Vincent Gray Running for Reelection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Catania has yet to announce that he's running.

I have more political insight in my pinky finger than some of you do on here. The CMs will split the anti-Gray vote, and Gray will win. 100% -- Gray wins. Talking about what may have happened four years ago is going to get very boring, very quickly, too. He has a very good campaign manager.

And I will vote for Gray, though he is not my first choice. Why? Because strategically, he is my best choice if I don't want Wells. And I really do not want Wells.

Catania has not announced because this is a primary he's not running in. His turn, as an independent, is in November, when it will basically be one on one between him (if he runs) and the winner of the Dem primary. At that point Gray (if your pinky is right) is running against someone who has won more city-wide elections than he has, someone who is clearly smart, and is well-liked by many. What does pinky finger say about that election?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the fence but leaning Grey (I am the 21:34 PP). It is more about attrition.

Wells is hated and has no management experience.
Bowser has no significant achievements on the Council, and doesn't have any management experience.
Shallal is interesting, but won't be able to get enough traction to be viable.
Orange: NFW.
Lewis: See Shallal.
Evans - if Grey weren't running, I would probably lean this way, only because it would be nice having a grown up at the tiller of the ship and he understands the budget and Wall Street.

Obviously there are significant issues related to Grey, but ultimately, the city is in a far better place than it was 3 years ago and there isn't anyone else in a position to keep the good elements moving forward, who also has the experience and maturity to hold the office.

Love Tommy for a number of reasons but you are right, he has few allies on council and how can you run a city that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am on the fence but leaning Grey (I am the 21:34 PP). It is more about attrition.

Wells is hated and has no management experience.
Bowser has no significant achievements on the Council, and doesn't have any management experience.
Shallal is interesting, but won't be able to get enough traction to be viable.
Orange: NFW.
Lewis: See Shallal.
Evans - if Grey weren't running, I would probably lean this way, only because it would be nice having a grown up at the tiller of the ship and he understands the budget and Wall Street.

Obviously there are significant issues related to Grey, but ultimately, the city is in a far better place than it was 3 years ago and there isn't anyone else in a position to keep the good elements moving forward, who also has the experience and maturity to hold the office.

Love Tommy for a number of reasons but you are right, he has few allies on council and how can you run a city that way?

+1. I like a lot about Wells, but he's not built up any base of support on the council.

[Anonymous]

When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

This is a pretty stupid question. Which candidate for mayor do you believe lost because of race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

Given the number of white candidates we have elected at large in the Council (David Clarke and Phil Mendelson, and several others), I think we have clearly shown that the City can look beyond race. I'm not claiming that race is not an issue, but it is not over-riding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Catania has yet to announce that he's running.

I have more political insight in my pinky finger than some of you do on here. The CMs will split the anti-Gray vote, and Gray will win. 100% -- Gray wins. Talking about what may have happened four years ago is going to get very boring, very quickly, too. He has a very good campaign manager.

And I will vote for Gray, though he is not my first choice. Why? Because strategically, he is my best choice if I don't want Wells. And I really do not want Wells.

Catania has not announced because this is a primary he's not running in. His turn, as an independent, is in November, when it will basically be one on one between him (if he runs) and the winner of the Dem primary. At that point Gray (if your pinky is right) is running against someone who has won more city-wide elections than he has, someone who is clearly smart, and is well-liked by many. What does pinky finger say about that election?

Pinky here. First, Catania has now announced that he's running, so apparently he did not feel a need to wait until November.

As to your question about Gray vs. Catania (who I happen to like and could actually be my first choice, if I could make a mayoral appointment): On what planet do you spend most of your time? For one thing, Catania is an Independent. DC is overwhelmingly Democratic. Strike one -- and it's a big one. Catania is White, and I have serious reservations as to whether the Black half of DC is ready for a White Mayor. Catania is prickly. And Catania is gay. And, as far as we may have come, we haven't come that far -- particularly with a lot of mainstream Blacks. Chuck Thies is managing Gray's campaign. He is quite formidable. Put Gray and Catania head-to-head and I don't even see it being close.

