Friday, November 8, 2013

Choices And Consequences


My friend Ned Berke at Sheepshead Bites recently published some bitter comments from David Storobin after his latest election defeat.  I encourage everyone to go to click the link to Sheepshead Bites to read it. 

Instead of typing out a diatribe in the comments of Ned's website and burden readers uninterested with internal Republican matters, I thought I would respond in kind right here.  
For those of you who have been around for a few years, you know that Russ and I were big fans of David Storobin.  He was a regular voice on the radio show in its formative years, and after most shows we would all go out for a drink or three to talk about our political aspirations at the Bean Post.  

Want the proof? check it out:













I was one of the main backers / organizers of the "Draft Storobin For Senate" movement that resulted in his campaign (I remember hatching out the plan for that with David and our friends at Cardinal Stritch K of C in Gravesend one night after losing a Texas Hold 'Em Tourney to Gallo!),  Russ was proud of the work he did to deliver the 47th AD - a swing district in that race - for David, and I was equally proud to be part of the legal team that represented David in Court in the SD27 Recount litigation that resulted in him winning that race. 

I still am proud of what we accomplished.  And I was proud of David.

But, since David Storobin became "Senator Storobin", David and I have rarely spoke.  And his recent comments are an example why (emphasis added):
And now things will go back to normal. I will go back to being a lawyer. Brooklyn Democrats won’t have to worry about getting re-elected. Brooklyn Republicans will go back to being a small debating society. Everything makes sense to everyone again.
Bitterness notwithstanding, contrary to David's opinion, he is not the end all and be all of Brooklyn Republican politics. In fact, it's the other way around - David is a product of Brooklyn Republican politics.  

Last I checked, David Storobin came off the Brooklyn Republican Party bench after Chairman Eaton went to bat for him with the Senate Republican leadership and then designated him as our candidate.  He was also the beneficiary of the hard work done by the Brooklyn Republican Party in the NY-9 Special Election when Congressman Turner shocked the nation.  If the party didn't deliver for Congressman Turner in Brooklyn, you would have never heard of Senator David Storobin.  

Somewhere along the way in the transformation from David Storobin to "Senator Storobin", David seemingly forgot that.  Then, Brooklyn Republicans were important to David Storobin.  But now that he is apparently leaving active politics, Brooklyn Republicans aren't important to Senator Storobin.

Maybe the wrong people got in his ear, I don't know.  But for whatever reason, David not only forgot where he came from, he turned his back on the people who were there for him from the start.  

David forgot that his win was a team win.  His campaign team, his county team - everyone had a hand in David Storobin becoming "Senator Storobin".  And since that win, his campaign team and his county team have fallen off as a result of the choices "Senator Storobin" made.  Those choices have consequences.  

The circumstances surrounding this latest disappointing election result is one of those consequences.   

12 comments:

  1. Still wondering, what are the "Choices" you talk about? That he didn't give you job?

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    1. Yeah. That's what I am sure Gene meant. He was hoping to land a 2-week job.

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    2. Your avoiding the question, what are the "Choices" gene talks about? Do you know? Put up or Shut up!

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    3. Good luck getting me or Gene to shut up. Bring it! #LOL

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    4. LOL, we're not exactly the strong silent types...

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    5. Well gene, i'm glad you explained yourself.

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    6. Well I am glad that you are glad, and I sure that Russell is glad that I am glad that you are glad, as well as being glad that you are glad as well. :-)

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  2. It most assuredly wasn't about a job for me. The choices i refer to regard how people - friends, colleagues and volunteers - were disregarded, abused and mistreated.

    I'm talking about how after the Republican party worked its ass off to get David the nomination in the SD27 special election, most of those same people felt on the outside looking in - but who were then there when the chips were down to help bring in the win only to be shut out again later in the year.

    I'm talking about how the campaign team that started out as friends who were motivated to help David that were burned by David in favor of consultants who were only in it for the money. You remember, the group of "bosses" who felt they needed to fire people to throw their weight around, or who advised David that posing in a military uniform with loafers on on top of a tank was a good idea.

    I'm talking about how David was all about the Republican Party pre-SD27, then dropped us like a hot potato in favor of the Conservative Party, who then screwed him royally in 2012. And after they screwed him, he scampered back to them like a scolded puppy for 2013.

    I'm talking about the strategy choices in choosing races, choosing associates and, in a lot of cases, the double-talk to different candidates and different ethnicities that turned a lot of people off.

    Just to name a few.

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  3. Perfect analysis. It really all does come down to how you treat people in politics.

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