Yale Daily News

well said ydn

what a narrow-minded endorsement with such a limited view of the position

I am glad the YDN wrote a much more professional article this time around. The YCC endorsements were incredibly pretentious and flat out mean.

I am also glad they pointed out that Katie's endorsement by those two aldermen is a bad sign if she gets elected. Those are the two least effective, and most unpopular aldermen on the board.

But I have to disagree with their endorsement. I believe Minh Tran is the best candidate. I will admit I am a supporter, but I just don't get how you can be an alderman of city and be so young. Mike is the one candidate out of the three who has not really spent any time at all in New Haven. The board doesn't really deal with issues with Yale--New Haven doesn't have a 15 billion dollar endowment.

wow so if you want to vote for someone who acts on what she believes, stands up for values, for issues, and for the entire city; you should vote for harrison. but if you want to vote for the guy with the smile and "practical" plans for ward 1 (i.e. what pork can he bring back for yale students, who really need so much from new haven at this point - even though said pork is not actually practical or necessary given the current budget crisis); you should vote for mike?

Definitely not well said. On the one hand the YDN decides here to promote Jones' narrow and "realistic" goals but then trusts that he will look beyond crosswalks and internships. How? The YDN also says that such goals as creating crosswalks and widening streets are realistic goals but goes on to say it will be challenging and may not happen in one term...If it probably will not happen then how is it realistic?

The YDN also makes the assumption that Harrison will somehow automatically have enemies due to her endorsements. While I know politics can be ridiculous at times it would be a bit too childish for city hall to treat her as an enemy from day 1 because of these endorsements. The YDN also seems to be endorsing the process of thinking small. I don't think any of us got to Yale by limiting our thoughts and ideas and our goals. However, now we expect a candidate to limit their goals to what seems to be realistic? I agree you need a balance in your policy but I am not too sure I am comfortable with a candidate that is playing it so safe he doesn't even want to develop policies that on their face seem less realistic than others. I support Katie Harrison because she is not looking to limit herself. And who knows maybe her endorsements by the "opposition" (whatever that means) and her experience as an organizer will allow her to bring factions together on at least some issues.

This news' view piece really disappoints not because of its endorsement but because of its reasons.

As expected, the staffs of the other two campaigns flock to the comment board to express their displeasure at having not received the endorsement.

I agree with many of the points above. It sounds like the YDN is endorsing mediocrity in this job with its choice of Mike. He has asserted multiple times that he is only going to do this for one term, but the YDN itself says in this article that the goal of creating crosswalks and widening streets is probably not going to happen in one term.

So not only are his proposals small and mediocre, but they probably won't even happen?

Plus the experience he has engaging with New Haven in substantive, meaningful ways, couldn't even fill Katie's (or Minh's) little finger.

YDN- what?

@#5

Yes, we do (or at least, we should) expect candidates to limit their goals to realistic achievements. We should absolutely not discourage setting the bar high, but goals have to be firmly grounded in reality to be useful--a point Katie's campaign seems to overlook. What good is advocating "economic development" if you have no practical ways of implementing it? The success of Mike's proposals is by no means assured, but his ideas are concrete and pragmatic.

As to your thinking that it would be "too childish" for Mayor DeStefano to treat her as an enemy, I tend to agree with you. However, for better or worse, that is the way City Hall has operated in the past, and there is no reason to suspect it would be any different now. For aldermen to be effective, they must play the mayor's game--otherwise, they risk being sidelined.

Both of these issues represent the main reason why I couldn't vote for Katie--general naivete on her campaign's behalf. Though Mike's campaign is hardly perfect, his goals are the most realistically achievable, and therefore the most likely to benefit both Yale and New Haven.

Katie's camp is out of control. Can you all go campaign for your candidate and stop posting negative comments.

Finally, a well thought article from the YDN. After the YCC endorsements, I was scared. Mike is the only practical candidate. I saw this a while ago and its about time the rest of New Haven see it too. Well done YDN. You highlighted all of their weaknesses and strengths. Kudos.

how exactly will the new crosswalks happen? drivers are suicidal here and the city doesnt stop anyone for running lights or speeding thru campus.

But as a voter, what I want is my alderman fighting for those that get run over by DeStefano's machine.

Look, let's be real: I don't need services from New Haven. Yale is loaded can provide for itself. Katie will be a good vote for the more progressive elements in New Haven.

So the YDN thinks that Mike's experience with the Yale Dems and his experience working on political campaigns is substantial enough to stand up to Katie and Minh's experience working on actual issues in New Haven? How is his experience on campaigns going to help him once his campaign is over? And what is Mike's familiarity with student leaders going to do when he's working in City Hall?

Fair-minded endorsement, YDN. I happen to have a little more faith that Katie will be able to make progress on the worthwhile small-scale issues that matter to Mike as well.

Also, if the YDN and Commenter 8 get the impression the mayor would sideline a one-term alderwoman when her ideas are valid because she may sometimes stand in opposition to him, that would certainly be an interesting commentary about the Yale Democrats' consistent support for the mayor as well. (Honestly though, I think the extent to which it will infuse politics with a one-term student representative is limited.)

Contrary to popular belief, this is a political position.

What a wonderful endorsement.

To summarize the editorial, I think it went something like this:

1. Tran won't be in New Haven.

2. Harrison supports working on important issues facing New Haven.

3. But Jones has concrete proposals.

4. That probably won't even happen, anyway, in only one term.

5. But he wants to involve Yale students.

6. (In shuffling papers at City Hall.)

7. And Harrison's "economic development" is hard!

8. So vote for Jones.

If I were Mike, I'd be more than a little upset with the YDN right now.

Can commenters please stop assuming that any support for Katie Harrison comes from her campaign? I know the poll the YDN did a couple of weeks back was horribly unscientific, but you have to admit that it indicated that some people support Katie. Maybe enough to post on the YDN site about it.

I know people who are working for Katie (as I do on the other two campaigns), I support her, and her logo is my Facebook profile picture. But I am not a staffer for the campaign. And I think poster #4's summary of the editorial is spot on. So there.

1) Dara, you're awesome.
2) I'm in the same situation.

Minh will be in New Haven, and he is by far the best candidate. Just visit his website and read about what he's done.

Right on, Dara and #17. Me too. YDN, while this is much less petty than your YCC editorials, I feel like this is some of the worst analysis, political or otherwise, that I have seen in quite some time. I feel like anyone who actually reads through the editorial will definitely come out in support of Katie, because your reasons for supporting Mike make no sense. (I thought #15's post was particularly apt in this regard.) My only sadness is that people will not read through this editorial, will only see the headline, and will do what you say because they think you're more informed. And seriously, guys? You might have done a lot of reporting, but I feel like you're missing a bigger picture.

Yes Dara L. while I do not know you I am so happy you made that statement. Apparently you can't express your opinion without being from her campaign. It actually drives me crazy that is the response that comes up any time you challenge a piece written by the YDN in support of or against a candidate.