“Every self-centered royal figure in history has depended on the serfs”
An OPINION by Steve Sprague, Bath NY
Hornell and a handful of our neighboring communities staged No Kings rallies this weekend. Millions of Americans followed suit. But from now until the fall, the focus needs to be on the class below the would-be monarch.
Every self-centered royal figure in history has depended on the serfs to follow orders. Today’s occupant of the White House depends on his minions in Congress to enforce his whims and ignore his failings. We’re stuck with the “pretending king” for another two-plus years. But the serfs are removable.
Our Constitution awards a four-year term for the pretend dictator but those who refuse to police his failed allegiance to that document get only two-year terms of office. Every one of the Republican enablers in the House of Representatives must face re-election this fall except for the many who have chosen to escape the required servitude by retiring.
On Saturday, an estimated 200 sturdy souls braved the mid-20’s temperatures and chilly wind for the rally in Hornell’s Union Square Park. What made this rally different was the presence of two others; neither a resident of Hornell or even Steuben County. Both came to share their hopes of replacing the incumbent congressional representative in this 23rd District of New York.
The first was Aaron Gies, a professional with St. Bonaventure University who has garnered endorsement as the 23rd District’s universally-endorsed Democratic challenger to the incumbent.
The second was Jim King, a retired IBM engineer from Owego who has mounted a campaign as a “moderate Republican” in an attempt to challenge the incumbent in a Republican primary race for the seat.
Over the recent weeks, Gies and King have attended more than a half-dozen non-partisan town hall sessions together, proving that partisan politics needn’t be hateful or combative. Instead emphasizing their shared belief that the 23rd District voice doesn’t speak for this district but simply nods in agreement or even applauds for the White House.
Both refer to incumbent as a faithful “enabler” who refuses to use his Constitutional power to stop or even question this administration’s most hurtful and destructive actions. The incumbent has been invited to every non-partisan town hall but has attended none. Nor in this term has he held any in-person town hall in the district.
Prior to his election to Congress in 2022, the incumbent served as chairman of the New York State Republican Party. King, never before active as an office-seeker, has faced overwhelming GOP opposition while seeking signatures for the petition that would place him on a primary ballot against the incumbent. As of April 2nd, King has failed to gather enough signatures and has now declared himself to be a write-in primary candidate. “Voters still have a chance and a choice,” he said.
Gies faces the challenge of a district that is two-thirds Republican registration but buoyed by a heavy number of Democratic and independent voters in counties closer to the Buffalo metropolitan area. In the last half-century, only two Democrats have won the Southern Tier’s congressional seat.
In 2008, Eric Massa was elected but served less than a full term in the face of medical problems and sexual harassment charges, darkening his term. Former Jamestown Mayor Stan Lundine was chosen in a special election early in 1976 and served until 1994 when he became Lieutenant Governor of New York.
Many attributed Lundine’s success to the continuing wake of public opinion after the Watergate scandal. Ironically, Republican President Richard Nixon (“people need to know if their president is a crook”) resigned from office when his Republican supporters in Congress refused to be “serfs” and joined with Democrats to discredit him.
That kind of courageous loyalty to the best for the Nation instead of party has vanished over these years. But if growing signs of disappointment and downright anger over the actions and broken promises from Washington are valid indicators, Gies may pull an upset.
Grumble about the “king” who shouldn’t be, but for now, focus on overturning the majority numbers of timid legislators vying for favor with “his highness.” Your vote can retire them early.
