Bowser's Latest on School Boundaries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

It's an anonymous message board and to suggest it's "predominately white" is a bit presumptuous. I tend to think she's being criticized because all throughout her campaign she failed to put forward any coherent vision on education policy, and seems out of touch with what a lot of other folks are saying - and that seems to be the case even now. It's clear to most people following education issues that she wasn't elected based on her education views. Maybe people need to be patient and give her team a chance to transition and ramp up but thus far, many have been disappointed thinking she's giving education priorities short schrift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

This, in a nutshell, is the problem with progress in DC. Honest opinions about a public figure and their competence --based on paying attention to what the person says and does---are perceived as "racist". And thus the conversation grinds to a halt and the status quo continues. I happen to find black residents in this city openly declaring that they won't vote for certain candidates because "I don't like white people" a much bigger problem than white people expressing legitimate concerns with Bowser's ability to lead the city and especially the city schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

No it's not. Say whatever you want about Obama and his leadership skills and policies, but he is able to articulate that which he stands for. Bowser, not so much. No one is chasing paranoid conspiracy theories about Bowser. They are simply concerned she is an empty suit, bought and paid for with union and developer money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Twerk it gurl, twerk it!

Oh, she said 'tweak'.

I think this type of comment could be construed as subtle racism or (at least mockery of a certain demographic group, to which the PP is assigning Bowser).

-Catania voter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Twerk it gurl, twerk it!

Oh, she said 'tweak'.

I think this type of comment could be construed as subtle racism or (at least mockery of a certain demographic group, to which the PP is assigning Bowser).

-Catania voter

NP. Exactly. Also I think it's pretty well known that a majority of posters on DCUM are white. Look at the popular lice threads that pop up every week.

[Anonymous]

8:39's comments are the clearest example of racism so far (except maybe the twerking comment). This poster blames what she perceives as a lack of progress in DC on black people. Wow.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:8:39's comments are the clearest example of racism so far (except maybe the twerking comment). This poster blames what she perceives as a lack of progress in DC on black people. Wow.

That's not how I read the post. The poster is saying that legitimate concerns about politicians are deflected by calling such criticisms "racist". I don't think this happens as often as the poster may think it does (and I certainly don't believe it is "the problem with progress in DC"), but I do think that calling criticism of Bowser's record and campaign platform "racist" is an example of it happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Twerk it gurl, twerk it!

Oh, she said 'tweak'.

I think this type of comment could be construed as subtle racism or (at least mockery of a certain demographic group, to which the PP is assigning Bowser).

-Catania voter

Unless of course we're talking Miley Cyrus...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

No it's not. Say whatever you want about Obama and his leadership skills and policies, but he is able to articulate that which he stands for. Bowser, not so much. No one is chasing paranoid conspiracy theories about Bowser. They are simply concerned she is an empty suit, bought and paid for with union and developer money.

I think one thing that may gall some people is the phrase "empty suit" She does not appear to me to be a policy wonk, or a major initiator of legislation. But she DOES seem to be bright, capable of working with diverse interests, and perhaps capable of recognizing talent in others. More an Eisenhower than a Bernard Montomery, IOW. Its a different role - and we can argue if its the role DC needs - but the phrase "empty suit" comes off badly.

As for devloper money, I certainly hope that she continues to make DC friendly to development - one thing that scares me in DC politics are the folks who want to preserve the city in amber, whether out of fear of demographic change or general dislike of change. I would be more concerned if she opposed new development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

No it's not. Say whatever you want about Obama and his leadership skills and policies, but he is able to articulate that which he stands for. Bowser, not so much. No one is chasing paranoid conspiracy theories about Bowser. They are simply concerned she is an empty suit, bought and paid for with union and developer money.

I think one thing that may gall some people is the phrase "empty suit" She does not appear to me to be a policy wonk, or a major initiator of legislation. But she DOES seem to be bright, capable of working with diverse interests, and perhaps capable of recognizing talent in others. More an Eisenhower than a Bernard Montomery, IOW. Its a different role - and we can argue if its the role DC needs - but the phrase "empty suit" comes off badly.

As for devloper money, I certainly hope that she continues to make DC friendly to development - one thing that scares me in DC politics are the folks who want to preserve the city in amber, whether out of fear of demographic change or general dislike of change. I would be more concerned if she opposed new development.

But unfortunatelyly Bowser IS an empty suit. Or as some called her during the election, "substance free."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Twerk it gurl, twerk it!

Oh, she said 'tweak'.

I think this type of comment could be construed as subtle racism or (at least mockery of a certain demographic group, to which the PP is assigning Bowser).

-Catania voter

NP. Exactly. Also I think it's pretty well known that a majority of posters on DCUM are white. Look at the popular lice threads that pop up every week.

BS -- fwiw my hired gun nit picker tells me that's a complete BS myth that AA heads are somehow immune to lice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

No it's not. Say whatever you want about Obama and his leadership skills and policies, but he is able to articulate that which he stands for. Bowser, not so much. No one is chasing paranoid conspiracy theories about Bowser. They are simply concerned she is an empty suit, bought and paid for with union and developer money.

I think one thing that may gall some people is the phrase "empty suit" She does not appear to me to be a policy wonk, or a major initiator of legislation. But she DOES seem to be bright, capable of working with diverse interests, and perhaps capable of recognizing talent in others. More an Eisenhower than a Bernard Montomery, IOW. Its a different role - and we can argue if its the role DC needs - but the phrase "empty suit" comes off badly.

As for devloper money, I certainly hope that she continues to make DC friendly to development - one thing that scares me in DC politics are the folks who want to preserve the city in amber, whether out of fear of demographic change or general dislike of change. I would be more concerned if she opposed new development.

But you can support new development without the venal pay-to-play culture that entails in DC where politicians are open for business. The DC Council arrangement of reviewing major contracts is way below the line on best practice. It's ripe for abuse and it's no wonder its so frequently abused. The big developers who largely financed the mayor elect's campaign will expect some ROI too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bowser- bashing on this predominately white board feels a bit racist. I'm not a Bowser supporter but calling her incompetent and calling her supporters Marion Barry lovers is pretty gross. She isn't even mayor yet. Be patient and let her actually do her job.

Same with President O.

The stock market is at a record high, unemployment is down to 5.8%, and oil prices are low. The private sector has been adding jobs 5 years straight now. Isn't that a good thing that happened on Obama's watch?