Women Rule Judicial Races, Except This Time?

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

On paper, the sleepy Broward Circuit Court Group 19 race between Michael Ian Rothschild and Julie C. Shapiro-Harris looks one-sided.

Rothschild has a 10-1 money advantage, dozens of courthouse supporters and a name known in legal circles because his father is the judge now holding Group 19 – Ron Rothchild.

Handcuffed by the strict legal ethics rules about what can be discussed in a campaign, the contest is the typical judicial borefest: two candidates talking about their resumes.

Pull back the curtain and the race is far more interesting.

Woman May Not Rule This Time

On August 14 in the primary, two long-held truths about the names on the ballot will be in conflict.

Normally Shapiro-Harris would be favored simply for one reason: she’s a woman.

Women have a distinct advantage in low visibility, low interest races, like judicial contests.  This has been repeatedly proven in research studies.

But Shapiro-Harris, who is married to political consultant Barry Harris, made a big mistake.  She put a hyphen in her name, which allowed Rothschild to be placed first on the ballot under Florida’s law that lists judicial candidates alphabetically. If she had left the hyphen out, her last name would have been “Harris” and listed before “Rothschild.”

There are numerous studies that show that the first name listed on a ballot has an advantage.

“In political science, choosing the first name (or item) on the ballot is called primacy effects. For many years, social scientists believed that most voters where likely to pick the last name on the ballot which is called recencyeffects. In the only controlled study researchers found just the opposite effect,” explained Jim Kane, a political pollsters who teaches at the University of Florida and has been involved with their campaign studies graduate program for two decades.

“Voters where more likely to choose the first name and this added a 1% to 3% advantage to the first name on the ballot even when only two names were listed… ” Kane continued in an e-mail. “I would have to believe the effect for Judicial candidates (low information races) with no partisan labels would have as much, if not more, advantage for being listed first.”

Should Shapiro-Harris worry?  Maybe not, because she is a woman.

“As for gender effects, numerous studies confirm women have an ballot advantage especially in low information races. Women voters tend to support women candidates where men have no preference at all,” Kane wrote.

Women Win In Broward

The gender bias in favor of women appears to have worked in Broward judicial races for open seats.

In 2006 in five judicial races, women won against men four of the five times.  One of the male judicial candidates losing to a woman was veteran politician, Pompano Beach Mayor John Rayson.  Only Alan Marks beat a woman.

Two years later, Merrille Ehrlich crushed by 12 percentage points long-time political figure Paul Eichner, a former School Board member.

In 2010, Mary Anne Levey Cohen won the only race for an open seat pitting a woman against a man.

The Race

Rothschild is hoping that this time it will be different, that a man can easily beat a woman.

He’s hired seasoned campaign manager David Brown.  He’s raised $33,667 and put in $7,500 of his own.

Shapiro-Harris has only raised $3,710.  She has put in $35,000 of her own.

“I am financing my campaign with my own resources as much as possible,” she e-mailed Browardbeat.com.  “I am trying to avoid creating the appearance that I am in any way, indebted or beholden to any person or group of people. My opponent’s potential financial advantage is not an issue of great importance as I seek the support and confidence of Broward County voters.”

Maybe.

About 120,000 voters cast ballots in the judicial races in the August primary in 2010.  It is expected roughly 80,000 will vote this time around since there are few hot races to draw voters to the polls. Even with the lower turnout, it will be hard to reach the voters without money giving Rothschild an advantage.

Rothschild gives it a deeper spin than just being able to advertise.

Candidates Have Different Experience

He said his superior experience drew money and supporters to his campaign .

Rothschild has rolled up dozens of endorsements including well-known trial attorneys like David Bogenschutz and Bruce Lyons, government attorneys like Sam Goren and Don Doody, politicians like Democratic state Sens. Nan Rich of Weston and Eleanor Sobel of Hollywood and even dentists, business owners and Fred Lippman, the chancellor of Nova Southeastern University.Although the 37-year-old Rothschild has been a lawyer five fewer years than Shapiro-Harris, he has by far more time in the courtroom.

