Dobie: The election season is over. Finally.
Residents cast their ballots to vote in the 2012 General Election at Yorkville Community School in Manhattan. (Nov. 6, 2012) Credit: AP
You all win. I’m worn out. I love the electoral process and everything that goes with, but I’m happy you’re about to go away.
I live in West Babylon and over the last month my house has been bombarded by all manner of mailings, robocalls and personal visits, all in regard to the battle between Democrat Tom Dolan and Republican Kevin McCaffrey for the 14th District seat in the Suffolk County Legislature. The seat was left vacant by Wayne Horsley, who is moving on to the state parks department. Thanks, Wayne.
We’ve gotten positive fliers and negative fliers — sometimes two a day. We got a letter from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on behalf of Dolan. We’ve gotten at least four anonymous robocalls from people who give only their first names — “Hi, this is John” — and three robocalls (by my count) from County Executive Steve Bellone. The calls are all pro-Dolan, anti-McCaffrey. This, after all, is Bellone’s turf and he needs the seat badly to hold on to the Democrats’ supermajority in the legislature.
We’ve had at least five visits by Dolan operatives — two on one day — based on the literature left hanging on our mailbox. Lucky break — we weren’t home.
We even got a robocall on behalf of Tom Suozzi, the Democratic contender for Nassau County executive. Yes, that’s right, I live in Suffolk.
This morning I went out to vote. Psychologically, it felt like election season was over. Then the phone rang early this afternoon. It was another robocall — from Assemb. Phil Ramos, asking us to vote for Monica Martinez for the Suffolk legislature’s 9th District seat in Brentwood and Central Islip. That’s a full three districts away.
Double uncle.
