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It’s election time!

This column is going to take the week off from commenting on the grim realities of the World Trade Center tragedy, war in Afghanistan, terrorism in the mail and the anxiety of what the future holds.

We’re going to quickly revert back to our roots and visit the candidates who square off in Tuesday’s election. Coming back home to politics and elections is like having a slice of pizza after a string of fancy meals — always good, always comforting and you always walk away wondering if any other food is really necessay — at least I do.

Politics — local politics — is this column’s staple nourishment.

And Mayor, Borough President and City Council are about as local as the big time game gets.

Mike Bloomberg & Mike Schenkler photo: Dee Richard

It seems like the mayoral contest has been going on forever. The primary, originally slated for Sept. 11 was cancelled mid-morning and held two weeks later; there was a Democratic runoff with an end that lasted for several days due to a less-than-perfect Board of Elections and less-than-auspicious campaign tactics. There was also Rudy Giuliani trying to "steal the mayorality" for three months or more by playing games leveraging his new-found popularity.

And now, after more than a decade of preparing (and running) for the job, Mark Green, the City’s public advocate, is close enough to taste the water in Gracie Mansion.

He faces Mike Bloomberg who started preparing for the run perhaps only a year ago. Mike was too busy building the giant business media conglomerate that bears his name. He’ll tell you that running a mammoth company, making shrewd business decisions and supervising thousands is the best training any candidate could possibly have especially in the new New York requiring economic revitalization and rebuilding.

Green on the other hand is the consummate public servant. From his days with Ralph Nader to his most recent gig as public advocate, Green has devoted his life to the noble pursuit.

Some may question whether Green has ever had any real heavy managerial experience while others wonder whether Bloomberg is just too new to politics to handle the job.

As far as political leanings, don’t buy what they’re selling. Both Mark Green and Mike Bloomberg are liberal Democrats. They were nurtured on the same progressive principles as this writer. Bloomberg’s change of party and Green’s move to the center are each part of a political remake to capture the mayoral prize. I’m not yelling deceit or malice, that’s the way the game is played. Mike and Mark wouldn’t even deny it too vigorously.

Conclude that whichever of the two you vote for, you’ll get a guy who is a progressive on social issues but forced to be a fiscal moderate to conservative . . . and that’s good.

Mark Green is not the typical Democratic mayoral candidate. He has not built the deep political relationships with labor or party organizations. He does not have political friends and operatives in each neighborhood. He is independent. It wasn’t until he got to the runoff that party and labor leaders sat at the table to consider him. He could be a mayor beholden to very few. He could be a mayor unable to build coalitions. He could be a mayor who governs by his own judgement — a rarity in City history.

Mike Bloomberg is not the typical Republican candidate. He never tried to build any political relationships. He’s bought his political operatives and contacts in the City’s neighborhoods. He is independent. He is uncorruptable – special interests will never own him. He too may struggle to build the essential coalitions. He will run the City like a business. He could be a mayor who governs by his own judgement — a rarity in City history.

Mark visited me at the Trib last April as he was just hitting stride in the race. I’d met him a number of times through the years. He hadn’t changed. He’s hard working, driven and bright.

Green stands on his record of advocacy for the people, and explained that he was the choice of the voters in his party because the people had watched him and liked what they saw.

I noted back then that "Green isn’t green." He’s got a credible history of public service and what seems to be a professional campaign. His heart and politics are in the right place."

I wrote, "And above all, Green points out: ‘I’m not beholden to anyone but the people. . . I’m not a candidate of machine politics. I’m an independent Democrat. I will enter office as a candidate of the people.’"

In August, Mike came by the Trib to chat. I wrote: "Mike Bloomberg is bright, visionary, compassionate, knows our City and does not want to be a politician."

"I’ve learned a lot," he told me back then, of his short journey into elective office.

"It will certainly be a tragedy if I don’t get elected," he explained, "a tragedy for education, for housing, for public health, for crime prevention."

"New York is a compassionate city," he said "it takes care of its citizens." And Bloomberg has the heart and business know-how to make it work better.

I wrote: "Mike smoothly moved from issue to issue with familiarity and vision, applying common sense solutions to everyday problems.

"Mike Bloomberg is confident. He is learning. He is determined. He is a bright and skilled executive who offers the City a new perspective on management."

