I am quite impressed with your analysis. Well written also. I think you have nailed the 'New York' style ward boss' mentality of the democratic machine. Terry McCaufilie is nothing more than a modern day "Boss Tweed". For those of you who aren't familiar here is a snippit worth reading.
'While political corruption had been a problem in the Democratic party since its founding, the activities of Tweed and his associates went far beyond the petty graft of his predecessors, and soon could not be ignored. The New York Times, then a Republican paper, began raising such impertinent questions as how Tweed could afford a town house on Fifth Avenue, an estate in Greenwich, all on his $2500 a year Street Commissioner's salary. Times cartoonist Thomas Nast mercilessly attacked Tweed in political cartoons. The Tweed scandals were a great blow to Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party, and more generally to the NYC. The City's home rule charter was quickly revoked and its ability to govern itself was hampered for the next sixty years. And Democratic reformers for the first time beat the machine. However the reform movement could never hold on to govern mainly because it came from two dramatically opposite factions 1. Wealthy businesses seeking to reduce taxes. 2. Social and labor reformers seeking to increase social services and business regulations.'
Forgot to post the attribution for the snippit in my previous post.
http://www.midtownmedia.com/ndc/Civilwar.html