something to offer and it may catch the imagination of voters.
Larry Sherwin, Melissa Marshall., Rob Harper and Judi McAllister will be spoilers. They will take votes, but from whom is very difficult to say.
Once we see the results Monday, it may be necessary to go back to drinking tea and forget looking at the leaves.
While Councillor Lloyd Williams may be the better choice in some people's minds, incumbent mayor Peter Delanty will take this job with a slam dunk. It would be overly optimistic to believe droves of dissatisfied citizens will come out Monday to drive him from office. Instead, they will stay home, feeling left out. Williams is a good person and a solid politician, but he ran a campaign that doesn't work in modern politics. He sounds like a sagely man and has vast knowledge of process and legislation, plus he commands facts on a list of issues that is mind-boggling. He advertised with verbose ads in the newspapers and the radio spots sounded like the obituaries, not a stump speech. Certainly, there are those who like the old style because it is substantive. But, he never nailed Delanty, nor did he capture the imagination of the town with his ability to lead.
Delanty does what he does best: public relations. So, he knocked on every door in town. He had signs up, everywhere. He has snappy ads. And, he looks pretty. He never met a camera he didn't like. And, he takes a great picture. His agenda is overly simple and easy to understand. How it will play out is vague enough that he won't get caught. He is highly organized and gets lots of professional political advice.
Finally, he knows everybody and everybody knows him and his family.
Bridget Campton will hurt Williams. Her campaign was noble and intelligent, but she never stood a chance. God love her for trying. she deserves credit, but local politics is far more sophisticated and hard nose than anybody really want to admit. This campaign reminds us of that fact in spades.
Delanty will win by a landslide.
Deputy mayor is the true contest. Hard to call this one. Manfred Schumann has done a credible job and given the old political machine run by Brocanier a good workout. The mismanagement of the senior's centre this past spring and fall sent Brocanier into a tailspin. It is enough to make him weak. Schumann is a letter writer to the newspapers and appears before council regularly. He is credible and he has worked hard.
This one is too tight to call. Schumann will get an upset, but by a slim margin. Don't be surprised if there is a recount.
Council is wide open. Dean McCaughey is a shoo-in. He shouldn't be due to his gutting of the official plan, the Mr. Sub fiasco and the fact that he has been on council for far too long. There are times when he sounds bored and he acts like it. But, he will win.
Bob Spooner will win. It is not that he deserves to win. But, he will win. 'Nuf said.
Bill MacDonald is vulnerable. Barely won last time. He is likely gone.
Miriam Mutton stands a really good chance. Two big reasons for this are her gender and he ability. Cobourg likes to elect at least one woman to council (this reflects the town, not my own chauvinism). But, she appears before council regularly and is a solid activist in the community. She is intelligent and will get the job done. Her strong character and her determination means she will not be afraid to bloody some noses (and take a blow just as easily).
Stan Frost is another likely councillor. He is well respected and knowledgeable. He was nearly elected last time, so this won't be a big shocker.
It will be a battle for the final spot
Howie McCourt may surprise everyone. He is well-known to many parents and community members. He certainly is qualified, but it would mean McCaughey would need to lose. That is not going to happen. He deserves it, but it will be tight.
Gerry Drage will be fighting for the last spot against McCourt. His hard work and innovative campaign may pay off. The food drive he did in conjunction with the door-knocking demonstrated his creativity. He has something to offer and it may catch the imagination of voters.
Larry Sherwin, Melissa Marshall., Rob Harper and Judi McAllister will be spoilers. They will take votes, but from whom is very difficult to say.
Once we see the results Monday, it may be necessary to go back to drinking tea and forget looking at the leaves.
posted by Robert Washburn at
4:08 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home