Both Mark and Mike will address rebuilding the City, education and affordable housing. They both will focus on delivery of City service. Their styles may differ, but both will govern considering the City’s less fortunate and the City’s fiscal problems. They’re both basically good men. Their motives won’t differ and their objectives won’t be far apart.

The race could be close.

You’ll have to decide who will be more effective.

Last week, I chatted with GOP Beep candidate Al Stabile who did his darndest to convince me that he expected to win.

Al listed a dozen campaign stops he had made the night before and celebrated the warm greeting he was getting from our diverse borough. This Republican Conservative sure sounded like he was the candidate of the down-trodden when he contrasted the communities that were well-served with the communities that weren’t, by dividing the borough into quadrants separated by the Grand Central Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway.

He’s supporting Joe Addabbo, Jr, the Democratic candidate for City Council to replace him in the Council’s 32nd District. He claims that is what has caused the public accusations that claimed he had taken Little League money and used campaign funds to pay for his daughter’s wedding. He claims that JoAnn Ariola, his former staff member and GOP candidate for the Council seat, made up the stories to discredit him when he showed his preference for Addabbo.

"I have never been contacted by the DA, the police or any investigator. And I’m an easy target," said Stabile, dismissing the stories.

"I’m an in-your-face politician" said Al, of his style and ability to deliver for Queens.

"We just survived a great hit; we lost our virginity," Al said of the Trade Center tragedy. "We must tighten up immigration and rebuild our city."

"People don’t view me as a Republican Conservative," he said. "To them, I’m a heavy-set fellow, a family man, dedicated to children. I am for real."

I interviewed Helen Marshall, the Democratic Liberal candidate in August. "I’ve felt a strange kinship with the woman I met some forty years ago," I wrote. "Sometime, in the early sixties my father became principal of P.S. 143 in Corona. Helen became the PTA president. I’ve watched as Helen toiled in the civic and political field and when the 1980 redistricting opened up a new Assembly seat, Helen won it and I was delighted. And a decade later, charter revision expanded the new City Council and I was happy when Helen joined that body."

"Helen prides herself on the quality constituent service she provides her district and would bring a ‘cracker jack team’ to Borough Hall to serve the entire borough."

"I take pride in my ability to bring people together," she told me back then.

What did Helen think of possibly making history and becoming the first African American Queens Borough President? While her eyes conveyed her pride, she insisted, "Race is a divisive factor. I am not a black candidate."

Helen represents all the people equally and her anger shows, should you suggest anything else. She is proud, she is focused, and she cares.

Al Stabile is putting up a courageous effort. However, to this political junkie, he seems out-gunned by Helen Marshall’s high-powered campaign with momentum in a borough where Democrat has always been the Borough President’s first name.

Marshall will continue her ride, taking an impressive primary victory all the way to become the first black Borough President of Queens, the most diverse place on earth.

COUNCIL RACES

The Republican Party is quietly fading from this borough. The present Queens Council delegation includes 11 Dems and three Republicans. It’ll take a Mike Bloomberg landslide with long coattails for them to hold onto their three seats.

The Republicans have failed to produce an effort to challenge any existing Dem seat.

In the 19th Council seat presently held by the GOP’s Mike Abel, longtime Dem activist Tony Avella seems to be out in front of Democrat-turned-Republican Dennis Saffran. Saffran hopes to take his Giuliani moderate Republican stance and capture a district that often votes that way in spite of the Democratic designation. He’ll have to overcome two decades of service and name recognition built by Avella, one of the hardest-working civic activists on the scene.

In the 32nd presently held by Al Stabile, longtime activist Dem Joe Addabbo, Jr. is being challenged by former Stabile staffer JoAnn Ariola. Ariola has not responded to the Tribune’s request for info or returned our phone calls. Stabile is supporting the Dem over his former staffer. Addabbo’s family name and years of toil should be enough to retain his lead over the absent Ariola.

The best Council race is in the 30th to replace Republican Tom Ognibene. Liz Crowley, the 20-something cousin of powerful Congressman Joe, has taken her family name, Dem roots and union membership and moved into the 30th district to face Ognibene heir-apparent Dennis Gallagher. Gallagher, who has lived in the district most of his life, has spent years as both a civic leader and chief operative to Ognibene and Republican County chair Serf Maltese. He is a shrewd politician who seems to have quiet support among some Dem insiders. The GOP could be shut out in Queens, however, if they take only one seat, this’ll be the one.