August 21, 2006
Rumble, D.C. Election Style
We can hear it now -- a deep-voiced announcer, standing on a darkened stage. The air, thick with tension. He begins:
For months they have danced around each other, engaging in verbal jousting like the determined enemies that they are. But tonight it ends. Tonight, and only tonight, they face each other. Only one will remain standing. Are you ready to RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEE??????We kid. Kind of. The debate is set. Next Monday, August 28, 4 p.m., News Channel 8. Linda Cropp against Adrian Fenty. How excited are the District's political types? Apparently excited enough that the picture above has started appearing atop the News Channel 8 and WJLA sites.Standing strong in black trunks in this corner is the young challenger, the feisty, the bald-headed, Adrian "Whose Ahead in the Polls Now?" Fenty! And across the stage, looking stately in her red dress, the experienced, the sharp-tounged, Linda "Whose Vote on the Crime Emergency Bill Was Irresponsible? Not Mine!" Cropp! And here to make sure that the debate remains clean and the comebacks spicy, News Channel 8's Bruce "Answer my Question! Answer it!" DePuyt!
Unless Cropp pulls a Mike Tyson on Fenty, we're guessing this won't be terribly exciting. Why else would they schedule it for 4 p.m. on a weekday?
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No Marie Johns? What criteria were used to select the candidates that could participate?
Vince, the two of them just decided on it, just as Johns and Fenty decided to have their own one-on-one debate (see YouTube links on the Johns site).
There really should be a debate of all five candidates. I wonder if there is still time to organize one, and who would do it.
Yes, but why draw the line at five, JS? What are the criteria for excluding Artie Milligan and Nestor Djonkam?
DC VOTERS: ENOUGH ALREADY --- GET REAL!!
Wake-up DC voters --- Dems, Greens, Indies, Repubs and assorted others --- predictably, you're about to elect another mayor mistake.
Once again this election year, we are staring in the face of another opportunity to do what's right versus following the hype. We have the choice to continue with the same old scenario, or we can step outside this self-constructed box that continues to restrict our best chances for a District of Columbia that works for everyone --- in 2006 and beyond.
Somehow one of those rare exceptions grew out of the rubble and stench of status quo DC politics --- a true exception that's been staring us right in the face because, in fact, he is one of us. This reflection, shadow, dark horse --- this candidate --- appears as the combination of all our frustrations, fears, hopes, struggles and clear-minded thinking for what we want our city to be, but are strangely afraid to elect.
I am no one special, other than the fact that I have lived, voted and raised a family in DC for the last 34 years. This is why it is no great difficulty in introducing everyone and anyone to someone I truly consider very special --- and it's a damn shame I can't vote for him in the Primary because I'm an Independent. But, I can and will in November. If you are someone who cares about where we are, have been, and how we're living in the District --- my best-informed assessment of a candidate that really matters is DC mayoral candidate Dennis Moore. Politically speaking, he's a 'keeper' --- and really smart too, as well as square on the real issues!
This may be one of the most dangerous times to judge a candidate by their party, our blind partisan prejudices, fear-filled perceptions --- or worse, elect a mayor and council members based on campaign hype. If this is your only chance to know him, considering the usual attention and excessive hype over the so-called "front runner" candidates for mayor, I hope you use it to check this exceptional mayoral candidate out --- including his determination as a write-in candidate against the great odds. That tells me he's not just trying to get elected.
The more words I say here, the less you will have time to read about what I am thankful to have discovered. Just visit him at his information-packed web page ( http://www.mooreforpeople.com/html/dennis_moore_for_dc_mayor.html ), and you will know for certain we no longer have to settle for the same, less or worse anymore. There's even a 1-hour radio interview clip in case you never get to hear the true substance of his passion and plans through other DC media.
No doubt, from all the phony and predictable "front runner" media hype, you have checked-out the Democrats too. Substantively, what's different and better will be all too obvious.
As quoted from his web site, "DC does not mean Dumb Citizens." But maybe it does mean Disgusted Citizens. There is absolutely no doubt, as a District educator and parent, Dennis Moore has made me an optimistic believer (and engaged voter) again in the future of life and living in the District of Columbia.
If you're properly registered before the September 12th Primary, and the November 7th general election, writing-in or voting-in M-O-O-R-E will make you feel much better than having settled for the usual suspects --- or L-E-S-S.
Wow, that Moore website looks like a front page from The Enquirer or something.
I'm not a District resident or voter, but please don't flame me. I'm very interested in DC issues, because I think a strong, smart, and effective DC government is in everyone's best interest, regionally.
Anywho, I don't get Adrian Fenty. I've heard him speak at length on various radio interviews, and he just seems like a real lightweight. I actually admire Linda Cropp because she pissed so many people off and had people on edge during the stadium approval bruhaha. I don't know her stands on every issue, but on the stadium issue she showed some balls and stood up for the interests of the DC taxpayer, and for that she earns my respect. If I was a DC resident I'd probably vote for her.
