A Liberal Dilemma: NYC's Mayoral Race, Seen From Brownstone Brooklyn

[hrmjustin]

BROOKLYN -- The New York City mayoral race is still missing Park Slope's most famous son: former congressman and salacious tweeter Anthony Weiner. Weiner's spectacular meltdown and resignation from Congress in 2011 left the allegiance of liberal Brooklynites up for grabs. And so on Monday all five of the Democratic candidates for mayor, as well as two of the three Republicans, came out to Congregation Beth Elohim, a large Reform synagogue in the neighborhood, to make their case to the potential voters.

The forum featured each candidate appearing alone and being grilled by moderator and Slope resident Andrea Bernstein of WNYC for about 20 minutes. The elegant domed sanctuary can hold up to 1,200 souls, and was about two-thirds filled with an audience that was exactly what one would expect in a neighborhood famed for its obsession with organic food, canvas tote bags, and gender-neutral baby attire: diverse, but mostly white, and staunchly progressive. They were mostly of the old Slope demographic, both literally and figuratively -- a lot of gray hair and eyeglasses, and no one other than the politicos was wearing a necktie.

Susan Metz, 70, is typical of the area's first wave of gentrifiers. She has lived in neighboring Prospect Heights for 32 years, where she taught high-school English, and she is upset by the influx of richer, newer arrivals displacing her neighbors and causing, "a loss of diversity that I mourn." Asked if she belongs to Garfield Temple (as Beth Elohim is known to most Slopies) or any other congregation, she said, "I'm a member of the Food Co-op."

Metz is leaning toward Sal Albanese, a former city councilman who garnered just 2 percent in the recent Marist poll showing Weiner second in the Democratic field, behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and slightly ahead of Comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill De Blasio and former Comptroller Bill Thompson. Albanese grew up in Park Slope, but he hails from an even earlier wave of immigrants than the hippies who renovated brownstones: He came from Italy as a child. On the City Council, Albanese represented Bay Ridge, a largely Italian and relatively conservative enclave deeper into Brooklyn. Ironically, though, he is arguably the most liberal candidate in the race. Metz said she appreciates that Albanese "has been the most outspoken on community gardens, public schools and participatory democracy."

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/a-liberal-dilemma-nycs-mayoral-race-seen-from-brownstone-brooklyn/275613/

I am from Bay Ridge and it is not heavily Italian. A mix of many things now but it used to be heavily Irish and Scandinavian. It is no where near as republican as it used to be. Yes it is a swing area of Brooklyn but is trending democratic now.

[elleng]

1. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

'Asked if she belongs to Garfield Temple (as Beth Elohim is known to most Slopies) or any other congregation, she said, "I'm a member of the Food Co-op."'

[hrmjustin]

2. I got a kick out of that as well.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. If DeBlasio, Weiner, Thompson etc don't make a CLEAR break w. Bloomberg's ed policy....

.... including *completely* scrapping hi-stakes testing.... I'll probably vote for Quinn or for third party.

To me, ed is the signature issue; if you're not "right" there... you're not right.

And at least Quinn will break the lgbt and female barriers.

[hrmjustin]

4. Quinn comes off as a party boss politician. I agree with her on a lot of issues but I am not a fan.

I am not a fan of any of them but we will just have to see. With the republican frontrunner insulting cops he will have a hard time getting elected.