Author: Dan Lynch

Publisher: Whitson Publish

Book Reviewed By: Joulia Dib

This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in politics, especially New York state and local politics.

It could have been a novel. After all, the former newspaper columnist and talk show host, has more than one to his credit. It could have been a play or even a pilot for a TV show. Politics is in now. Instead, Dan Lynch chose to put his blood, sweat, and money where his keyboard had been. He ran for office.

Starting early in 2001, Lynch campaigned for and gained the Democratic Party nod for the NYS Assembly in the 107th district, a suburban Albany (NY) district that was represented by a popular Republican incumbent.

He lost, but if he had won, he might not have had the time to reflect on the experience. To that extent the public won. We get a chance to find out in Running with the Machine what outsiders can expect when they take on the local political establishment.

In an easy to read, fast paced style, Lynch takes the reader through the grueling and exhausting - both emotionally and financially - job of running for elected office. Harsh criticism of politicians during his journalism career becomes both an asset and a liability for Lynch during the race. His credentials provided him with name recognition and credibility among the voting public, but Lynch found out that he'd made enemies in both political parties that complicated his effort to win the election.

Lynch provides frank and sometimes bitter, but always interesting insights into the difficulties of running against an incumbent. The 107th was districted as a Republican seat. Then he faced the problems of trying to focus media and public attention on issues instead of personalities. Finally, it came down to motivating people to vote on Election Day.

Money is everything in politics as we learn from Lynch's time-consuming and often humiliating attempts at fundraising. Needing to raise over $200,000, Lynch's campaign team struggles to raise even a fraction of this amount, thus limiting his media exposure. Lynch also discovers that politicians have long memories. He concludes that his fundraising difficulties were due to several high profile fellow Democrats publicly supporting him but working against him behind the scene.

As unsettling as the difficulty in raising money were dirty tricks that included attacking family members, spreading disinformation and pressuring organizations not to support him. Lynch claims Channel 13, where Lynch's daughter was employed, and the Times Union newspaper where he had worked for many years, were both pressured into limiting their coverage of his election campaign by suggesting that their coverage was biased in his favor.

Other dirty tricks Lynch reports included anonymous faxes, hecklers at speeches, and threatening organizations that they would lose their non-profit status if they supported him.

In response, Lynch fought on, taking the moral high ground, going door to door in the district, appearing at public gatherings, and standing during peak hour at major road intersections waving at passing cars. Although he lost the election, Dan Lynch stole a great deal of ground from his opponent. With more time and money, Lynch might have won. Perhaps others will benefit from his experience.

*******

Joulia Dib, a policy analyst, lives in Albany, NY.

04/30/2002