By Dan Murphy
WESTCHESTER, NY — The flip side of this headline is, of course, that 2/3 of Westcheter residents and voters do not approve of President Donald Trump after one year in office. Actually, the numbers are a little bit better for The President in the suburbs of New York, including Westchester, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, where 37% of suburbian voters approve of Trump while 60% disapprove.
The economic conditions in Westchester, New York City, and across the country also helped President Trump boost his approval, with 51% of Americans approving of the way Trump is handling the economy and 48% of Americans stating that Trump, and not former President Barrack Obama, is responsible for the economy. A total of 75 percent of American voters say their financial situation is “excellent” or “good,” all according to the Quinnipiac poll.
New Rochelle attorney Richard St. Paul, pictured above with President Trump at the White House, is one Westchester resident not afraid to pose with the President, or post it on Facebook. St. Paul, a members of the NY State Republican Committee, wrote, “Great day in D.C. I had the pleasure of speaking with the President’s and Secretary of Treasury’s staff about opportunity zones that will infuse billions of dollars of investment into urban centers.”
Another Westchester resident. and Trump supporter, joked at a Dunkin Donuts, “are they blaming Trump yet for the flu?” Most Westchester residents who voted for Trump in 2016, are staying with the President and still support him. But a few Trump voters have defected, and the many republicans and independents in Westchester who did not vote for Trump are looking for another candidate, or even another party to land on.
The biggest problem for Trump supporters, as one county republican tell us, is “with every Trump voter, there are 2 or 3 vociferous Trump opponents. And the Trump opponents are more vocal and more involved. The momentum in Westchester is clearly with the democrats and most of that derived from opposition to President Trump.”
Other republicans have equated the GOP in Westchester with the Titanic, and those who can’t find a seat on the lifeboats (getting a job somewhere in county government) are jumping overboard. The recent defection of republican County Legislator Jim Maisano to join the democratic administration of County Executive George Latimer points to the problem that republicans have moving forward in Westchester.
Maisano should not be blamed for his decision. He has served the people of New Rochelle and Pelham well for almost 20 years on the County Board. He could have served forever in that post, and could have defeated any democrat that was foolish enough to challenge him. He is entitled to take a position in County Government, as Director of the Department of Consumer Protection.
In making the appointment, County Executive George Latimer said, “We are of different political parties, and we remain in different political parties, but we have a shared commitment to the people of Westchester County.” Maisano’s service to our nation, as a United State Marine, also makes him a special public servant. “I am so excited and grateful that this Administration has given me this opportunity. It is incredible that George reached across party lines to show that the most important thing is the County of Westchester. We have a fabulous County government and everyone, Democrats, Republicans and Independents should be working together to make this an even better County,” said Maisano.
But Maisano’s departure from the BOL at the end of this month, is the perfect example of how quickly the political landscape has changed for republicans in Westchester. Just 16 months ago, Maisano was part of a bi-partisan coalition of republican and democratic legislators that worked with a republican County Executive. 16 months later, republicans now have 4 county legislators left and a democratic county executive sits on the 9th floor in White Plains.
Now republicans in Westchester have to answer for President Trump, and his tweets and his sometime irrational behavior, which has seemed to infuse the progressive movement in Westchester and across the country, with a renewed spirit.
County Executive Latimer said in recently on social media and his words ring true.“Dems are motivated and for good reason: Washington DC has one party govt in charge – Trump, House, Senate, Supreme Court. They are changing policies that make conservatives very happy – but leave moderates and progressive unhappy. The majority of voters have cast ballots for Dems, but House gerrymandering, Senate over representation of smaller, conservative states and the Electoral College have given the minority of voters a lock control of the U.S.
So Americans do not fashion coup d’états. We work to win elections. And that’s what we did in towns and cities and counties last year. And that’s what we’re doing for states and Congress this year. We’re working to take back our democracy and reverse policies we simply disagree with,” said Latimer.
So while we applaud Richard St. Paul and his willingness to show his support as a republican for President Trump, we are fearful that we are also watching the disintegration of the republican party before our eyes.
