write-in Fenty robocall!

[Anonymous]

I just got a robocall saying that if he's elected via write-in tomorrow, Fenty will accept "the nomination" [sic], and that polls show he has a good chance. I hung up after that, but am now wishing I'd listened to more of the call to see if anything else inaccurate would be said.

(The call said that I should call or text all my friends about this--but instead I'm posting this.)

[jsteele]

I'd like to think that tommorow will be the last we hear from the Fenty dead-enders, but I'm afraid that's probably wishful thinking. They will probably launch a recall campaign next.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I'd like to think that tommorow will be the last we hear from the Fenty dead-enders, but I'm afraid that's probably wishful thinking. They will probably launch a recall campaign next.

Jeff,

We get it. You supported Gray. But why do you feel the need to belittle people who continue to support Fenty? I voted for Fenty today, as was my right. Do I think Fenty will win? Of course not, but I strongly disapprove of Gray and voting for Fenty is the way that I expressed this view. What other choice did I have? Should I have voted for Gray even though I totally disagree with his political philosophy? Should I have not voted? Why is voting for Fenty such an illegitimate thing to do in your opinion? What's with all of the hostility?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
We get it. You supported Gray. But why do you feel the need to belittle people who continue to support Fenty? I voted for Fenty today, as was my right. Do I think Fenty will win? Of course not, but I strongly disapprove of Gray and voting for Fenty is the way that I expressed this view. What other choice did I have? Should I have voted for Gray even though I totally disagree with his political philosophy? Should I have not voted? Why is voting for Fenty such an illegitimate thing to do in your opinion? What's with all of the hostility?

You can vote for whomever you want. But parties have primaries to select the party's candidate. DC Democrats picked Gray. If you are a Democrat, you should support your party's candidate. Doing otherwise strikes me as being a sore loser. If you are a Republican, you should ask your party leaders why they didn't bother to run a candidate.

There is very little difference between the "philosophies" of Gray and Fenty. To the extent that philosophies even matter at the local level -- where the ability to get potholes filled is more important than political theories -- both are quite similar. That's why Rhee was replaced with mini-Rhee. The differences in philosophy are nuances. People opposing Gray are largely doing it on the basis of personality. Ironically, that is exactly the same thing so many of them criticized Gray supporters doing vis-a-vis Fenty.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you are a Democrat, you should support your party's candidate.

No, one should the most capable person. And I disagree with your premise that the only difference between Gray and Fenty is personality. But I don't want to get into another Fenty-Gray debate. My point is that you have shown complete disdain for Fenty supporters. And not just in this post, but consistently for several months. And frankly, as a long time supporter of this site, it has really started to turn me off.

People like me who are writing in Fenty's name are not stupid, delusion or irrational. We are simply expressing our views. Why does this warrant such scorn? Can you tone down the snarky comments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you are a Democrat, you should support your party's candidate.

No, one should the most capable person.

I strongly disagree with your premise, Jeff. It's rather simplistic.

I am a lifelong Democrat and generally vote a straight Democratic ticket, but today, voted for Republican Tim Day for Ward 5 Councilmember (because I do not support the Democratic incumbent, Harry Thomas, particularly given his unregistered nonprofit, "Team Thomas" for which he can produce no financial records). I also voted Statehood Green for Council Chair because I am unimpressed with the Democratic nominee, Kwame Brown (who mismanages his own finances -- huge debt -- so I don't want him managing District finances). I realize these folks will likely lose, but I'm an independent thinker and I vote how I please. I do not agree with the Democratic party on everything, but it's the major party that most closely reflects my views (that's why I'm a Democrat - not so I don't have to give thoughts to my votes on Election Day!).

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Can you tone down the snarky comments?

I'm not sure that I can. I have had enough experience with many of the write-in people to expect only the worst. I am serious about my analysis that a recall campaign is not beyond them. I really do feel that many of the diehards are exactly like the pro-Hillary PUMAs. The PUMAs lost the primary and decided to shout "Party Unity My Ass". Where are they today? They are practically Tea Partiers. If they Fenty PUMAs are going to do the same, they will deserve all the snark they get.

[Anonymous]

Indeed, Jeff may be snarky but we should also note that there have been Fenty supporters on DCUM who have made hysterical attacks on Gray and Gray supporters as if the sky were falling in. There has been plenty to go around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you are a Democrat, you should support your party's candidate.

No, one should the most capable person. And I disagree with your premise that the only difference between Gray and Fenty is personality. But I don't want to get into another Fenty-Gray debate. My point is that you have shown complete disdain for Fenty supporters. And not just in this post, but consistently for several months. And frankly, as a long time supporter of this site, it has really started to turn me off.

People like me who are writing in Fenty's name are not stupid, delusion or irrational. We are simply expressing our views. Why does this warrant such scorn? Can you tone down the snarky comments?[/quote]

I disagree with your self-described assesment. You are very much a stupid, delusional, irrational big fat whiney brat who is a sore loser. Loser, loser loser.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you tone down the snarky comments?

