baratunde's internet scratch pad

From today's episode of The Brian Lehrer show

And can I just add a compliment to the folks at WNYC. The New York Times wrote a very large piece about mayor battles and failed, FAILED to mention the epic, game-changing campaign waged by Jennifer Magnolfi and I. While the times focused on people merely checking in a lot or hacking software to checkin for them, Magnolfi and I helped affect the sales and physical space at Delicatessen.

For shame, New York Times. And three cheers to WNYC and the Brian Lehrer show!

In other post-campaign news, Magnolfi and I shared one of her signature drinks at Delicatessen this past Monday night. We reflected on the campaign and her first full week as mayor. As I expected, her administration is doing a great job. The people of Delicatessen have a leader they can be proud of.

Stay tuned for more campaign reflections and updates on my post-mayoral life.

Tonight, I officially step down as mayor of Delicatessen in a ceremony to mark the end of the campaign and the swearing in of Jennifer Magnolfi as the new mayor. In these, the last hours of my mayorship, I've been reflecting on both the campaign and all that our administration has accomplished. I am so proud of all of you, and even though we didn't finish all that we set out to do, we did far more than most.

One particularly memorable moment occurred on Friday August 6th at roughly 5:30pm. It was a Whiskey Friday like any other, except for the fact that our campaign was holding a rally across the street from Delicatessen. I honestly didn't know if people would show up (Facebook RSVPers are notorious liars), and I choked up a little when I arrived to find several people making signs. 

(download)

Click here to download:

mayorthurston-campaign-reflections-video-of-my-rally-for-delinyc-tDuIyokthtjyBwuvmCnJ.zip (9.62 MB)

Of course, what would a political rally be without a counter-protest. A much smaller group had gathered across the street to stand against progress, unsurprisingly invoking the name of Jesus to selfishly promote their negativity.

But her presence only strengthened and inspired us. I had not planned to make any speeches. This rally was for Delicatessen, but how could I resist the will of the people? Here is that speech:

Tonight, I will make sure to order some milk and cookies. Simple and delicious, the way politics should be.

This is me getting a tour of the kitchen by Matt before being thrown
behind the bar to make Mojitos

I will never forget this screen.

At 1:58pm ET yesterday, I lost my mayorship of Delicatessen to my friend and opponent, Jennifer Magnolfi. I know this will come as a shock to my supporters and political observers, but after reflecting on the outcome for nearly 24 hours, it does not come as much of a shock to me.

I want to offer my public congratulations to Mayor Magnolfi and her campaign manager (and Delicatessen Mayor Emeritus) Ron J Williams. They ran an excellent, honorable campaign, and I called Jennifer personally to congratulate her. A video of me leaving the voicemail message is lower down in this post.

I'd also like to thank my campaign manager and Mayor of Madiba, Zane Latta whose counsel and inspiration got me through some long nights and moments of doubt.

Many of my supporters have expressed outrage and indignation at the outcome, with some demanding a recount and others suggesting I keep running. Let me state unequivocally and for the record that I honor these election results, and so should we all. The people (or Foursquare's algorithms) have spoken. Now is not the time for pettiness and selfishness and bitterness. I know many of you are hurting, but now, more than ever, is the time for us to come together as a people. There is too much work to do for us to remain a house divided.

A word on how Magnolfi's victory was determined. When we kicked off our campaign, I was already the mayor, with a several day advantage. We agreed to a 30 day window, during which time she would try to overtake me. It was a sudden death structure. If at any point before close of business on August 14th she ousted me, she would be declared the victor. The only reason she had a chance was due to several trips I had planned: a trade mission to Montreal and a fundraising trip to Las Vegas. These two trips put us neck and neck, though neither of us knew how close.

Yesterday morning, I made a critical political calculation. I was hosting a high school friend at my home in Brooklyn, and another good friend, Gustavo Rivera, had asked for my help in his legitimate and very important New York state senate campaign. My original Sunday plan was to wake up, head to Delicatessen for breakfast, get some work done and consider heading up to the Bronx for Gustavo.

Instead I chose to spend some time with my friend before he left to return to DC. I then faced a brutal choice: secure my own mayorship with a check in at Delicatessen or make the long journey to the Bronx to help Gustavo oust State Senator Pedro Espada by going door to door in the 33rd district. I chose the latter. As I prepared to leave Gustavo's headquarters near Grand Concourse & Mosholu Parkway to begin canvassing, I got the alert that Magnolfi had ousted me.

Yes, I was shocked. Yes, it hurt. When you put so much of yourself into a campaign, losing can never feel good, but with incumbents all across the country threatened by challengers, I could only be so surprised. As with life, I had to dust myself off and focus on the mission at hand. I hit the streets hard for Gustavo. My partner and I ended up knocking on 110 doors, and by the end of the day, with new perspective, I felt great about my decision. 

