Handicapping the Race Early
Dear Dark Horses:
What do you think of Adrian Fenty’s chances of being reelected?
Three columnists have addressed the issue in the past two months: Harry
Jaffe on March 31, “Only One Politician Can Beat Fenty,” http://tinyurl.com/cvs6h3;
Jonetta Rose Barras on May 11, “Anybody But Fenty,” http://jrbarras.com./site/?p=549;
and most recently Colbert King on May 16, “His Highness the Mayor,”
http://tinyurl.com/oxhskf. They
all come to the same conclusion, more or less. They all write that Mayor
Fenty is riding high, in a good position for reelection, and that he’ll
probably be reelected. They also all write that his problem is that he
acts as though he’s in the catbird seat, and because of that he’s
behaving in a self-destructive way that could bring about his own
defeat. “Blinded by the arrogance of power,” says a critic quoted by
Jaffe; “a mini-dictator,” Barras says former fans call him; and King
says, “The word that comes to mind, and which frequently slips out of
the mouths of people who spend time observing the mayor, is ‘arrogance.’”
While these columnists all acknowledge Fenty’s central weakness,
they also all discount the ability of a challenger to come from nowhere,
with fewer resources and a shorter resume than either the incumbent or
other challengers, and to win. Washington, DC, has had five mayors:
Walter Washington, Marion Barry, Sharon Pratt Kelly, Anthony Williams,
and Adrian Fenty. With the exception of Walter Washington, all of these
mayors began his or her first mayoral campaign as an underdog, with less
experience, fewer supporters, and a much smaller campaign fund than his or
her opponents. Fenty has squandered the affection that many of his
supporters felt for him two years ago; his only passionate supporters
today are the developers with whom he trades favors and those who want
to shrink DC’s public school system because of their opposition to
teachers unions. And he has alienated many communities that were his
core supporters. If you have to place your bet on the mayoral race
before any challengers announce, bet on the mayor. But don’t bet now
if you don’t have to.
Dark horses win our mayoral races as often as not. So if you’re not
just handicapping the race, but speculating on who should run, whom
would you promote as a candidate for mayor? Don’t limit your choices
to long-experienced councilmembers; long-experienced councilmembers are
usually also-rans in mayoral races. Washington voters like fresh faces
who come out of left field. Maybe that’s part of our problem, but it
should encourage anyone who is contemplating running and anyone who
wants to vote for “Anybody But Fenty.”
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Hooray for Joe Lieberman
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
Just back from eight days on the old sod (Ireland), where the traffic
is unreal and worse than on the local DC roads. And, to boot, they drive
on the wrong side of the road. Was delighted on our return to learn that
Senator Joe Lieberman was leading an insurgency against Obama regarding
the termination of the Vouchers Program for students in DC Too bad that
even DC’s leaders are not supporting the insurgency effort vigorously
because of the teachers’ union. So much for change, Mr. Obama.
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Marion Barry Stands Up for Family Values with
His Vote
William Smith, Jr., Ward 8 Voter, stoneylov@yahoo.com
Most African Americans, both in DC and nationwide, oppose same sex
marriage. We applaud the vote by our councilman, and will publicize the
antifamily vote of the other councilmembers when they’re up for
reelection.
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On May 13, 2009, I testified at the city council’s hearing on
statehood and self-determination for the District of Columbia, http://www.dcwatch.com/columns/jordan.htm.
John McMillan is often vilified. I did so in the hearing. For all his
bombast, he spoke for the majority of Congress in his refusal to release
any measure from the House District Committee (which he ruled for
twenty-seven consecutive years, 1955-1972) that would advance
self-government for the District and its growing African American
population. Although several discharge petitions were attempted, none
ever succeeded. A discharge petition requires a majority of signatures
of the members of the House of Representatives to petition the Speaker
and the Rules Committee to take a legislative proposal from an
obstructionist Committee for action by the full House. A 1962 discharge
petition attempt secured 203 of a required 219 signatures (of 435
Members) to discharge a Home Rule proposal. Congressional rhetoric
aside, John McMillan and his Dixiecrat cadre in the House District
Committee formed Congress’s southern line of defense against
Washington, DC’s, becoming a showcase of African American
enfranchisement and municipal authority in the nation’s capital.
If you have any John McMillan stories, particularly any that might
reveal his intervention in local affairs, please share them: Samuel
Jordan, 388-6661 or SJordan@jordansmark.com
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Google Holds Talks with NYT and Washington
Post About Possible Collaborations
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
File this under: “You might not need to attend funerals for daily
newspapers”: (http://tinyurl.com/p3yafq)
Hopeful. Newsweek is probably cooked, though (http://tinyurl.com/dg5r37).
