Adrian Fenty (D-Washington Post) has a New Ad

[jsteele]

Fenty has a new TV ad running that may be the best ad I've seen in the mayoral race. The message is that Fenty is results-oriented, admits to mistakes, promises to be nicer in the future, and a failure to re-elect him will return the city to the "bad old days". That's probably the best message Fenty has at this point.

My complaint about the ad is that it reinforces my view that Fenty and the Washington Post are joined at the hip. The ad is full of Washington Post headlines and ends by highlighting the Post's endorsement of him. For me, this is a real turn off because the Fenty-Post coalition has been one of my bigger gripes over the years. But, this may sell better with others.

If Fenty would continue in this vein, drop the Post references, and add a promise not to hand out additional contracts to his frat buddies, he might even win me over. But, obviously, that's not going to happen.

Here's the ad:

[Anonymous]

Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. Come on!! You and I and all the DC residents with half a brain KNOW that despite his attitude Fenty is a much better choice for our city than, slow moving "consensus" Gray.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I thought the ad was pretty good until he got to the reference to the return of "the bad old days." That's a huge turn off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I thought the ad was pretty good until he got to the reference to the return of "the bad old days." That's a huge turn off.

How is it a turn-off? You are your record. That is Gray's record. He was part of that administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I thought the ad was pretty good until he got to the reference to the return of "the bad old days." That's a huge turn off.

How is it a turn-off? You are your record. That is Gray's record. He was part of that administration.

And its Fenty whose cronyism and overspending is beginning to look a lot more like Marion Barry's.

[Anonymous]

Is Gray really going to be better than Fenty? After loathing Fenty for the duration, I am starting to get very nervous about a Gray victory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I thought the ad was pretty good until he got to the reference to the return of "the bad old days." That's a huge turn off.

How is it a turn-off? You are your record. That is Gray's record. He was part of that administration.

He was part of what administration. Now make sure you are right before you blast off half-cocked out of the mouth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I thought the ad was pretty good until he got to the reference to the return of "the bad old days." That's a huge turn off.

How is it a turn-off? You are your record. That is Gray's record. He was part of that administration.

Well now, V. Gray was the Director of DHS pre-control board. Sharon Pratt Kelly, a former business woman, lifted Gray from the non-profit sector to run the largest agency in the city. You cannot compare pre-control board DC with post-control board DC. Any one who does has very little knowledge of DC. DHS operated about 30% of the city's entire budget. The control board determined it was too much control and divided it into at least seven different agencies. To my knowledge, those agencies are currently called:
DMH
CYRS
CFSA
DHS
ODR
DOH
HCF
During Gray's tenure with DHS there was never a hint of corruption about Gray. Can you say the same about the other guy. I am asking a question, not making a judgment call. Also, if you want to saddle Gray with Pratt Kelly, you must saddle Adrian with Kelly Valentine (currently under investigation for embezzling millions from Risk managemnt) and the former Interim Director for DPR where she siphoned 85million to fraternity brothers.

[Anonymous]

I'm getting nervous that Gray has a shot. I thought Fenty would surely be a no brainer!

[Anonymous]

Ah, 16:26 that is the beauty of a democratic society. Thank heavens there are no no-brainers.

[Anonymous]

This is the hallmark of a failed campaign. Fenty is now admitting his shortcomings, yet anyone who believes that this tiger will change his spots is not looking at this objectively.

I was a huge Fenty supporter 4 years ago, canvassed for him, worked the polls, but over the course of the last few years, different episodes of corruption and cronyism have continued to emerge. These are not one-time deals, this is a pattern of, at worst, mismanagement.

Carry that on to horrible appointments to agency heads, boards and commissions, to monies illegally funneled through the Housing Authority to bypass the legal Council oversight (to the tune of $82 Million + that has gone to his fraternity brothers), to the depletion of the budget surplus that Mayor Williams left in 2006.

Really, Fenty tries to scare white voters into believing that Gray is a return to Barry, when in reality, it is Fenty who is ruining our budget and awarding contracts to his friends who are unqualified.

Gray could have easily coasted to continuing to be Council Chair, but he decided that it would be better to give it up in the hopes of defeating Fenty, than to continue to watch the infrastructure of the city crumble under this administration.

I respect him for that.

[Anonymous]

Part of why Fenty got into politics...he couldn't handle basic tasks as an attorney:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090200017.html

Here are some links for consideration:


http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/10/30/why-adrian-fentys-parks-contracting-scheme-is-an-outrage/

Colbert King on Unanswered Questions of Fenty Chronysim:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081304768.html

Fenty Replaces Housing Authority Chair who won't "play ball":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061102735.html

[Anonymous]

Washington City Paper has the honest ads, man. Too funny:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/08/19/if-d-c-campaign-ads-were-honest/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Washington City Paper has the honest ads, man. Too funny:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/08/19/if-d-c-campaign-ads-were-honest/

Oh my god, those are brilliant!

[Anonymous]

Love the City Paper ads!