Here's what a lot of uber-liberal Whites do not understand: Working class Blacks in DC, who are getting to work at 6 AM to try to feed their families don't even know who Wells is. Why is that? Because they have no time to listen to livable, walkable, bikeable bullshit. They have no time for Tommy's traveling book club, nor to be exhorted to "buy local", nor to listen to him cry that the National Theatre isn't serving local beer. And Catania? The White, Gay, Cranky, Independent? Pinky says good luck with that.

Yes, we are going to hear people talk and talk and talk and talk about what Gray may have done 4 years ago, or may have known 4 years ago -- but as I said, that is going to get boring pretty quickly. He showed good leadership during the shutdown. I could name some other things, but it's very hard for me to sing Gray's praises when I still haven't forgiven him for running against Fenty four years ago. I will not be running to the polls to vote for Gray. But I will vote for him, because he is the best strategic choice for me.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

This is a pretty stupid question. Which candidate for mayor do you believe lost because of race?

Good Question. I await the response(s). I personally cannot think of one. I bet the person who wrote that silly statement has lived in this city less than ten years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

Given the number of white candidates we have elected at large in the Council (David Clarke and Phil Mendelson, and several others), I think we have clearly shown that the City can look beyond race. I'm not claiming that race is not an issue, but it is not over-riding.

For Council. Not for Mayor.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

This is a pretty stupid question. Which candidate for mayor do you believe lost because of race?

It may have had something to do with Fenty losing. He's half-white, remember? A lot of Blacks thought he wasn't Black enough. That alone wouldn't have caused him to lose, but combined with everything else, it helped.

[Anonymous]

BTW, been here for 25 years.

[Anonymous]

Especially with Gray channeling himself to Black radio, speaking in a Black dialect, etc. Fenty didn't even pretend to be Black. He identified himself as mixed-race. Did this hurt him in 2006? No. In 2006 he was Black enough. But by 2010, with the perception that he was catering to White, upper-class interests, he was no longer viewed as "Black enough". Then he was half White, with a wife who was a foreigner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

This is a pretty stupid question. Which candidate for mayor do you believe lost because of race?

It may have had something to do with Fenty losing. He's half-white, remember? A lot of Blacks thought he wasn't Black enough. That alone wouldn't have caused him to lose, but combined with everything else, it helped.

That is a bunch of crap and stop saying a lot of Blacks. Your statement is leaning towards generalizing. Fenty, didn't do enough for low and moderate economic groups which caused doubt in a lot of voters minds. It was not his color it was his track record with selected voting groups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Especially with Gray channeling himself to Black radio, speaking in a Black dialect, etc. Fenty didn't even pretend to be Black. He identified himself as mixed-race. Did this hurt him in 2006? No. In 2006 he was Black enough. But by 2010, with the perception that he was catering to White, upper-class interests, he was no longer viewed as "Black enough". Then he was half White, with a wife who was a foreigner.

what is "black dialect"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When will racism end and dc elect the first white mayor

This is a pretty stupid question. Which candidate for mayor do you believe lost because of race?

It may have had something to do with Fenty losing. He's half-white, remember? A lot of Blacks thought he wasn't Black enough. That alone wouldn't have caused him to lose, but combined with everything else, it helped.

That is a bunch of crap and stop saying a lot of Blacks. Your statement is leaning towards generalizing. Fenty, didn't do enough for low and moderate economic groups which caused doubt in a lot of voters minds. It was not his color it was his track record with selected voting groups

Take it up with 13:34: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/126423.page. And I am NOT 13:34. I agree with you that Fenty being biracial was not the motivating factor for doing him in. His track record favoring White groups was much more important. But the fact that he was mixed race while Gray was Black? Icing on the cake. Rich, yummy icing.