After graduating Nova Southeastern’s law school in 2000, Rothschild worked six years for the public defender’s office and handled more than 50 jury trials.  He then worked three years at legal heavy hitter Larry Davis’ office, litigating both criminal and civil cases. He has been almost exclusively doing commercial trial and transactional work since 2009.

The St. Thomas law school 1996 graduate Shapiro-Harris, 51, has a different kind of experience.

She spent much of the last eight years as a staff attorney for Clerk of the Courts Howard Forman’s office.  She describes her job on her resume as “Review(ing) Petitions for Injunctions for Protection against Domestic, Repeat, Dating and Sexual Violence and prepare proposed Orders on Petitions.”

She also has a master’s in social work from Florida State and worked as a counselor, for the Jewish Family and Community Services of Jacksonville among others, before becoming an attorney.

“I chose to pursue a career in law for the same reasons that I chose to become a social worker, to help others.  However, as an attorney I am a strong advocate as well,”  Shapiro-Harris told coralspringtalk.com.

Rothschild fired back: “My lead in fund raising certainly shows that this community believes in my abilities and is willing to invest in helping to make me a judge. It is a hard thing, in this economy, to give money to a cause simply for the sake of it. My supporters believe in me. My contributors are not just from the legal profession, but are teachers, retirees, doctors, and other members of this community.”

Maybe.

The contributors will be a few hundred voters out of thousands.  And research shows that it is Shapiro-Harris’ gender that may trump Rothschild’s money advantage.

Stay tuned.



34 Responses to “Women Rule Judicial Races, Except This Time?”

  1. Kevin says:

    Buddy,

    I’ve said this before about the amounts of $$ raised in Broward countywide races, but I will say it again: raising 30-something thousand dollars is about as effective as raising 3 dollars. I mean, a good chunk of that alone would go toward the filing fee! What the heck sort of media exposure is 30k going to buy in the 11th largest and most expensive media market in the US? I wouldn’t try to run a county coroner race in rural Alabama for that kind of money.

    I know this goes against the grain of what everybody thinks about money and politics, but I am always shocked at the LOW, actually LAUGHABLY-LOW, amount of $$$ that is spent in Broward as compared to other large counties like Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.

    Kevin.

  2. Anonymous says:

    As a woman, I think it is ridiculous that a woman would vote for another woman due to gender preference. Qualifications and experience should be the key factors when determining who to support during an election. Clearly, Michael Rothschild is more qualified.

  3. Hey Abbot says:

    I’ve read both resumes, and Rothschild’s smacks of a job jumper. Lots of little experiences, admittedly broad, but spending little time at any particular job. At least Shapiro-Harris spent 8 years working for Howard Foreman in one specialty, domestic violence. She is more than qualified to serve in that respect.

    Kevin is correct in his analysis of Rothschild’s raising only $33,000. It’s a drop in the bucket when it comes to countywide races. I would hardly call it an advantage seeing that a good portion of it will go to David Brown who charges around $25,000 for a judicial race. It leaves shockingly little for getting the message out. The cost of a countywide mailer is somewhere between $20,000 and $35,000 depending on the type. And television? Forget it.

    It ought to be interesting.

    FROM BUDDY:

    David Brown is one of those older campaign managers who is extremely hard working and has money separate from the political world. He wouldn’t miss a meal if he doesn’t get another dime from campaigns. I find it hard to believe he charges $25,000 for a judicial race. However, candidates paying Brown get their value because he spends day and night plotting how to win.

  4. Michael says:

    Clearly Rothschild is the more qualified. I know we have intelligent women voters and would hope that they would like at the candidate and qualifications in casting their vote. If they do, Rothschild is the clear winner in this race and he should be. Some are close calls; this one is a no brainier…Rothschild all the way

  5. Talabisco Sauce says:

    Mrs Barry Harris wants to be a judge? What did she know about Barry’s role in the whole Beth Talabisco-Flaunsbaum affair? Did she ever meet the Chaits? Keep these people far away from the Broward bench

