Post by Dan Cummings - Our democracy-in-action produced two results around Central NY this week, both worthy of brief review, and questioning.  One: the election of Mr. Aubertine to the state senate in the 48-th district.  Two: the rejection by Liverpool School District taxpayers of a capital spending proposition to upgrade schools and a sports stadium. 
 
The votes were fair and square.  But my question is this:  How many voters in both of those decisions REALLY knew who, or what...they were voting for?  Or against ?
 
Mr. Aubertine's image, and that of his opponent, Mr. Barclay, were largely created and sustained through an intensive series of TV and radio ads in the weeks leading up to the special election.  Granted, some of the voters probably made independent choices in this election, based on their own knowledge of and opinion of...the two candidates.  But I would suggest that many voters may have been swayed more by the overall tone of the commercials from both campaigns...a tone which could best be described as negative.    So, were people voting for a person and a record of service....or were they voting for (or against) the image created by those nasty ads?
 
And in Liverpool, how many of THOSE voters knew exactly what is needed to get the middle and elementary schools up to par?  And why they must be renovated? And what it would cost?  Or, did they simply vote their pocketbook?  Protesting, perhaps, the bundling of the stadium work with the school fix-ups into one large referendum.
 
I'm NOT criticizing ANY of the voters in EITHER case.  Just asking. 
 
Any answers?