If incumbent school board member Joe Sokolovic wins reelection by one vote running on the Working Families Party line, this exchange, according to his Facebook page, will make the difference if the voter carries through with promise.
Tale from the trail.
New favorite.
Door: why you banging on my damn door?
Me: Cause I want your damn vote!
Door: why the F should I vote for you
Me: because I’m F’in awesome and I F’in am the only candidate with an F’in child in the F’in schools.
I’ve been an F’in board member the last four years and my F’in work is not F’in done yet.
Door: busts out laughing and says you got my vote!
In this F’in sleepy election cycle, the real action comes down to filling the minority-party candidate slots on the nine-member Board of Education. That will come from Republicans and WFP candidates or a combo.
Incumbent Board of Education chair John Weldon and running mates Mary Gaits and Peter Perillo occupy the Republican line. WFP: Sokolovic, Khalid Muhammad and Jose Lopez.
Democratic slate: Christine Baptiste-Perez, Erika Castillo, Michael Maccarone.
If Joe-So retains his seat on Nov. 2 maybe he’ll form his own party: “The F’in-A!”
Additional comments from Joe-So:
This election cycle is quite unique, for this Board of Ed candidate anyway, in a number of ways. Door knocking the usual bread and butter of any candidate during the best of times has changed in many ways.
The first difference is the number of people answering doors has been significant lower, due to the pandemic, since my last campaign.
The second difference is in my approach. When I approach a door and ring the bell I initially do so with my mask down so as to let them view my whole face. About a second after door opens and before I go into my pitch I raise my mask to protect both myself and the voter. Yes, I’m vaccinated but nothing is 100% and I got my wife and child at home to protect as well.< The third difference is literature. I hand out literature as I normally would at each door with one exception, if someone reaches out to shake my hand and I accept, I sanitize my hands before touching another piece of literature at the next door. The fourth difference is that at the doors that do answer is that some the elders seem to be a bit more lonely than usual and want to talk for longer. I don't have the heart to pull out of the conversation early even though it is likely costing me about 20 voter contacts at a time. The fifth difference is unrelated to Covid and more related to the current political atmosphere. I've been asked many times about will I stop CRT from being taught in our schools. News flash Fox News viewers CRT is a graduate level course not being taught in primary schools. The questions I think they want to ask, but may not know how to, is do you think curriculum should be updated to better reflect historical accuracy? Or do you believe that institutional racism exists within our education system. My answer to both would be a resounding yes. The last difference, particularly in my primary campaign, is the level my opponents are willing to stoop with racist mailers, misinformation and appealing to the lowest common denominator and xenophobic voter base. This campaign has been most interesting, exhausting, exhilarating, depressing and exciting sometimes all at once. There are many more tales from the trail I could tell from this cycle, from a gun being drawn on me to a little old lady who answered my shave and a haircut knock with a responding, ever so soft, two bits. (One of those delightful 20 minute doors). Anyway, I hope you all find this informative and get our and vote Sokolovic for board of education on Row D, along with the rest of the row D slate. As Lennie said, the real battle this sleepy cycle is between the Republicans and the WFP. Vote WFP on Nov 2!
Lol Lennie. What’s the F’in idea poaching my page?
Just saw this on my way to pick up my son. I will respond more in depth later because this is quite the unique election cycle! I’ll email you because I was thinking of a stand alone piece on door knocking in the age of Covid and CRT etc. It’s been quite the wild ride.
Thanks for your energy expended to benefit your own family and that of so many others.
Just think, you have not lost your sense of who you are, where you are at any given moment, or the absurd humor that may show up at any moment. Thank you for your practical citizenship. Hope that the interaction reported on, produces multiple votes, just as you have been serving on multiple BOE committees. Keep smiling. As always, time will tell.
Thank you again for your support, Mr. Lee.