  6. No Dumb Blond says:

    I don’t believe that women will vote for Shapiro-Harris because she’s a women. I believe that women AND men will vote for Shapiro-Harris because although, her opponent has a family name, Shapiro-Harris works DAILY with JUDGES. She makes recommendations that form opinions. She is the one ready to work from day one. SHE IS ALREADY DOING IT. She already has a the parking sticker. Shapiro -Harris has the goods as far as being a person who works for the community. Thats her record. I want someone who works FOR the PEOPLE! Has a record of service and not someone who thinks the job is his because of name recognition and legacy. He should not get the seat because his dad had it.
    Regardless of gender, Shapiro-Harris has my vote and I thank her for all the good she has done to serve the community rather than line her pockets.
    The only thing that opponent has is the talent to give a relaxed speech.
    I wish I could help SHAIPRO-HARRIS out with her speech work.
    I may just give her campaign a call.

  7. Famous last words says:

    When filtering through the BS meter, the quote below adds up to the following… those who usually give to judicial candidates will not contribute to me.

    See if Ms. Harris was sincere in her quote then she would declare that she is not accepting dontations from any attorneys, bondsmen or others affiliated with the court system. This would show a sincere effort to show she is not influenced.

    Then again she is the wife of Barry Harris of the Chait matter so how much sincerity can you expect.

    “I am financing my campaign with my own resources as much as possible,” she e-mailed Browardbeat.com. “I am trying to avoid creating the appearance that I am in any way, indebted or beholden to any person or group of people. My opponent’s potential financial advantage is not an issue of great importance as I seek the support and confidence of Broward County voters.”

  8. Molder says:

    When looking at a judicial qualifications I like Shapiro-Harris’ resume. Years of working in the Clerk of the Courts office has built an understanding of the court system and the role of the judiciary that Rothschild lacks. While I agree that voting based on gender is unwise, in this particular race the female candidate is far more qualified having been a member of the Florida Bar longer than her opponent and having served with distinction in the Clerk’s office. The issue of fundraising and finances should make no difference to the voters. This is a judicial race not a race for some partisan political office and the resume and qualifications are what matters. Shapiro-Harris has my vote!

  9. Kevin says:

    Hey Abbot points out something that I neglected to say: the people in Broward who “manage” campaigns for judge and other prominent offices suck a very large percentage out of the campaign coffers of the candidates (not that I blame them for that; they have to get paid). BUT the big difference is this:

    The judicial campaign managers in Miami-Dade charge $50,000, with the expectation that the candidate will raise half a million bucks. Largely the same, though lower not he dollar scale, happens in Palm Beach. My point is that the amounts of $$$ raised by people in Broward is irrelevant, and I must say, Buddy, that many of you in the media for years and years have missed this simple point of politics: do NOT look at the amount of $$ raised by a candidate…. look at what they spend it on. If you compare this figure for Broward politicians and others in large counties in Florida, you will simply find that any candidates hear are silly sucked dry by consultants because they do not raise enough money for the consultants to actually do the jobs that they should be doing: buying TV ads.

    Kevin Hill.

    FROM BUDDY:

    Absolutely true. Judicial candidates are chickens waiting to be plucked by political consultants.

    One reason is that they are usually political novices. Another reason is that some consultants get back their time and money by lobbying electeds, something that is worthless with a judge.

  10. Kevin says:

    One more thing…. why do Broward candidates not buy TV ads at the same rate as candidates in Miami-Dade? Well, besides the fact that they don’t raise the money needed, the fossilized campaign managers in Broward are STILL telling the candidates that TV is a waste of money (even cable TV, where you can buy ads for 8 bucks a pop!!).

    Why do they do this? Could it perhaps be that the managers are tied in with printers (printed advertising in 2012 through the mail is about as effective as putting your money in a pile and setting it on fire)?

    It could also be the fact that the 4-6 “major” campaign managers in Broward are still stuck in the 1970s, and think that just handing out palm cards and buying corned beef sandwiches for the old people in the condos will win a countywide election……..

    Sorry for the rant. I just got through giving this particular lecture a few weeks ago at FIU in one of my classes. The 20-something students, raised on modern urban politics, almost all of whom have no experience in campaign work, immediately “got” what certain unnamed charlatans in Broward don’t, or refuse to tell their clients about.

    Kevin Hill.

