Some random thoughts as we turn the page on 2007 elections
Some final observations on the results of last week's election and a look ahead to 2008 and beyond as I clear off my desk, empty out my notebook, clean out my e-mail inbox and return all of the voicemail messages left by my mother and everyone else whom I ignored over the past couple of weeks because of the focus on Election Day 2007:

DAN MEYER Political Columnist

• Chris Collins hasn't even taken office yet, and already there is speculation about who will want to run against him for county executive four years from now.

Making it perfectly clear that these are just rumored candidates that I've gathered from a variety of sources, among the names being floated for the 2011 county executive race are County Clerk Kathy Hochul, Orchard Park Town Supervisor Mary Travers Murphy, County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz, City of Buffalo Comptroller Andrew Sanfilippo, County Legislator Lynn Marinelli and City of Buffalo Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk.

Also being looked at as possible candidates are Lancaster Town Supervisor Robert Giza, Clarence Town Supervisor-elect Scott Bylewski, Cheektowaga Town Councilman Jeff Swiatek and Grand Island Town Supervisor Peter McMahon.

The general consensus among observers of the Western New York political landscape is that the county's Democratic Party needs to identify their candidate early on and hope the vast majority of the party's hierarchy approves so a bitter primary, like what we witnessed this year between Jim Keane and Paul Clark, can be avoided. Setting the stage for a one-on-one showdown with Collins, should he decide to seek another term, will be their main goal.

• What did we learn from the Nov. 6 election? If you're a political novice, do whatever is possible to label your opponent as a "career politician" and then gloss yourself over by peppering various buzz words throughout your campaign literature that shows you are a "fresh face" that taxpayers should consider voting for.

For example, longtime elected officials such as Bill Kindel in the Town of Amherst and Dick Smith in the Town of Hamburg couldn't distract voters enough from their opponents' obvious attempts to red-flag their lengthy careers as being the "same old, same old" choice and that a vote for "the new guy" was a step in the right direction.

And about those buzz words. Be sure to store these in the memory bank because they are sure to come up again real soon.

First, there are the terms you need to use to describe your opponent. Any mention of an "entrenched career politician" is sure to get taxpayers worked up, especially when you point out that they have "fought to maintain the status quo."

If you have a job, you can easily use that to point out that your "private sector experience" is something that can help "change the way government is being run."

Then you sprinkle in your promises of providing "true reform" and "lowering the cost of government without lowering the quality of services" while adamantly maintaining you will do whatever is humanly possible to "eliminate patronage and stop wasting taxpayer dollars."

I still don't think there was enough changing of the guard (see the re-election of virtually every county legislator as an example) to declare that a "taxpayer revolt" is now under way, but some incumbent officeholders and career politicians (see Keane's loss to Collins last week) are obviously facing more backlash than ever before.

• Speaking of longtime politicians, speculation about the possible retirement of Republican State Sens. Mary Lou Rath and Dale Volker is heating up. While most believe both seats are considered safe for the GOP, the right kind of Democratic candidate (see a "fresh face") could make those races competitive in the next election cycle. Stay tuned.

(Daniel Meyer is a columnist for the Weekly Independent Newspapers of Western New York, a consortium of 19 community-based weekly newspapers in Erie and Niagara counties with a combined paid circulation of 75,000 homes, providing collaborative advertising and editorial support for member publications. Comments on this column can be sent via e-mail to: meyersmusings@gmail.com. Opinions stated here are those of the author.)