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Are we headed for an elusive dream?
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NEW YORK --- Filipino American Greg Racelis, a realtor, a long time Jersey City resident and a familiar face in the community, is seeking once again a Ward B council seat this coming municipal elections in May.
But after garnering petitions for his candidacy and getting himself certified by the City Clerk’s office, he has yet to make a big announcement. Perhaps he thought this wasn’t necessary anymore. But keeping a low profile and relying on word by mouth doesn’t cut it.
For someone who has the political ambition like Racelis, his campaign should be in full gear by now. That is not, however, what people see happening.
Instead, they see his candidacy as nonchalantly placed as if he was waiting for a cue what to do next.
Very few in the Filipino American community are aware of his plan. Perhaps not even his constituents in Ward B – where an estimated 5,000 registered voters that includes about 1,500 Filipino Americans – have heard from him. They are eager to know what he wants to accomplish once elected.
However, his wife, Cita, mentioned when I called that he was out campaigning and has had interviews with news and television reporters the other day. I was glad his wife said what I wanted to hear. That was the first time I heard Racelis campaigning.
Racelis is with the ticket of Melissa Holloway, a mayoral aspirant. Unlike Holloway, however, who has been fighting back to have her name included in the ballot, Racelis doesn’t seem to have the same passion – the fighting spirit – he once had in his early years in politics.
The result of the elections four years ago when three candidates lost was an eye-opener to some people who were unyielding at their position to field as many candidates as they wanted. Because of that distressing experience, a strong clamor for unity became apparent.
They’ve now realized that without unity in our ranks, no one can succeed. Unity meant supporting one viable candidate.
Racelis may have smartly opted to run on his own. But without calling a meeting of the minds of supposedly political figures and community leaders to discuss his plan and their support, he may have alienated some of them. Could this be a lesson in Politics 101?
“When everyone else was crying for unity when there were several candidates, he didn’t care. Now that he is alone, he calls for unity,” remarked a known community leader.
“Greg is just out for the ride. He isn’t really serious at winning; he only wants to be seen and heard in the company of politicians,” said another one.
Unfortunately, bitter memories of the past persist. And without Racelis understanding the dynamics of politics and the determination to work it out with his foes and critics in the community, the success of his candidacy hangs in the balance.
That’s not even considering five other candidates he has to contend with in Ward B: Paul Catsandonis, Michael Galdieri, Ronald Greco Jr., Mary F. Spinello and Ivan Sutherland.
The incumbent, Mary Donnelly, who I think received no less than 1,700 votes the last time, decided not to run for re-election this term. Spinello, who is supporting the incumbent mayor, placed a close second in the polls. Jun Florentino, our candidate then, placed fourth receiving some 900 votes.
Ward B is a mixed neighborhood composed of multi-ethnic origins such as Italians, Irish, Filipinos, Hispanics, Arabs, Koreans, Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis. Unless Racelis has studied the demographics of this neighborhood and aligned himself with other groups, what are his chances?
This is not to say I am counting him out. No, just like Florentino, he still has the chance. As the famous Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.” It’s the will to win that sometimes make people succeed. But in politics, it is about knowing the basics of politics, charisma and passion that make a candidate succeed.
Unity is important and so is having a viable candidate. We cannot run a campaign without having these two elements. I am also not saying that Racelis is not a viable candidate, maybe he is. Nor will unity prevail, maybe it should.
It’s just that once again, the political honchos and the supposedly community leaders -- the movers and shakers in this town -- have failed to prepare a plan. And once more, our dream becomes more elusive.
But what the heck! If we all go out and help Racelis in his campaign, maybe he will overcome the odds. And who knows, our dream may not that be elusive after all.
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com
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