the rix mix

Elizabeth has a two party system: Mayor Bollwage's Democrats & the other Democrats. Carlos Alma, the incumbent 4th Ward councilman, was defeated yesterday by an "other" Democrat, probably not by much. A few weeks ago he threw a heckava campaign party at an upscale cafe down the street. I passed it on the way to the train station. Balmy evening, the cafe's floor-to-ceiling front windows folded open making it in effect an open air event. It was packed to overflowing with wonderfully attired people, many very attractive young females. A woman strummed a guitar & sang a love song. Given the low turnout for the primary, if all of those happy folks were from the 4th Ward & they all voted, I don't see how Carlos Alma could have lost. He surely would have won if his fiesta hadn't had a by-invitation-only feeling about it due to the red carpet, velvet rope, & bouncer types out front. & the number of signs for his opponent posted in the windows of businesses on that street indicated he was in a race. The organization Democrats standing just outside the legal distance from the polls yesterday were wearing ugly lime green tee shirts. The opposition Dems, standing the same distance in the other direction, wore whatever they wanted. My incumbent, who is not a Bollwage guy, squeaked in by 4 votes, which makes his opponent sorry for not personally driving five more senior citzens to the Elmora Branch Library.