Russell Moore: Elorza, Smiley Cut an Insider’s Deal
Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Russell Moore: Elorza, Smiley Cut an Insider’s Deal
Brett Smiley and Jorge Elorza, the two Providence Mayoral candidates who have been disingenuously railing against “insider” and “old” politics, got together late last week and cut an insider's deal that would make Boss Tweed blush.
Thus, all that large talk about moving Providence “forward”, whatever that means, was just as meaningless as an NFL preseason game. That’s not surprising to the people who follow Rhode Island politics closely.
It’s become clear as a beautiful azure sky during a Rhode Island summer afternoon that the politicians and their operatives we've got running around calling themselves “progressives” in this state value concrete power above all else, not some abstract ideals like fairness and justice that we hear them drone on about.
Progressive for power
Over course of the last six months, former Providence Mayoral Candidate Brett Smiley has touted himself as the “most progressive” candidate in the race and fashioned himself as the best equipped to beat back former Providence Mayor Vincent Buddy Cianci in this year’s election.
With Smiley’s campaign unable to gain any traction outside of the city’s East Side latte drinking, Prius driving, tweed jacket wearing liberals, he saw himself in a position where his power in the capital city stood to significantly decrease. So Smiley did what old school politicians do—he cut himself the best deal possible.
The two men are selling their deal as some noble move to try and stop Michael Solomon, the perceived front-runner in the Democratic Primary, and Cianci from taking back the city's top job. But the truth is that Smiley and Elorza want their friends, not Cianci or Solomon's, working in the city's well-compensated and cushy jobs.
Speaking of which, it remains to be seen just what powerful position Smiley will be handed assuming Elorza pulls off an improbably victory, but rest assured, folks like these never do anything for free. Who could forget that the Providence taxpayers were forced to pay him $3,000 a month to lobby state legislators--some of which claimed to have not known who he was before he began running for mayor? Only in Providence could we have a candidate criticizing others for being insiders when he was paid city tax dollars to lobby the General Assembly under the last two mayoral administrations.
Where'd our money go?
With respect to money, one cannot help but wonder how Smiley's generous campaign donors feel now that he's thrown up the white flag. It begs the question as to whether or not Smiley's whole campaign was one big effort to leverage himself into a stronger position to make a lucrative deal later on.
There was one prominent Smiley supporter, who, according to reports, wasn't happy. Representative Ray Hull, who recently became one of Smiley's campaign co-chairman, told reporters he feels “betrayed” by Smiley’s decision. Hull’s feelings are certainly justified. Here’s hoping the Hull learns his lesson and chooses his friends more wisely in the future.
But Smiley isn't the only candidate whose credibility has gone bankrupt. Elorza, for his part, has done his reputation no favors by cutting a deal with an undisclosed benefit to Smiley. (Elorza was evasive, according to reports, when asked what position Smiley would be offered in a potential future Elorza administration.) Were he being honest, the answer would've been "anything he wants".
It's not easy to make the case that you're running against the old politics of the past, when your whole campaign is fueled by a deal cut with one of your main rivals.
The big?
But Smiley and Elorza shouldn't be surprised if they're rebuked by voters on September 9th. Solomon easily has more experience, both as an elected official and in management--not to mention more name recognition. And now Smiley and Elorza cannot even paint him as an old school politician any more since they've cut a backroom deal. That's ironic indeed!
Questions Buddy Cianci Must Answer to be Providence's Next Mayor
Staff recruitment?
When GoLocal first started looking into the possibility of Buddy entering the race, we asked of his former staff, "Where are they now?"
Buddy's been out of office for 12 years. Anyone of voting age then is now over 30. And anyone who was a Buddy disciple had to move on, forge a new career path, or retire. Much like the voting block -- who is Buddy's new base of support from a staff perspective? Can he snag young social media savvy professionals -- what do they know of Buddy's legacy? Can he lure folks away from secure positions for a high degree of uncertainty?
Buddy's got the headquarters, and is undoubtedly putting a team in place, but seems to be keeping a low-profile as the primary campaigns heat up. Watch to see if he can pull any defectors from the losing Democratic campaigns who see Buddy as the more viable way into City Hall than their former opponent who just beat them.
Age and Illness?
It's no secret that Cianci is 73, and has been battling cancer. Listen to him on the radio, you might think you're hearing man twenty years younger. See him in person, however, and you see a man who has been through...a lot. Noticeably slimmer and more subdued, Cianci cuts a contrasting figure to his younger days.
Don't count out the razor-sharp Cianci to use this to his advantage -- that this is the kinder, gentler, grandfatherly Buddy who plans on swooping back in to show the younger generation how to be Mayor, with his experience.
The question will be if he truly has the health and stamina for the grueling sprint to the finish between the primaries and Election Day in November -- and whether hi opponents will bring that up in private circles, or outright in public.
Laugh Test?
The felonies. The toupee. The fireplace log, lit cigarette, and ashtray. They're all products of Buddy's past, and more often than not, a punchline of a joke.
No doubt Buddy's got the ability to laugh at himself -- and quickly dismiss critics pointing to his criminal record -- but do Providence voters want the glad-handing Mayor with his larger-than-life baggage as Providence looks to emerge from the the recent recession and precarious financial standing?
Voters have seen the self-depricating side of Brett Smiley in his man-with-a-plan ad, but don't expect Buddy to play up his follies to the same extent. He'll cut to the chase and speak to his track record and what he did while in office -- and what he plans to do if elected again. So who will be laughing come November? Stay tuned.
Graphic: nobuddypvd.com
Providence as U.S. Joke?
As far as self-image goes, the Economist's recent Buddy piece, "Freshening the Armpit of New England," didn't do much for the national perception of Providence. "Can America's Ex-Con Mayor Win Again?" quipped the Daily Beast. And how can one forget the Business Insider dubbing Cianci the "Poster Boy of Political Scandals."
While Rhode Island as a whole tries to shake the constant bottom-of-the-U.S. rankings for business and the economy, Providence has worked hard to shed the underachieving image, and was most recently awarded citation from the National Conference of Mayors for being an exemplary mid-sized city. Buddy is running on the platform that he turned Providence around before, and he can to it again. The questions is, will voters give him the chance?
Graphic: nobuddypvd.com
Can he win?
Perhaps the biggest question now is whether Buddy can win. When he entered the race as an Independent -- and former Democrat Lorne Adrain made the switch to join him in the unaffiliated ranks -- the prospect of a four-way finale seemed to be in Buddy's favor, having to capture a seemingly do-able share of the vote.
Now with Adrain out, and whispers that Republican Dan Harrop might not stay in the race until election day, the prospect of a three-way battle and possibly a two-one -- could be keeping the former Mayor up at night...or he could be too busy raising money to meet the winner of the Democratic primary an his general elections challengers starting September 10. Either way, Buddy's chances of getting back in the race have slimmed, but he can never be counted out.
