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The 2009 Mayoral Campaign: Not a Race, but a Game
By Julie Sobel
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Next year New York will hold its quadrennial mayoral election. Mayor Bloomberg will seek to extend his reign to twelve years, a feat accomplished by only three of his predecessors in the city's history; and one that already has required him to change the rules of the game. With a number of potential opponents waiting in the wings, a city in crisis, and a political season already off to a colorful start, the 2009 mayoral election promises to provide a rich source of material to explore. I am interested in stories of the election both visible and invisible – the campaign that we see (the race) and the campaign that we don't (the game).
My lens is strategy – a political campaign is more than just slogans and television advertisements. It is a battlefield, complete with generals, foot soldiers, and civilians. I'm interested in how the battle is fought – and who is affected by it.
I'm interested primarily in motives and tactics. Who are the players? (Not just the candidates and their staffs, but the other politicians, the fundraisers, and the interest groups.) What is the field of battle? How do people get what they want? I want to explore the strategies people employ and the challenges they face – the positioning and deals, allies and enemies, agendas and reputations.
I'm also interested in exploring how the election affects other New Yorkers; how it comes rolling into their lives and has an impact on them whether they like it or not. The cops who have to police the rallies and parades, the ordinary citizens who get pulled into the election, and the logistics of the election itself.
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