Attorney David Dale, it has been confirmed, has won the Independence Primary over his opponent Gregory Blaise Olma, leaving Olma with only the Conservative line. Dale trounced Olma in the critical Democratic primary, winning 52 of 63 election districts in the 5th district. The 5th includes parts of Fillmore, Lovejoy, Cheektowaga and all of Sloan. The final vote in the Democratic primary showed Dale winning 59%-41%.
With a plurality of 6 Democrats to 1 of all other parties combined, the shadow of "inevitable loser" is descending rapidly on Olma.
In fact, since his primary defeat, his fund raising efforts have far proven unrewarding as few contributors in the political game want to waste money or go on record backing a sure loser. Consequently, in a state of what some observers are calling desperation, Olma's campaign has reduced itself to something surreal. Yesterday he sent his longtime campaign operative James Brem into the village of Sloan to confront the 100 or more families who have Dale signs on their lawns. Brem went door to door and asked people please not to vote for Dale because Olma just had a baby and needs the job. In a flier Brem handed to people, Olma, shown with a picture of his wife and baby, argues that the people of the 5th should vote for him over Dale because he (Olma) can't find a job and now faces stark unemployment.
Olma tells how his heart broke when he saw the "innocent face" of his wife turn literally a whiter shader of pale when he told her on primary night that he lost. "We just had a baby and my wife lost her job and now I am losing mine," he cries. The argument has a certain logic to it. Olma implies that while Dale is a successful attorney who can easily support himself, Olma is essentially unemployable. Olma failed his bar exam 6 times (after attending law school at taxpayer's expense while working for Dave Franczyk. Under a little known city law that allowed legislative aides to get their college tuition paid entirely at city hall's expense Olma went to law school free while collecting a check from city hall). Olma is not desired for a political hire since he is too divisive. His constant fighting with people and his use of vulgarities toward women could backfire on whomever hires him. He never worked in the private sector. Olma may indeed be unemployable. At least he may not be able to get $40,000 plus for a part time job like he now gets as County Legislator. Attorney David Dale, on the other hand, is intelligent, works well with people, is independent, and is quite competent to earn his bread and butter without the taxpayers supporting him. So, with this in mind, Greg pleads with the people that they therefore should vote for him.
Somehow it is simply not resonating. Olma's crying in the chapel might indeed work in some quarters but, unfortunately, not among the hard headed people of Sloan and Cheektowaga. In fact, Olma has become somewhat of a laughing stock. The people whom Brem contacted in Sloan have been actually laughing at him and saying "if the pitiable fellow can't get a job anywhere else, we should elect him to govern us? Give us a break! Go get a job, Olma and work for a living and see what that's like. Just like we do every day!"