    FROM BUDDY:

    Again, absolutely true.

    Many of Broward’s campaign managers are frozen in time.

    They go to the same condo leaders (translation: Buy them either with goodies or downright cash.)they have for years. And they go to ethnic “community leaders” who have their hands deep into a candidate’s pocket. They have absolutely no abilities to reach middle-aged or younger voters. They pay little or no attention to the Internet. They emphasize mail campaigns because they get kickbacks. Nine out of 10 of them are so yesterday.

    One trick many use: They use totally inflated stats to entrap candidates into believing they are experts. The consultants say they won 90 or 80 percent of the races they handled. They pump up the stats with races that were not really races and even uncontested contests. Candidates need to ask how many of those campaigns were really competitive.

    There are a few younger folks in Broward who impress me. By younger I mean a generation after the older crop of campaign consultants who have been doing it since the 1980s.

    Mike Ahearn is a strong campaigner.

    Ilana Entin is very capable.

    I hear good things about Ashley Walker, who is Obama’s state director but also has been involved in Broward campaigns.

    I’m a fan of Ron Gunzburger because he uses generous dollops of humor in ads and is a brilliant strategist. The 2010 campaign he ran for his mother — county Commissioner Sue Gunzburger — was a thing of beauty. But he tells me he is largely finished with helping campaigns.

    There are a few others, but the old Boars and Sows still get the bulk of the campaigns here. Yes, they still have teeth…like my mother had her own teeth at 93 when she died. But it is only natural that younger folks have new, fresh ideas.

    Maybe the way to go is for some of these elders — who still have plenty of lessons to teach — to teach up with the next generation on some campaigns.

    As far as cable, I am not as enamored with it as you are. In my Broward neighborhood, at least one of every two homes have satellite TV. And the audiences are fragmented. But if a candidate has a lot of money, they should use cable.

    Again, your comments about Broward are largely accurate. Thanks for bringing it up.

  11. Hey Abbot says:

    Dave Brown has already sucked 10% of his fee from Rothschild’s campaign. Brown gets more than his standard fee as his candidates buy their giveaways from his business, Campaign Associates. Can you say profit? Also look for Image Plus Graphics in North Miami. They do the printing for the candidate’s handouts and charge a premium price. You can bet that Brown gets a kickback.

  12. Kevin says:

    Buddy,

    I agree with you to a point about cable’s market penetration in 2012 (when we either have satellite dishes or DVRs), but again, I have to say: IT COSTS EIGHT BUCKS to run an ad three times per day on the Discovery Channel! Multiply that by 100, and you are talking about 90 ads on a channel for 800 bucks. You might get 1/2 to 1% of the vote swing that way, but tell me a cheaper way to do it?

    I remember back in 2001 when my ex-wife and I were running her campaign for city commission with what they thought was an excessive $30k budget and the old Broward farts said we were crazy for (1) running a 28 year old Cuban girl in Weston against 4 white men, with (2) 90% of the money going to cable TV ads. To which I replied: (1) exactly. 4 white guys splitting the white vote in a plurality election; what part of fractions do you people not understand?, and (2) everybody in town is contractually obligated to buy the cable TV whether they like it or not. That is when I realized that these “big time” Broward consultants were idiots. And that I had actually learned something useful in political science at the University of Florida…. And that was 11 YEARS AGO!!!!

    I can tell you from personal experience that Ashley Walker knows what she is doing, and CAN do it, given the resources. She worked on the ex’s Democratic State House campaign in 2004 and did a great job with absolutely laughable resources given by the fossils in the Democratic Party. Obviously her 2008 results speak for themselves; when given the proper resources, Ms. Walker can get the job done and run rings around….. well…. I won’t name names…..

    Kevin Hill

  13. LifesABeach says:

    Knowing very little about judicial races, like most voters, I read your column with an ‘ignorant’ eye. I do not see Mr. Rothchild as a great candidate just because he collected a lot of money. I believe most of that comes from his daddy’s contacts and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. However, Barry Harris is an anchor around the neck of possibly a viable candidate.

