The campaign for governor in New York is heating up. The State Democratic Party is running attack ads against the Republican candidate for governor, while the GOP candidate is fighting back in a web video.
Just two weeks before the party conventions, Democrats are airing negative attack ads targeting incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Republican opponent, Rob Astorino.
“Rob Astorino, so far right he’s wrong for New York,” a narrator intones, over a background of ominous music.
The ads capitalize on a dispute that Astorino, the Westchester County Executive, is having with the federal government over a plan to build fair housing in the county. The lawsuit requires the county to analyze its zoning laws to find potentially discriminatory practices, and build affordable housing units in some of the county’s predominately white towns. But Astorino contends the county zoning is not discriminatory, and has so far refused to authorize the housing projects. As a result HUD is withholding over $5 million dollars in funds. Democrats have seized on the issue.
The ads say, in part, accuse Astorino of “civil rights violations”, and say he’s been “threatened by the Department of Justice with contempt”, for his refusal to stop “discrimination.”
The Reverend Al Sharpton visited a Westchester church to condemn Astorino, and has threatened to protests at future campaign events.
Larry Levy, with the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, says the ads are an example of a classic campaign tactic against a relatively unknown opponent.
“To get out there with as much negative stuff as you can, to define him before he gets a chance to define himself or define you,” said Levy, who said the governor wants the first time most people hear about the Republican candidate to be in a “Cuomo ad”.
Astorino is fighting back with a web video, where he accuses the Democrats, and their leader Governor Cuomo, of playing the race card.
“How dare you throw out the race card when you know it doesn’t apply?” Astorino asks in the video. “Have you no shame?”
Astorino, contends that his zoning laws are not discriminatory and calls HUD’s actions “arbitrary federal interference” and says the projects would result in “insane” hikes in property taxes. And he points out that Cuomo himself lives in one the neighbor hoods, in Mount Kisco, that the federal government contends is in violation of the desegregation order.
“If you really think it discriminates, why did you move there?” Astorino said. “Why do you live there now?”
Cuomo has not offered any comments on the dispute, which has led Astorino to accuse the governor of hiding behind surrogates.
Cuomo, with his $33 million dollar war chest, has the advantage and the bigger megaphone. Astorino’s web video had just over 8100 hits in the first three days. But Levy, with Hofstra, says that’s far less than the impact of television ads airing in the New York City market which could potentially reach millions.
“Astorino is fighting like David with rocks against Goliath with spears and chariots,” Levy said.
He says if Astorino manages to raise substantial amounts of money from New Yorkers or attracts the interest of national Super PAC, he could counter the attacks. But he says the preemptive advertisements that portray Astorino in a negative light may make it even harder for the GOP candidate to raise that money.
NY's race for governor heats up
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