I find it oddly poetic that the day before my loss, Magnolfi and I and our respective campaign managers held a joint strategy session over brunch at Delicatessen to plan the final week of campaigning. We wanted to step it up yet another notch with a collective effort that would forever redefine Foursquare mayorship. It's that sort of collaboration, putting the people before politics, that so many of our elected officials could use as a model. If all goes well, Magnolfi and I will be able to announce our initiative within the next day.

As for my next steps, I'm already getting inquiries about whether I'll be running for mayor at another venue soon, and I can say that all such talk is premature. I'm just looking forward to winding down my campaign apparatus, finalizing the Thurston-Magnolfi joint initiative and campaign closing party and spending more time with my beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn, which I haven't seen much of due to the rigors of the campaign.

I couldn't have done any of this without the love and support of Fort Greene, and I want to thank her for sticking by my side when it seemed that I had permanently relocated to Nolita and Soho. You know what they say: behind every great mayor is a great neighborhood. I love you, Fort Greene.

I will still frequent Delicatessen, but to honor Magnolfi's new mayorship, I will not check in on Foursquare through close of business August 14th (the original campaign deadline), so that she might enjoy her mayorship, and we can avoid unintentional ousting and the resulting media frenzy, speculation and distrust.

Throughout the coming days, I'll continue to post videos and photos from the campaign to this blog, because I'm so proud of what we've done here. You should be proud too. People, we shook the world!

And now, here's a video of my concession voicemail to Magnolfi, recorded at the Gustavo Rivera for State Senate campaign headquarters.

Thank you all, and stay tuned for more exciting announcements as we close out this historic campaign through the remainder of the week.

- Delicatessen Mayor Emeritus Baratunde Thurston

Left to right:
Mikhia Hawkins, friend to the Thurston campaign
Zane Latta, campaign manager for Mayor Thurston
Ron Williams, campaign manager for Magnolfi
Jennifer Magnolfi, candidate for mayor
Baratunde Thurston, mayor

Today is a very exciting one for our campaign. As we continue to push the envelope of Foursquare mayorship and local leadership in general, we are proud to announce the availability of Mayor Thurston campaign shirts. Thanks to our manufacturing and distribution partnership with Zazzle, you can show your support for this administration by displaying our official campaign art (designed by the good folks at Aviary) on a variety of stylish shirts. 

The default choice is a creme American Apparel adult t-shirt, but our campaign believes in the people's right to choose. Be sure to check out all the styles and colors available from a Value T-Shirt priced at $17.45 to a $39.45 hoodie. This administration has always supported investment in the next generation, so don't forget to order shirts for your infants and children.

Finally, due to Zazzle's business processes, we will be taking a 10 percent commission on each sale. Some may question the idea of us profiting from political activity, but we actually think this will bring transparency and integrity to the financing of our campaign. As you know, we are on the record stating our support for campaign finance reform...

If you had a meeting with Foursquare, what would you tell them to do to improve their network?

We need campaign finance reform. It's very expensive to run a campaign like this, and I may have to seek creative financing. Mayorship should be about service to the people, not how much you're willing to spend on a Cider Mustard Glazed Porkchop

These funds will be used to offset the cost of the campaign and to finance mayoral initiatives. We firmly believe in keeping big money and special interests out of our campaign and our administration. Corporate donations, no matter how well-intended, corrupt, and we think this micro-financing plan, raising small amounts from individual donors, best reflects the values we hold dear at Delicatessen.

I checked in to Delicatessen this evening and was greeted with the following tip from my opponent:

Drink recommendation - not on menu - "The Toast Of The Town" designed by Barry: 1/2 ounce lime juice, Strawberry, 1/4 ounce Campari, Prosecco, lemon twist - in a champagne flute. #magnolfi4mayor

I look forward to addressing these issues and more in our debate later in the week. Details will be forthcoming. Stay tuned.

ovia newyork.metromix.com

Entertainment guide Metromix NY has profiled the Mayor Thurston campaign!! This is great news for our campaign and for the people of Delicatessen whom we are both proud and humbled to represent. 

The publication regularly profiles Foursquare users. Here's what they said about me:

Baratunde Thurston's campaign for mayor of Soho scenester joint Delicatessen, against fellow Foursquare user Jennifer Magnolfi, is taking Mayor WarsTM to a new level. Not only has he commissioned a campaign poster, but the restaurant is in on the game. They have created a cocktail for both competitiors and are hosting a victory party on Aug. 16 for the winner. We spoke with Thurston to find out why this title is so important to him, and why cheeseburger spring rolls are worth fighting for.

After that you can read my responses to reporter Linnea Covington's questions. Unfortunately, they couldn't print everything I said, but thanks to the magic of the Sent Mail folder, we can share those responses with you in full below.

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