  14. Annon says:

    Some of these comments must be posted by Ms. Harris or people with her campaign. To say or even imply her experience would be good eperience for a judge is a joke. She has little to no experience in dealing with litigation, clients or the inns and outs that attorneys deal with in the real world. Also, although Rothschild may have had two jobs that were relatively short term, he was with the Public Defender for close to seven years not counting the time he spent as Certified Legal Intern. Those commenting are all talking about the campaign managers, money and all of this other nonesense instead of focusing on who is likely to be a better judge of the two of them and who is likely to understand the needs to the public that comes before them as well as the attorneys practicing before them. There is no question that is ROTHSCHILD in this particular race!

  15. Buddy says:

    FROM BUDDY:

    Although hard, it is not impossible to win a judicial race with little money.

    For instance, Mardi Anne Levey Cohen won in 2010 spending only $28,075. And she had a runoff!

    Many candidates with less money than their opponents have won. One example: In 2006, John Rayson spent $262,776 for a circuit court seat. He lost to Michele Towbin Singer, who spent $83,948.

  16. Michael G. Ahearn, Esq says:

    Buddy

    As always, thanks for the props. At 42 it is nice to still be considered young for anything.

    One name I would add that does not get mentioned enough is Danielle DiNicola with Sheriff Lamberti. Her success with the Sheriff in 08′ and currently speaks for itself. She is one of the most underrated campaign people in town.

    Kevin, I for one find cable to be a dying medium. As I say to candidates all the time, drive through a neighborhood and every DISH Network, Direct TV dish etc you see on a house is someone not getting your commercial.

    What about TIVO and/or DVR’s? Most people zip right through commercials these days.

    What about the fact that studies show that the average viewer needs to see an ad at least 11 times for it to even resonate? Sure some cable is cheap but if you have to run it for 3-5 weeks to resonate, it is not so cheap.

    Also, there is the cost of production for an ad. Like anything, you can do it on the cheap, but lets face it nothing is more unforgettable, not in a good way, than a poorly made ad.

    Deals with printers? What about the percentage that the person making the cable buy gets?

    Is mail better? Who can say, but at least mail can be microtargeted to select groups. When you run a cable ad you are hitting as many unregistered/non voters as you are actual voters.

  17. Kevin says:

    Again, Buddy, I would implore you to look at HOW those two people actually SPENT their money.

    And as you have pointed out, those are two women who won in low information elections against men.

    Further, I’ll give you one guess as to how someone like “Cohen” and “Towbin-Singer” could have beaten someone like “Rayson” and “McLawrence” in Broward County in 2010 (though this formula may not last for much longer).

    Not commenting on why this is a good or bad thing for democracy… just stating facts that you have several times.

    Kevin.

    FROM BUDDY:

    Rayson spread the money around: A Comcast buy of around $50,000 and another $28,000 to consultant Judy Stern for the TV work. Lots for printing and mail pieces. Thousands into the black community and to other consultants — Jack Shifrel and the late Bob Cantrell.

    Towbin-Singer did some mailing and even returned $19,000 to herself from a loan, which is included in the total I mentioned.

    If you are hinting that Cohen had a Jewish-sounding name, it didn’t help her the two previous times she ran. Also, she ran against another candidate with a Jewish sounding name who didn’t get out of the primary.

    Having money is always better. I agree with you that knowing where to spend it is even more important.

  18. Ron Gunzburger says:

    Thanks for the very nice words, Buddy! Maybe I’ll get the fire again in the future to regularly consult on races … but I’m certainly taking a break right now from actively running campaigns. I still offer free advice these days to local candidates I like, and volunteer and/or contribute on some races (Obama, Frankel, etc).

  19. the race to watch says:

    People around the courthouse are aware Ahearn put up Laura Watson to give Julio Gonzalez and his campaign manager Judy Stern a run. Stern has told anyone who would listen Ahearn is behind all the blog bashing of her and he is trying to steal her mail designer and other vendors. Classic battle of teacher and student. Wonder whose side Seiler will take?

  20. hmmmmm says:

    Didnt Ahern serve on the Emerald Society with Tim Ryan and Jack Seiler? Isnt Seiler good friends with Tim Ryan? So why is Mike Ahern palling around at lunch with John Rodstrom and his term limits lawsuit dupe Bill Telli?

