I support Vincent Gray for DC Mayor because...

[Anonymous]

Let's analogize this to a movie reviewer. If Roger Ebert goes out and reviews "Avatar" and says, "I didn't really like it and wouldn't recommend seeing it at all and here is why," would we discount his review because he didn't tell us what we should see instead. Now, seeing a movie is not exactly the same as voting, because one can simply opt not to see a movie without consequence (one can also opt not to vote, but that has a consequence). But if someone is determined to see a movie but reads the review first, they may opt not to see "Avatar" and instead something else. They may choose that something else based on other reviews by the same or different reviewer, or some other criteria. But we don't throw out every opinion piece that doesn't offer an alternative. Some opinion pieces are just that: one opinion on one topic and are not meant to be the end-all, be-all of the larger conversation to which that one topic is a part of.

[Anonymous]

Given how early we are in the election season and how candidates are still emerging. The conversation has almost solely focused on the Democratic primary, which makes sense given that DC is unlikely to elect a Republican.

Oh, come now.

"Unlikely to elect a Republican"? Let's argue the facts here at least. There's not a reputable observer of DC politics who doesn't understand the Democratic primary is the election. And unfortunately, we have the candidates we have. Ergo, "Fenty 2010"...

Maybe "Faith" will throw her hat into the ring.

[Anonymous]

Not a movie review. More like a choice of route while driving to New York. If I tell you I'm driving to New York, and you tell me I should take I-270 to I-81 through Harrisburg, then I-78 into town, any reasonable observer is going to ask you, "Why not take I-95?"

A total failure to address the "800 lb gorilla" of a question might, shall we say, raise some questions as to the completeness of your argument.

[Anonymous]

15:17: Come back to earth. It's not early. No other viable candidates are going to emerge at this late date. Given that fact, the Blade author basically said he likes Gray because he's not Fenty. Gray is the only other viable candidate, and he couldn't find one good thing to say about him, despite the length and redundancy of the article.

It's early. There is time for a viable candidate to emerge. And Santa Claus is coming to town, too.

[Anonymous]

Dorrie wrote:No-one needs to apologize to me. (However, I'm a bit alarmed to discover that there may only be three of us participating in this discussion.)

Dorrie, I am voting for Vincent Gray. However, I think you have so little participation on this thread because it has the potential to become very nasty. The other thread was taken over by a woman who found every opportunity to defend Fenty in a very despicable manner. Instead of arguing her points, she devolved into personal attacks. I think most people have too little time to participate in such antics.

The reason I support Gray is because he is in favor of charter schools. I favor Vincent Gray because no one can point to an act of corruption when he served the city as Director of Human Resources. I support Gray because he does not take company with known criminals. I support Gray because he believes that the city is better off if the entire city prosper, instead of one or two sections in the city. I support Gray because he believes that within the boundaries of the District of Columbia exist smart, bright, competent professionals who are capable of operating the business of the city. Eighty-percent of Fenty appointees resided outside the city, including his Attorney General. If the District of Columbia cannot find a smart, intelligent learned attorney in the District what says of all those biglaw, government, sole-proprietors, etc attorneys who post on this board. I support Gray because Rhee decimated the schools in Ward 5. Ward 5 does not have one single DCPS middle school. My family is fortunate. We can afford to send DC to private school when that time arise. Unfortunately, many families will not have such resources. I support Gray because Fenty changed the medical health benefits for long-tenured police and firefighters. Men and women who worked for 15 to 20 years in their career were blindsided when Fenty pushed to remove their health benefits upon retirement. When those individuals accepted their appointments many years ago they were made certain promises regarding their retirement benefits. In the middle or twilight years of their employment, the terms and conditions were changed. Gray has promised to readdress this injustice. Therefore, I support Gray because he values the men and women who would take a bullet for me or run into a burnig house to save my child. There are other reasons for why I support Gray, but I have taken enough space on this thread. Good luck in reaching a decision as to who you will supourt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's analogize this to a movie reviewer. If Roger Ebert goes out and reviews "Avatar" and says, "I didn't really like it and wouldn't recommend seeing it at all and here is why," would we discount his review because he didn't tell us what we should see instead. Now, seeing a movie is not exactly the same as voting, because one can simply opt not to see a movie without consequence (one can also opt not to vote, but that has a consequence). But if someone is determined to see a movie but reads the review first, they may opt not to see "Avatar" and instead something else. They may choose that something else based on other reviews by the same or different reviewer, or some other criteria. But we don't throw out every opinion piece that doesn't offer an alternative. Some opinion pieces are just that: one opinion on one topic and are not meant to be the end-all, be-all of the larger conversation to which that one topic is a part of.

First, you've pretty much answered your own argument. Second, if you're looking for a movie to see, and Roger Ebert pans Avatar, you've got about a dozen other movies from which to chose, many of which will be reviewed in the same section in which Ebert panned Avatar, and one or two of which may be reviewed by Robert Ebert. He's not very shy about letting people know which movies are his top picks at any given time. It would not be customary, in a review of Avator, to say you didn't like it, but you really liked The Blind Side. It is customary, when talking about political candidates, to talk about the comparative strengths of both. Not to just say, "I hate Adrian Fenty, even though I kinda love him, and here's why . . . and not say a word about our only other choice.

Analogy fails.

