How close is next week’s mayoral election in Red Bank looking?
Well, there are no polls that we know of. So redbankgreen devised its own measure.
We call it the Electometer, a count of yard signs touting the candidates: Council President Pasquale Menna, a Democrat; his opponent, Republican Councilman John Curley; and their respective slates.
It’s far from scientific, we know. You can discount or dismiss the results for numerous reasons. But it’s all we’ve got.
So, how’s the race shaping up as we enter the final week? Well, it’s close. Extremely close. But according to the Electometer, if voters from Mechanic Street turn out and pull levers the way they’ve declared themselves in their front yards, the slate that’ll be popping champagne corks next Tuesday night is the one headed by…
… the bald bachelor.
No, not that one. The other one.
Curley.
Our sampling of residential neighborhoods, aided by some helpful redbankgreen readers, on both the east and west sides of town counted 42 households for Curley’s team and 40 for Menna’s.
Keep in mind that we counted properties, not signs. So Menna’s own house on River Road scored one for his column, even though he’s got at least four signs posted on his front and side yards.
If the signage is a sign of what’s to come, it’ll be a close finish. Block by block, street by street, where there were signs, there was also balance. For the most part, the two slates seem equally popular.
For example, along River Road/East Front Street, from the Fair Haven border to Washington Street, we counted 24 signs: 11 for Menna, 11 for Curley, and one yard (across the street from Menna’s place) that featured a sign for each. Dead even.
Same with Madison Avenue: a 3-3 tie. Same on Leighton, from Catherine Street north to Locust Avenue: a 2-2 deadlock.
In a few places, one candidate might have a one- or two-sign advantage that was nullified by the signage on a nearby block. One exception: Alston Court, where reader Boris Kofman reports Menna leading, 5-1. Another was Spring Street, which was favoring Curley, 7-4.
The only true anomaly, though, was Mechanic Street. We walked the length of Mechanic from Broad Street to Harrison Avenue late Sunday afternoon and found a Curley rout underway, with seven signs for the Republicans and none for the Menna team.
If seven signs doesn’t sound all that impressive for a street with several dozen homes, we agree. But in relative terms, seven signs is a lot this season.
Consider that we counted just two along the entire length of Pinckney Road one day last week. On Sunday, we found a single sign for each of the candidates along the length of West Westside Avenue. It was pretty much the same story everywhere.
This paucity of signs may be a story in itself. It seems that homeowners just aren’t declaring themselves this year. What are we to make of this? That voters are undecided? Apathetic? Perhaps just keeping it to themselves?
Yesterday’s New York Times had an interesting piece on how the red-state, blue state stalemate across the nation has led some people to simply stop talking politics, because doing so changes no one’s mind and leads to enmity between friends and relatives.
The story quotes P. M. Forni, the director of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University:
“In previous elections, there was more openness,” he said. But now, he said, “The intensity of the feelings of displeasure with one or the other end of the political spectrum is such that many people realize there is real danger in disclosure and discussion…”
“An election season can turn into an equivalent of the office party: you will say and do things that you regret the day after,” Dr. Forni said. “And there are those who, being aware of that, simply have decided not to speak about these issues, or to do that with a very, very small circle of trusted friends, very often of the same political persuasion, in order to enforce their values, to validate their choices, because they have given up the hope that anything good will come through political confrontation.”
What do you think? Does the number of signs out this year reflect the kind of conflict-avoidance that the professor is talking about?
Oh, and which follicly challenged candidate is going to win this one?
Comments, please.
The thing I found interesting about the lawn signs was that so many of the Menna signs I saw were on abandoned gas stations and dilapidated, unoccupied housing. If you look near the intersection of Harding and Branch, I think you'll see what I'm talking about. So what does that mean? I don't know, but it could either mean that the Menna campaign is renting space for its signs, or that they really are supported by landlords who let their houses go to pot and property owners who let eyesores remain. In either case, it doesn't make me want to vote for their people.
There's a story floating out there that some of Curley's signs were being removed by a high ranking individual in the McKenna administration. Evidently, they were spotted by a Red Bank police officer doing this at nightime, riding in a municipal vehicle.
If this story were to be true, it would not suprise me at all. It happens many times in very heated local elections. A bigger concern for all should be the potential voter fraud involving absentee ballots.
I am amazed at the number of Menna signs on Little Silver properties. They must like it that Red Bank has had a 60% increase in HS taxes in the last 5 years.
My husband and I are also amused at how many Democrat signs are in front of empty and "for sale" properties. We get the biggest kick out of the ones in front of the overcrowded rentals though. They can find them just fine when they need somewhere to put their signs, but should Menna & Co. get elected, I wonder if they'll go back to turning a blind eye to them despite their strong "code enforcement" platform.
The only sign on our block is a Menna sign. But it sits on the lawn of an abandoned house, a property increasingly used by vagrants and where last week we saw a pretty obvious drug deal going down. As an undecided voter, this sign adds to my befuddlement. Could there a groundswell of support for Menna among local junkies? Did Curley's campaign put the sign there to create negative associations in my brain? Hmmm.
Where can I get a Curley sign????
I can't tell you how frustrated we are with the current administration of this town. As a performer in First Night for many years in Red Bank, we've now found that Menna and his cronies have somehow managed to cancel the event - it seems they wouldn't let the folks from First Night even present to Town Council last week. This town is a disgrace…
We got our Curley sign from Grace Cangemi.
She was going door to door last weekend.
The menna signs had to be purchased twice.The first set was unreadable and approved.Sofar thats 2 misakes for the Democrats.
Take a look in Navesink Pointe. Curley signs far outnumber Menna signs. From knowing several folks in that community, I would conclude that retirees are favoring Curley…taxes? How's that for a scientific poll and conclusion based on little to no facts?
Hey, Mr. Menna; some food for thought:
Do you realize a sign alone will not influence a voting decision?
A sign in a neighbor's lawn influences a decision — if the NEIGHBOR IS RESPECTABLE.
Now, if I were running for a political office; I'd want my signs to be placed in locations reflecting good taste and upstanding citizenry. Hmm.
Anyone notice that 2 houses on Spring Street (near Branch Avenue intersection) each have 2 Menna signs posted? Odd…because these houses are in Little Silver! Will they be surprised when they show up at the LS Women's Club to vote!
What does Curley stand for?? What is he, a this or a that? He doesn't stand for anything - he's just a person - we need more. Did you see the resumes posted in the Two River Times? Curley means well, but he can't compete on experience or education.
The Menna-Curley "resume ad" in the Two River Times was just that - an ad - a political ad paid for by a Menna supporter. Since when is it legitimate to publicize another person's resume without permission? And an incorrect resume at that! Just one more piece of evidence that the truth and the facts have little meaning for some people in this campaign!
I find it hard to believe that the Democrats would create a false resume of John Curley. It is alot more likely that John Curley was incorrect when he stated that he never gave Ed McKenna a resume, which is probably why he did not return the calls of the Two Rivers Times when confronted.
I think the ad is fair game. Why shouldn't you consider someone's professional experience when deciding who to vote for, unless their is something to hide.
I got my "Curley" sign by calling his number 732-842-8483. I got his voicemail and requested that a sign be put on my lawn. It was on my lawn within a few hours. It's that simple!
signs mean nothing. Menna has them on all the empty homes and overcrowded homes on the west side. one has to wonder if the enforcemnt agencys gave him the list of the 'full' homes, he knows thay wont argue with him.