  21. Michael G. Ahearn, Esq says:

    Bill Telli recently suffered a medical condition that has him in the hospital. He will be better than ever real soon.

    Bill’s name will forever be attached to the most important decision on term limits to date.

    Also, Bill is Judge Bailey’s father-in-law. Maria, his daughter/ the Judge’s wife and her dad Bill created a campaign organization that was so respected that no one even wanted to take on Tim for Judge.

    Bill Telli is a lot of things, a dupe, no way.

  22. Ahearn Opinion says:

    So Michael, what do you think of this race?

    Is it the woman with the political husband and no community support, or

    Is it the experienced man with big name supporters and the first spot on the ballot?

  23. Faux cheri M rothschild says:

    hello Boobi, oy ge-volt, such a long time since we talked. first let me say this. i like M&Ms. that is why both my son’s names start with M. as if you didn’t notice even my grandson’s names start with M. I love M&Ms and everything about them. second, nothing to worry about the latest jqc against ron. he did not campaign at the emerald society breakfast for our son who can’t hold a job. (like father like son) ron was there for the corned beef only. he loves corned beef. third. i never tell ron how to rule even if one contributes money to my temple. we need evey dollar now since contributions are down. in closing boobi, a jewish wife never tells her husband or son how to rule. in our tradition, the man of the house always has the last word and you know what that is, “yes dear”.

  24. I smell a Chait says:

    Smearing a candidates mother, only a certain low life political operative would do that, maybe we should BARRY univ or a HARRIS co., do a poll and see who the people would speculate as to who is behind it.

    I wonder if the Chaits or Beth Talabisco have any ideas who would smear a candidates mother?

    If Julie has any class she would denounce this. Then again she is not a mother (thank god for all of us, that couple didnt procreate) so she probably couldnt appreciate the gravity of someone going at a candidates mom.

  25. easy team rothschild says:

    The mother is fair game considering she is selling access to the father if one contributes gelt to her temple. She was the vice-president of the temple for years. Satz knows about it but refuses to get involved because he and ron are board members of the b’nai b’rith justice unit. furthermore, the kick off campaign for mickey was held at a prominent temple member’s house to get around the tax code. a religious organization can not support a candidate. if they do they loose their tax-free status. does mickey supports circumventing the tax code. Now comes the father, the sitting judge, showing up at the emerald society’s breakfast. Is he running for re-election? He did not show up there for the last 3 years. Why show up now especially that he is retiring. Oh I forgot, his son was there in full force campaigning. Daddy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his son. The bottom line is that mickey could not hold a job as a bag boy in Publix without the Rothschild advantage (not that I am demeaning those great bag boys). Lets hope the JQC is alive.

    FROM BUDDY:
    Unfortunately, anybody can say anything on the Internet. That includes cowards who don’t give their name. Remember that Easy Team Rothchild offers no proof of any of this.

  26. No dumb blond says:

    In response: I smell a Chait
    Who said anything about a candidates’ mother? I follow this blog on occasion. I posted a comment for the first time and decided to keep checking the thread. This comment seems to be disjointed. I have heard Shapiro-Harris speak. I see nowhere in this blog nor in any of her speeches mention her opponents mother.
    Mom sounds like a nice Jewish Bubbe…
    Julie sounds like a well educated women who already is a part of the judicial system and does the public great service. I way prefer someone who is already into public service and knows her way around that maze of a courthouse.

  27. No dumb blond says:

    By the way…note to you Mr.Nevins,
    As administrator of this blog I find it reprehensible that you would post a cruel attack on a woman who has worked on behalf of children for most of her career regarding something as personal as being able to have or not to have children.
    Considering her record of service to children I doubt that not having children was a choice. (I do my research when I hear stump speeches and receive political
    advertisements aka. “look at how awesome I am cards.”) I will pose this question…I received a card from Mr.R that said he had been involved in more cases than a man of his youthful age could possibly be involved in unless he’s Dorian Gray. I would say maybe it was a typo but I received more than one.

