There they were, comfortable in a spacious circle around the backyard fire on the coldest night of the year — former City Councilman Scott Malsin, almost former School Board member Laura Chardiet, and the hosts, Madeline and Paul Ehrlich, out back of the Ehrlichs’s Sunset Park home.
Ms. Chardiet, who said she is eager to step down from the School Board next week, played a unique role in the just deceased School Board campaign:
Manager of the Anne Burke-Scott McVarish candidate team that was 50 percent successful.
If not for bullet voting by backers of winning rival Dr. Kelly Kent, both might have been swept onto the Board.
Before engaging in a fireside chat 70 years after the death of FDR, Ms. Chardiet alternately was warming her left shod foot and her right. By 11 o’clock, the fire was more necessary than decorative.
She no doubt represented majority view at the half-victory party when she addressed bullet voting.
Her attitude: Vote and let vote.
“People should be allowed to do what they think is right,” Ms. Chardiet said. “If they feel bullet voting is right, then they should do it.”
Does it skewer elections?
“Sometimes. I mean, it’s a strategy. People should be able to use whatever strategies they feel are right.”
As the night lengthened, did Ms. Chardiet feel more or less optimistic about the chances of her charges who were running second and third after the absentee count?
Pause.
“I feel like I am really happy I only have one more week on the Board,” and she threw back her red head and laughed vigorously. With Ms. Ehrlich next to her, spiritedly, carefully charting her comments, Ms. Chardiet said that “I feel as if I am making my exodus at the right time.”
“Everybody is pretty tired by now,” Ms. Ehrlich said, and that made it a good time to leave.