Orange definately not, and while Marie Johns has an interesting story, since she is a former Verizon exec, as a Verizon employee I'm therefore predisposed not to favor her.
The debate between Linda Cropp and Fenty will be very interesting. Linda will do really well. She knows her stuff having worked on so many issues and in different positions over the years. She's sharp! And, she'll be able to plant a question with the reporter and try and get Fenty off balance.
please voters in DC please please please don't elect Marion-Fenty-Barry.
Crime will escalate and he won't care.
Property values will plummet and he won't care.
Services and the middleclass will disappear and he won't care.
I will move to Montgomery County and I won't care.
Vince, KC, and Johns supporter:
This debate, like the prior Fenty/Johns debate, came about because of a direct challenge on the apparent front-runner by the other candidate.
I tend to agree that one on one debates, while more focused and therefor potentially more telling, are exclusionary and therefor not as fair. On the flip side, Fenty hasn't turned down either of these public one-on-one challenges, and I think that was the honorable thing. Of course, he didn't try to widen the participation either, but had he done so I imagine his opponent(s) would have made hay over that by saying he was trying to dodge them.
Bottom line? If you don't like the one-on-one formats of the Fenty/Johns or Fenty/Cropp debates, blame the challengers who requested them, not Fnety who accepted.
DONOTDOIT: Please move to MoCo and we won't care either, but boy will they be annoyed by you.
Actually I haven't made up my mind, but Fenty has proven to have an excellent record on constituent services, which as a Ward 2 resident for many years, makes me green with envy. Cropp is consensus incarnate, which has its advantages indeed. Johns is the dark horse with a clue.
Oh, and on the Cropp baseball issue, however much one supports a team/stadium, they should not swallow and/or repeat the falsehood that there is anything like a spending cap. See DC Watch or the DC Fiscal Policy Institutes very comprehensive analysis of this issue. To sum: DC is most likely to be on the hood for something like 300 million in cost overruns. People's consideration should be: Why the false pretense of a spending cap? and Is the long-term financial benefit of baseball likely to pay off? There's plenty of data out there to answer these...
I'm torn on this one. I think Cropp was downright shady on her misrepresentation of facts in the baseball deal, and I find her refusal to stand up to suburban churchgoers who double-park to be astonishing. But I just can't get a good feel for Fenty. Some suggest he will turn back the clock and we'll get a more Barry-like government. But these people never really say what they base this on.
It's odd that we actually have so little info on these two's actual plans for the city, aside from the usual meaningless slogans. Cropp is definitely the status quo, and she did preside over a pathetic city for decades. But Fenty is an unknown.
It is not a two-person race, Hillman.
It is not a two-person race, Hillman.
Now who's being naive chrisafer?
Johns, Orange, and Brown have no money to speak of and single digit poll numbers; one of those candidates may be able to siphon enough votes away from Fenty or Cropp to swing the election one way or the other, but either Fenty or Cropp will win the Democratic nomination.
I'm not thrilled about either candidate. But,yes, it is a two person race.
I think in the end Cropp's pandering to the out of town churches will sway me to vote for Fenty.
I don't think voting for whom you believe is the best candidate is naive.
Presumably the very best candidate is someone who isn't one of the handful of people on the ballot, so if you don't believe in taking a candidate's chance of winning into account you should always do a write-in vote.
That's only for races with three or more candidates, of course. If there are only two, then the chance of winning is irrelevant. Just vote for the one you like better.
I don't think voting for whom you believe is the best candidate is naive.
That's not what I meant friend. If there is a candidate that really speaks to you and you believe has the right answers then by all means I encourage you to vote for them. I vote third party in every Presidential election, no BS.
All I'm sayin' is that you have to recognize that voting for Marie Johns (or anyone besides Cropp & Fenty) in this primary is tilting at windmills.
Voting third party often has unintended consequences.
We can thank the Ralph Nader voters from 2000 for our current debacle at home and abroad.
I've got several friends that voted for Nader as a 'protest'. I like to randomly call them up when Bush does yet another stupid thing and personally thank them for their help in getting him elected.
We can thank the Ralph Nader voters from 2000 for our current debacle at home and abroad.
Hillman,
You are smarter than this. Al Gore did not lose in 2000 because of Ralph Nader, he lost because he couldn't carry his home state. My vote for Nader in 2000 had nothing to do with Gore losing.
People keep talking about how "dumb" W is, but he was smart enough to beat the two stiffs that the DNC ran against him in the last two Presidential elections. Gore and Kerry were horrible candidates that deserved to lose because they didn't play to win.
I think W has done a terrible job and will ultimately go down in history as one of our worst Presidents but the DNC is more to blame for him being elected than anyone or anything else.
Peace,
Hill Rat
response to Hillman
Didn't we just elect this guy? Let the man work. Jeez.