A Good Campaign Video Isn't Enough-- Staten Island

Two of the most outstanding campaign videos so far this cycle were the ones introducing Randy Bryce (WI) and Amy McGrath (KY). Bryce immediately proved himself an even better candidate than the one his video showed. He built a powerful populist brand that is going to bring him all the way to Congress and make history by taking down Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House and a darling of the Beltway media. McGrath, on the other hand, was anything but ready for prime time. If Bryce's authenticity level is an "A," McGrath's is, a "C-minus" or, at best, a work in progress. There's nothing there there-- a candidate being created out of think air by some consultants. Like Bryce she has a compelling bio. Unlike Bryce, she has nothing to offer the voters.

Far worse than McGrath's launch was the one for Boyd Melson built around next eye-popping campaign video that came out. Very good video-- watch it just below-- but no campaign at all. Just nothing but a video. His campaign makes McGath's look like a bone-crushing success. Since the videos came out, this is how each of these candidates have fared in the fundraising departments:

• Randy Bryce- $1,460,551.03
• Amy McGrath- $807,125.72
• Boyd Melson- $94,048.19

There are at least seven candidates running for the only red district in New York City-- NY-11, which takes in all of Staten Island plus a significant chunk of southwest Brooklyn, from Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton through Bensonhurst and Gravesend into Flatbush. It includes the buildings in Brooklyn developed by Fred Trump-- where his then-unknown son Donald was caught discriminating against black and Puerto Rican would-be tenants-- and the parts of Brooklyn that flipped from safely blue to Trump territory in the last election. One, Omar Vaid, is a self-funder who put $105,532 of his own money into his campaign. There's a buzz that Melson, who isn't a registered Democrat and doesn't really live in the district, will drop out by the end of the week. And that leaves Max Rose, who has raised $325,379.60 so far as the likely Democratic nominee. It looks like the DCCC is leaning in his direction and none of the other candidates have raised any significant money or created any buzz outside of their now families.

So who's Max Rose? Can he beat whichever Republican wins their bloody primary between establishment Republican Dan Donovan or Bannon's Mafia thug Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm? First watch the video up top-- good one, right? He's an Army vet who saw active duty in Afghanistan with a website that has no issues, beyond extolling "Duty.Patriotism.Service" and a video all about Staten Island without even mentioning Brooklyn, from which Democrats normally draw about 25% of their votes. He has a maters from the prestigious London School of Economics, but he doesn't seem to talk as much about that as he does about the Purple Heart he earned. "I’m running because I’m fed up" is what he tells voters but is there a single challenger from either party who doesn't say the same meaningless thing-- or meaningless if it isn't put into some deeper, non-soundbyte context. On the other hand resentment, self-victimization and anger seem to be what motivates State Island voters.

When Rose talks to the media, he uses fluffy Republican talking points like "Obamacare is broken, we all acknowledge that" and "Tort reform has to be on the table," the kinds of things Staten Island voters hear on Fox News and Hate Talk Radio.