In the opinion piece Democracy Takes A Hit: Primary Thoughts – published in Shawangunk Journal on July 19, 2012 – Manuela Michailescu decries the low turnout in the Federal Primary of June 26, 2012 “where only about 1,070 voters from the county’s almost 30,000 registered Republicans went to cast their vote.”
She writes:
- As an Ulster County Republican Committee member unable to attend the unofficial GOP Convention on May 31, 2012, when I suppose Bob Turner was “unanimously endorsed,” I realized that we have a Republican Primary only when getting a mailer from Wendy Long. This is the season for circulating petitions and I mentioned the primary to as many people as I could… Very few people knew about the primary, fewer yet knew anything at all about the candidates.
I strongly believe the information is intentionally obfuscated by Party’s leaders. They endorse a candidate and would go to extremes to defend their choice. And they are candid about it, as you can see in Ulster County Republican Chairman’s Message:
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The general Primary Day will be on September 13th and hopefully we will not have any Republican challenges of our endorsed candidates for NYS Senate and Assembly.
Which reminds me of something Assemblyman Steve Katz (below) said recently: “Pre-primary endorsement is the root of corruption.”
– Jon Dogar-Marinesco
Rochester Smoke Out 
take a look at manuela’s election district – how many voters did she bring out? isn’t it her job as a committeeman to be informed and to get the vote out. what a phony she is. if the vote turnout was high in her district then she should complain. but it wasn’t
A committeeman’s information comes from the chairman. In this case it did not.
It was not even advertised by the County GOP. By the time date was known, it was too late for all committeemen to notify voters.
7:17 — I’m trying to find the Federal Primary results in Manuela’s district, but I don’t know where to look. District 2 – where she belongs? District 1 – where she was moved? Or District 4 – for which she was given petition forms? Enlighten me, please!
just goes to show, none of them have a clue. How could they possible advise anyone of a primary date when they don’t know which end is up?