Besides, this guy is mainly upset that Fenty didn't come to enough LGBT meetings. Seriously. And he's upset that Fenty didn't talk enough about "hate crimes". And again, someone may wish to enlighten me, but I just don't see many hate crimes in DC. Not as they are typically defined. So why should Fenty be spending a lot of his time talking about hate crimes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Dorrie wrote:No-one needs to apologize to me. (However, I'm a bit alarmed to discover that there may only be three of us participating in this discussion.)

Dorrie, I am voting for Vincent Gray. However, I think you have so little participation on this thread because it has the potential to become very nasty. The other thread was taken over by a woman who found every opportunity to defend Fenty in a very despicable manner. Instead of arguing her points, she devolved into personal attacks. I think most people have too little time to participate in such antics.

The reason I support Gray is because he is in favor of charter schools. I favor Vincent Gray because no one can point to an act of corruption when he served the city as Director of Human Resources. I support Gray because he does not take company with known criminals. I support Gray because he believes that the city is better off if the entire city prosper, instead of one or two sections in the city. I support Gray because he believes that within the boundaries of the District of Columbia exist smart, bright, competent professionals who are capable of operating the business of the city. Eighty-percent of Fenty appointees resided outside the city, including his Attorney General. If the District of Columbia cannot find a smart, intelligent learned attorney in the District what says of all those biglaw, government, sole-proprietors, etc attorneys who post on this board. I support Gray because Rhee decimated the schools in Ward 5. Ward 5 does not have one single DCPS middle school. My family is fortunate. We can afford to send DC to private school when that time arise. Unfortunately, many families will not have such resources. I support Gray because Fenty changed the medical health benefits for long-tenured police and firefighters. Men and women who worked for 15 to 20 years in their career were blindsided when Fenty pushed to remove their health benefits upon retirement. When those individuals accepted their appointments many years ago they were made certain promises regarding their retirement benefits. In the middle or twilight years of their employment, the terms and conditions were changed. Gray has promised to readdress this injustice. Therefore, I support Gray because he values the men and women who would take a bullet for me or run into a burnig house to save my child. There are other reasons for why I support Gray, but I have taken enough space on this thread. Good luck in reaching a decision as to who you will supourt.

That reminds me. Where is Ward 5 -- what areas does it compose? I've looked at the Ward map and I've read the names of the areas in Ward 5 but, unlike any other Ward, I really just have no idea where it is. Please educate me.

[Anonymous]

Oh, one last observation: in my (limited) experience, it's been parents/PTA that have been the primary driver in extending certain elementary schools to PK-8. In fact, it's been a desperate attempt by parents to keep their kids in successful elementary schools, rather than having them feed into failing middle schools.

Is the dynamic different in other areas?

[Anonymous]

Oi vei. If you don't support Gray for Mayor, why are you posting SO much on a board about reasons to support Gray?

The fact is, to discredit an article that was intended to shed light on support for Fenty by saying it talked too much about not supporting Fenty and not enough about OTHER issues, which the article never intended to address, is wrong. Given that we don't know enough context as to WHY he didn't mention Gray (maybe his editors specifically told him not to; maybe another article is being written to discuss supporting Gray), to say that an article which made NO MENTION of Gray is a poorly formed argument in favor of Gray because it didn't talk about Gray is such cyclical logic as to make the head spin.

[Anonymous]

Oi vei. If you don't support Gray for Mayor, why are you posting SO much on a board about reasons to support Gray?

Heh. By that logic, why has someone posted a link to an article by an author who "can't support Fenty", but says absolutely nothing about Gray?

By your logic, the article has nothing to do with Gray, so clearly it's off-topic here.

You're just being silly.

[Anonymous]

Not necessarily. Some people, right or wrong, will support Gray because he's NOT Fenty. So, it does factor into a conversation on supporting Gray. You are coming on here for what reason exactly...? Also, I didn't post the link, if that is what you were implying.

[Anonymous]

Only the OP specifically asked for reasons to support Gray other than that he is not Fenty. Therefore posts railing against Fenty are not responsive, and may only cause OP to re-think her inclination to vote for Gray. She stated that she would like to vote for him, but does not wish to do so based on the fact that he is not Fenty. Thus, posting an article about how much Fenty allegedly sucks, without one mention of Gray, is not responsive to the OP's question, and only highlights the silliness of voting for Gray only because he is not Fenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Oi vei. If you don't support Gray for Mayor, why are you posting SO much on a board about reasons to support Gray?

Heh. By that logic, why has someone posted a link to an article by an author who "can't support Fenty", but says absolutely nothing about Gray?

By your logic, the article has nothing to do with Gray, so clearly it's off-topic here.

You're just being silly.

Thank you. Continuing to take Goose on by myself is getting burdensome. Not because it's hard to refute him, but because it's time consuming.

[Anonymous]

Green Fenty thugs rang my doorbell they other day and harassed me about the Gray sign in my yard. These guys were fairly inarticulate in their support of Fenty. I loved the way they drove away in their van with Maryland tags.

[Anonymous]

Green Fenty thugs rang my doorbell they other day and harassed me about the Gray sign in my yard. These guys were fairly inarticulate in their support of Fenty. I loved the way they drove away in their van with Maryland tags.

Probably heading back to their cribs in the notorious Martin's Additions projects in Chevy Chase...