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How to Subscribe to Book-Related Podcasts on
iTunes
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
If you’re a book lover and you’d like to connect with
book-related podcasts, here is a short screencast I created that
explains how to subscribe to book-related podcasts on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/orvegw
Almost all podcasts on iTunes are free. Most podcasts are in audio
form, but an increasing number of podcasts are in video form, too.
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In reply to your “Public Service” editorial [themail, May 13],
first of all, thank you for all you are doing to provide light on our
local scene. Please keep on doing it as long as you have the passion and
ability.
I agree that it is looking very grim for the print and television
news media. The other medium that still seems to be making a go of it,
however, and providing valuable local and world news and commentary, it
seems to me, is NPR and WAMU. My impression is that they are in healthy
financial condition, and continue to have the ability and drive to
continue their valuable service.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Department of Parks and Recreation Events, May
19-22
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
May 19, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Majestic Movie Theater, 900 Ellsworth
Drive, Silver Spring, MD. Seniors aged 55 and up will enjoy a day at the
movies and will eat lunch at the Majestic in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The Majestic offers state-of-the-art and innovative stadium seating for
first-run movies. Please call for reservations, Louis Jones at 541-3752.
May 20, 5:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, 501
Riggs Road, NE. Karaoke for ages five to eighteen. Bring your favorite
track and your voice and show American Idol what they are missing! For
more information, call Shirleta Settles, Site Manager, at 576-5224.
May 21, 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th
Street, NW. Horseshoe mini-tournament for ages six and up. Are you up
for a horseshoe challenge? Will you pitch clockwise, flip, rolling flip
or counterclockwise? Join us for a mini-horseshoe tournament! For more
information, call Oscar Taylor at 671-4794.
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A Thyme for Peace
Book
Talk, May 21
Beth Meyer, kensington.books@verizon.net
Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., reading and author talk by Dr. Alice G.
Miller. A Thyme for Peace is the story of a search for inner
peace by a psychotherapist. It is a search which she views as the
foundation for world peace. Told with warmth and lighthearted humor,
this is the story of a spiritual pilgrimage, narrated by a
psychotherapist who wryly observes that the path to peace, like the road
to Hell, is paved with good intentions. The author’s view of “waging
peace” is firmly rooted in the Judeo-Christian heritage, which
provides readers with insights to ponder as they travel on their own
spiritual journeys. Throughout the story the reader is invited to wander
through the author’s own beautiful woodland garden which, for her, is
the source of spiritual renewal. Part garden book, part spiritual
journey, this book will warm your heart and lighten your day!
Alice G. Miller, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist in private practice in
Potomac, Maryland. She describes herself as a therapist by profession
and a gardener by spirit. A graduate of the University of Maryland
School of Social Work, Dr. Miller is the author of three previous books,
including To Everything There is a Season. Prior to entering
private practice, she has been the Director of a Youth Crisis Center,
Director of a residential treatment program, and an individual and
family therapist with a psychiatric group practice. At Kensington Row
Bookshop, 3786 Howard Avenue, Kensington, MD.
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National Building Museum Events, May 21
Jazmine Zick, jzick@nbm.org
May 21, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., The Competitiveness and Sustainability
of American Cities and Regions. The Penn Institute for Urban Research
presents a national roundtable discussion on what the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act and other anticipated initiatives from the Obama
administration mean for the competitiveness and sustainability of
American cities and regions. Introduction by Elizabeth Plater Zyberk,
Dean, School of Architecture, University of Miami. Keynote by Derek
Douglas, Special Assistant to President Obama for Urban Affairs. Learn
more at http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/1951380911?view=Detail&id=106201.
This event is free and open to the public. An RSVP is recommended;
please submit by May 18, by E-mailing penniur@pobox.upenn.edu.
May 21, 1:00-6:30 p.m., 1909 - 2109: Sustaining the Values of
American Planning. Hear federal officials, community activists, and
others reflect on the first one hundred years of the planning movement
in the United States. Learn about the current state of planning and
where the movement is headed in the next one hundred years in this
half-day symposium. Confirmed speakers include the Honorable Adolfo
Carrión, Jr., Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs; Her
Excellency Carolina Barco, Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States;
Eugenie Birch, FAICP, Co-Director for the Penn Institute for Urban
Research and Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional
Planning; Megan J. Cummings, AICP, Transportation Planner, Gorove/Slade
Associates, Inc.; Robert Fishman, Professor of Architecture and Urban
Planning, University of Michigan; David R. Godschalk, FAICP, Professor,
Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina -
Chapel Hill; Steven McCullough, President and CEO, Bethel New Life,
Inc.; and Chris Silver, FAICP, Dean, College of Design, Construction
& Planning, University of Florida. Moderated by Elinor Bacon,
President, E.R. Bacon Development. $20 museum and APA members;
free for students; $35 nonmembers. Prepaid registration required.
Walk-in registration based on availability. Both events at the National
Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red
Line. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.
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