I'm not sure that I can. I have had enough experience with many of the write-in people to expect only the worst. I am serious about my analysis that a recall campaign is not beyond them. I really do feel that many of the diehards are exactly like the pro-Hillary PUMAs. The PUMAs lost the primary and decided to shout "Party Unity My Ass". Where are they today? They are practically Tea Partiers. If they Fenty PUMAs are going to do the same, they will deserve all the snark they get.

Bad analogy. The Clinton supporters nearly all ended up supporting Obama. This is how he was able to achieve such an electoral landslide. But I digress.

You certainly do paint with a broad brush, don't you? Did I say "Party Unity My Ass?" Did I say anything derogatory about Gray? Why do you equate a write-in campaign with foaming-at-the-mouth-craziness? I went to my poll and wrote in a name. That's it. You have failed to explain why this simple act is so illegitimate and worthy of scorn. Your argument seems to be that because a subset of Fenty supporters are "PUMAs" then all are. I don't understand the basis for imputing the behavior of some Fenty supporters to all. Do you want to take responsibility for everything said by a Gray supporter?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Bad analogy. The Clinton supporters nearly all ended up supporting Obama. This is how he was able to achieve such an electoral landslide. But I digress.

That's why it's a good analogy. Most supporters of Fenty in the primary will likely vote for Gray. Just as the Clinton PUMAs were a fringe minority, so will be the Fenty PUMAs. There are likely some people who will write-in Fenty and then simply accept the outcome of the election and go on with life. But, a number are going to be working for Gray's failure from day 1.

Assuming Gray wins, will you hope he is successful, or will you cheer for his failure?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Bad analogy. The Clinton supporters nearly all ended up supporting Obama. This is how he was able to achieve such an electoral landslide. But I digress.

That's why it's a good analogy. Most supporters of Fenty in the primary will likely vote for Gray. Just as the Clinton PUMAs were a fringe minority, so will be the Fenty PUMAs. There are likely some people who will write-in Fenty and then simply accept the outcome of the election and go on with life. But, a number are going to be working for Gray's failure from day 1.

Assuming Gray wins, will you hope he is successful, or will you cheer for his failure?

I think we probably differ as to what constitutes "success," which is why we voted for different people. My point is not about the substance of the differences between Gray and Fenty, but rather how civil you choose to be when discussing the views of people with whom you disagree. This was the point of the rally this past weekend. While I do not support Gray, I don't feel the need to belittle his supporters. I wrote in Fenty's name because I sincerely believe that he is more capable than Gray. My guy lost the primary and I accept that. But I still think that Fenty is better, so why shouldn't I still support him? Why does this elicit such scorn from you?

In some jurisdictions, voters have the option of "None of the Above." If that was an option here, then maybe I would have done that. But it is not an option. So someone like myself, who wants to participate in the political process but does not support his party's candidate, must choose how to express his view. Writing in Fenty's name is a legitimate way to express this view. This is all that I am saying -- that writing in Fenty's name is a legitimate way to express one's view in a democratic process.

[Anonymous]

I have to support Jeff on this one. For months now, Gray supporters on this site have been belittled, called welfare queens, told they were incompetent, etc. I have personally had conversations with Jeff about my complete astonishment at how racist many of the posters were when it came to Gray supporters. I voted for Gray. I know more about Fenty than you can even imagine. I know about things that have not been presented to the public, like the budget, policies and practices of the Fenty administration. Even with this information, I would never have called a Fenty supporter names. If you choose to support a candidate without really researching him, that's up to you.

I am an African-American woman who recently moved here from a southern state and saw more racism on this site than I ever experienced before. I want the Fenty write-in campaign to go away so that maybe we can heal. Although I know that we cannot since people who write on this site do so anonymously and would never actually let their neighbors know how they really feel.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:So someone like myself, who wants to participate in the political process but does not support his party's candidate, must choose how to express his view. Writing in Fenty's name is a legitimate way to express this view. This is all that I am saying -- that writing in Fenty's name is a legitimate way to express one's view in a democratic process.

I have no concern whatsoever about what you do in the privacy of the voting booth. You can write-in Fenty, write-in Donald Duck, or simply not vote. That's your choice and none of my concern. Who I have been criticizing are those behind the Fenty Write-In movement. It is the right of those individuals to campaign as they wish and it is my right to criticize them for it. I have no problem with you writing-in Fenty as a form of protest or to send a message. But, if you spend the next four years doing everything within your power to undermine Gray to the detriment of the city -- as I expect many of the write-in organizers will -- do not expect me to be silent about it.

[Anonymous]

10:48 again. The Fenty writer-in sounds sincere to me. I can see how one might write Fenty in as a reminder to Gray not to let up on school reform rather than writing Fenty in as an extension of some of the hysterical attacks we saw from some other Fenty supporters during the campaign.

But I hope all the people who voted for Gray in the primary will realize how important it is for them to vote for Gray again in the regular election so that all the Fenty write-ins will be drowned with Gray votes!