NEW YORK, NY November 02, 2003 — A judicial corruption scandal has rocked the Brooklyn Democratic party. As a result, the upstart Working Families Party could make inroads on the Democrats' turf in next Tuesday's elections. But what about that other other party the Republicans?!? WNYC's Fred Mogul takes a look.

It's a rainy mid-week morning inside a Bay Ridge subway station. Pat Russo and two campaign volunteers are triple-teaming incoming commuters. Many seem to look right through him, but some stop to talk about issues. Those who take a flyer and read it could be forgiven for missing Russo's party affiliation. On one sheet, you'd have to read all the way to the bottom, to find the P.S. describing him as the candidate of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.

Russo: I always discuss party affiliation, but, the issues that come into play in this district are taxing issues -- the income, sales tax. That's why we focus on the issues, not because the party affiliation is wrong. I certainly believe in party affiliation. I'm proud and humbled by here parties supporting me, but, the issue has to be accountability in these times.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in the city 5 to 1, and in Brooklyn the gap widens to almost 7 to 1. Still, with the Kings County Democratic party blighted by the scandal surrounding indicted party chief Clarence Norman, shouldn't Brooklyn Republicans be rolling in political clover? Robert Hornak, who heads the New York City Young Republicans wishes it were so.

Hornak: Everything candidates need to be successful has been diminished because of all the constant party infighting - over nothing. They're not gaining any power out of it. They're not electing people to office T-5; :30 I think only about half the races have Republicans in them running against the incumbent Democrats in the city

New York Post editorial writer Robert George notes that even Young Republicans like Hornak can't get their act together. Every since John Lindsay was mayor in the 60s and 70s, the group has been split in two -- like a Catholic schism, George says.

George: I think it's sad that there's no grass roots organizations to take advantage of either the ineptitude or incompetence or malfeasance on the part of Democrats.

That isn't new. Even with the corruption of Tammany Hall a century or more ago, Republicans had a tough time unseating Democrats. In recent years, the GOP has done a little better, taking over they mayoral office in New York and several large cities around the country. But urban historian Tom Sugrue says there's a reason they have been slow to pick up city council seats and judge-ships.

Sugrue: Since the 1930s, the New Deal solidified Democratic control on the local level, and while constituents have on occasion pulled the lever for a Republican mayor, the get-out-the-vote-apparatus, the constituent-service apparatus, is very much tied in most cities to the Democratic party. And barring a real shift in the demography of center city populations, I don't see the Democratic party losing its stronghold on the grass roots.

Even the Democrat-bashing editorial writers of The New York Post could find only two Republican city council candidates in Brooklyn to endorse - though that's one more than they found in Queens, and two more than they found in the Bronx. But in Manhattan, where a trio of candidates is running under the banner of Urban Republicans, Robert George finds a model he'd like to see the GOP replicate around the five boroughs.

George: The first thing you need to do is get a unified message and try and brand this message with the name Republican and try to attract some support and interest that way.

Of course, party unity and discipline would only get Republicans so far. They would still need lots and lots of Democrats to break ranks and join their cause. Back in Bay Ridge, Pat Russo is counting on one of the country's most dense population of senior citizens to help him unseat Democratic incumbent Vincent Gentile for the 43rd City Council District seat.

Russo: A lot of the seniors tell me they just enrolled in the Democratic Party, when they were fully able to enroll, they just did it as a family tradition. Many of the immigrant groups, going back to the 20s, the 30s, the 40s, just had tremendous enrollment with the Democratic party. Still continues to this day. They just don't change their enrollment - but they change their minds, when it comes to the election day.

Some commuters waiting for the R Train said they would cross party lines to vote for Russo, and at least one Republican said she'd vote for Gentile. But even a cursory survey of strap-hangers confirms the challenge facing both candidates. Mostly, people say they don't plan to vote at all.