  28. I smell a Rat says:

    I smell a Chait can only be working for the Rothschild campaign, paid or not. Or thinks he’s doing Rothschild a favor. The shameless attack on Barry and Julie shows the depths of exactly how low some people will sink.

    Julie cannot answer or denounce anything since Judicial Cannons prevent her from engaging in any political activity.

    To Easy Team: Mom and Dad are not running for election so they are not fair game. Selling access to the Judge? Avoiding tax code? Do you have any proof or are you just a blowhard?

    Oh, and one thing Buddy didn’t cover in the article was this: Ballot position may be worth votes, but so is the length of the candidate’s name. Longer names tend to draw the voter’s eye. All in all, it’s probably a wash.

    FROM BUDDY:

    I’ll let Jim Kane answer your comment on the length of a candidate’s name since he is a veteran political operative, having been a strategist on numerous Republican and Democratic campaigns. More important, he has taught various disciplines in political science in the graduate political campaigning and practical politics program at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and has had been of his research studies published in academic journals.
    He said:

    “There is no evidence at all in literature or studies that the length of a name matters. I personally think it is a wives tale dreamed up by some candidates or their consultants.”

    As far as Chait working for the Rothchild campaign, give me proof and I’ll write about it. It is much better me writing about it with proof than you making anonymous accusations. When I received anonymous accusations at the newspaper, I put them in my round file–the garbage pail. That’s where your allegations belong without proof.

  29. easy team rothschild says:

    proof was submitted to the SA office.

  30. Jeanne says:

    ” (thank god for all of us, that couple didnt procreate) so she probably couldnt appreciate the gravity of someone going at a candidates mom.”

    Jeanne: Clearly this is a case of hypocrisy. One cannot decry an alleged attack on a candidate’s mother in one breath and then make disgusting comments about the other candidate in the next breath.

    Plus just saying some happening isn’t the same as it really happening. How about we stick to facts.

  31. No horse in the race says:

    I’ve worked with Ms Schapiro and she is highly competent in the domestic violence arena. I am also familiar with Mr Rothschild and he too is competent in his arena (former public defender)
    This looks like it is going to be a nasty campaign.
    Mr Rothschild’s father needs to stay away from his son when his son is campaigning. If he doesn’t sooner or later the JQC and or the bar will come knocking on his door.

    P.S. Judge Barbara McCarthy ran in 2010. She is married to Judge Arthur Birkin. Not once during the campaign did anyone ever even hear about Judge Birkin.
    Judge Rothschild would be WISE to follow that lead and stay away from his son’s campaign.

  32. I smell a Rat says:

    Buddy, you missed one sentence in my post “Or thinks he’s doing Rothschild a favor” making the intent of the statement maybe, maybe not. More of a question than an accusation. And then there’s this from Chait’s posting:

    “Then again she is not a mother (thank god for all of us, that couple didnt procreate) so she probably couldnt appreciate the gravity of someone going at a candidates mom.” How many of us would tolerate being on the end of that kind of comment?

    Then of course, referring to Barry Harris as a “low life political operative is a little much, too. Pretty low. Pretty libelous in some circles. But people in the public eye have to “take it” so to speak. Fortunately for all of us, freedom of speech in publishing has a broad range of limits.

  33. MemorialDayOrPandering says:

    Several candidates showed up at the local Memorial Day observation. Mr. Rothchild was passing out campaign literature on a day we were honoring soldiers who have given their life for this country. As a son of a seasoned campaigner, he knows better. Abbey Freedman (School Board) and Donna Korn (School Board) were doing the same. None of them will get my vote.

  34. Hey Abbot says:

    Buddy,

    I didn’t read your reply until just now. I stand corrected.
    From Steve Feren’s 2008 Judicial Race

    4/16/2008 $ 4,000.00 CAMPAIGN ASSOCIATES Consulting
    11/3/2008 $11,350.00 CAMPAIGN ASSOCIATES Consulting
    9/8/2008 $ 6,000.00 CAMPAIGN ASSOCIATES Consulting
    Total $21.350.00

    Look up the other charges from Campaign Associates and figure out the markup.

    Then take a look at Image Plus Graphics and figure out how much kickback.