Primary Candidate Analysis, Part 4

The fourth and final part of my primary candidate analysis focuses on the candidates’ communication abilities and knowledge of issues. Each candidate sat down with News 10 Now’s Bill Carey for roughly 15 minutes each and answered the same series of questions. I will be basing my ratings on these interviews.

Alfonso Davis

Watch the interview here.

Alfonso Davis seemed to struggle a little bit in the sit-down, one-on-one interview format. He was able to communicate some of his ideas, but probably not as clearly and fluently as he would have liked. He has definitely improved his performance over the course of the campaign, but it his communication abilities have yet to fully reach a professional level.

Rating: 3/5.

Carmen Harlow

Watch the interview here.

Carmen Harlow showed more self-confidence than Alfonso Davis, but Mr. Harlow tended to ramble quite a bit during the one-on-one interview with Bill Carey. He went off topic for several minutes while answering pretty much every question. I really didn’t get a good sense of Mr. Harlow’s vision or what sort of policy goals he would be seeking if elected.

Rating: 2/5.

Otis Jennings

Watch the interview here.

Otis did a great job of turning some of Bill Carey’s questions into opportunities to discuss some of his proposals and his vision for Syracuse. He communicated his positions effectively and came across as educated on the issues. Otis’ background as a motivational speaker certainly helped him get his major points across during this interview.

Rating: 4/5.

Steve Kimatian

Watch the interview here.

Speaking with notes handy, Mr. Kimatian communicated his ideas expertly. He spoke with confidence and got his points across very well. His background hosting a talk show (“Sundays with Steve”) gave his responses a more conversational tone, which certainly help his ability to discuss his proposals. Mr. Kimatian appeared well-informed and marketed himself well.

Rating: 4/5.

Stephanie Miner

Watch the interview here.

Stephanie Miner was calm, cool and collected in this interview. She was very comfortable speaking about a variety of city issues and was a very effective communicator. She seemed to go more in-depth than some of the other candidates, but like the rest of the field, she didn’t knock the interview out of the park. Overall, Stephanie did very well.

Rating: 4/5.

Joe Nicoletti

Watch the interview here.

Joe Nicoletti came across as educated on the issues and polished in his delivery. Again, Nicoletti held his own during the interview, but failed to outshine the other major candidates of both parties. He made a couple of verbal slip-ups (my favorite being “we will attack this community”), but they did not detract from his eloquent discussion of city issues.

Rating: 4/5.