Here's why NY Democrats lost this year

The real answer to Steve Israel’s question is: Nassau County Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs [“What went wrong for Democrats on LI,” Opinion, Nov. 14]. He is the true reason for the 2022 county Democratic disaster.

The op-ed swings at a variety of potential problems, ignoring the amazing lack of planning and leadership. While county Republican Chairman Joe Cairo pulled out the standard Nassau Republican game plan and implemented it, where was Jacobs?

The GOP appealed to us through signs, personal appearances and robocalls. The Democrats were missing in action. In Merrick, we never saw a single Democratic candidate. Some Democrats knew we were in trouble in January. Jacobs, as leader, had lost two major elections, Hempstead Town supervisor and county executive, by fewer than 3,000 votes each. But the Democratic organization apparently ignored that.

The result: two lost congressional seats, the Democratic-leaning South Shore and the Democratic North Shore. Rebuilding will be tough.

 — Michael Apo, Merrick

As the head of Nassau County’s Democrats for years, Jay Jacobs has led the party to almost no presence in an area with a majority of Democrats. His choice of candidates is guided by uninspiring individuals.

As a Nassau resident my entire life, I have witnessed almost nonexistent promotion of Democratic candidates compared to Republicans and hardly any selection of potentially dynamic leaders to excite voters.

For some reason, Jacobs was appointed by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to be the head of the state Democrats. The result: the loss of four seats that may very well cost a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. It’s time for Jacobs to go. Now.

 — Gus Costa, Westbury

The Nassau Democratic party needs new management and new thinking skills. I refer to the loss in the 3rd Congressional District. This seat is held by Rep. Tom Suozzi of Glen Cove, who for reasons that escape me, opted to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in the primary.

Democratic leadership realized that Hochul would be a good candidate and tried to get Suozzi not to run. Despite this, Suozzi challenged her and chose to relinquish his congressional seat.   

Had he decided to support Hochul, he would have been up for reelection and likely won as an incumbent.

Now, Suozzi is looking for a job in January and the Republicans have the 3rd District.

 — Steve Bailey, Freeport

Jay Jacobs correctly identified “phony bail reform charges” as a contributor to the Democrats’ poor performance. But the greatest blame was due to the absence of the necessary effort to mount an active ground game to bring Democrats to the polls.

If ever there was a time for a change away from tired, out-of-touch leadership, this is it.

 — Bernard Sosnick, Plainview

Why did the Democrats do so badly in Suffolk County and Huntington? There are varying reasons. Where were the TV commercials for the four Democratic candidates for Congress on Long Island?

Bridget Fleming in Congressional District 1 apparently did not campaign at all, with a mostly inactive website. I received no mailings, emails or phone calls, and saw no rallies or ads.

Where were the Huntington Town and state Democratic committees? Why didn’t Fleming campaign more? Why was former county Leg. Susan Berland’s campaign so anemic?

I’ve followed campaigns wherever I’ve lived since I was 10, and these are about the worst I’ve ever seen.

— Ron Troy, East Northport

While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants Republicans to dismiss the extremists in their party, it would be helpful if he and moderate Democrats reject politicians like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the far left [“Schumer urges Republicans to reject far right,” News, Nov.  14].

Their socialist views are just as, if not more, dangerous to our democracy, and we can never allow them to have any influence in our government.

 — Sheldon Ehrenreich, West Hempstead

Lane Filler asserts, “Something is badly wrong in the United States” [“Midterms show us our nation is ailing,” Opinion, Nov. 3]. He bemoans both parties’ “harebrained and uninspiring behavior” and a state of affairs where “everything feels miserable and hopeless.” He writes that “we’ve become a country of ‘I’ rather than ‘we,’  ” and decries a supposedly “minuscule” level of self-control.

With all due respect, I don’t see myself as harebrained and uninspired. I feel neither miserable nor helpless. I’d like to think I look outward at the “we,” and I think I have a material amount of self-control.

He concludes that we have “no answers.”

Hmm. Based on how the midterms went, I think that a whole lot of us on both sides indeed do have answers. Just not he.

 — Drew Oringer, Syosset