Chris Matthews Pounds Fenty Snow Response
Chris Matthews had knives out for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on his MSNBC show tonight, calling D.C. "a city that can't plow its streets."
"Why can't a government town do a government job?" he asked. "It looked like Siberia without the Siberian discipline. We had the weather of Buffalo with the snowplowing capability of Miami."
He had as his guests Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. and Jerry Phillips, a community affairs producer for WRC-TV—both of whom happily joined in the lambasting. Thomas repeated his calls to bring in federal authorities; Phillips compared it to 9/11, with "a communication and a mobilization problem."
Thomas went on about how councilmembers hadn't been consulted, "the mayor should have coordinated with us," bla bla bla. He found a willing listener in Matthews, who said, "I keep thinking, snow is predictable. We know it's coming. It came last week. It came this week....You see no planning; I see no planning."
"I've watched big cities where mayor lose their offices," Matthews continued, before reciting the litany of mayors felled by snowflakes—Chicago's Michael Bilandic, New York's John Lindsay, Marion Barry. "We've got a very sophisticated mayor this time, everybody liked him for a while. And I'm telling you, it's time for a competition in the next primary round here. I think somebody's gotta run. This city needs a little better effort right now. I'd like to see some action."
Listen, Chris. You're going to slam our local leadership for failing to clear the streets from the biggest snowstorm in 88 years within 48 hours. Fine. Then LL would like to see you and your Montgomery County neighbors start to pay tax on the income you're earning here in the District. Then you get to bitch all you want. 'Cause that money would buy some serious snowplows.
8:24 pm
Right fucking on.
8:42 pm
thomas is a moron.
8:55 pm
First, I think Mayor Fenty and his team have done a first rate job during the recent storms. As someone who served in the Wiliams Administration, I can say this with some experience. Chris Matthews is just dead wrong about the state of the roads, I was out taking my kids sledding today and the main arteries of the city were in good shape. Roads near hospitals and other key institutions were in great shape. Moreover, on Chain Bridge an EMS crew was responding to an emergency call about someone having a possible heart attack. Thankfully the road had been plowed so that the EMS crew can get in and help.
8:59 pm
No shit. He's willing to trash the good rep this city has built to some elitist monkey county fuck on national TV? What, to score a few points? Thomas is a moron.
9:01 pm
Did Mathews have a clue Thomas just got in from Florida? Or that Thomas and Barry (who Mathews ridiculed) are best buddies? Any word yet on whether Barry went to FLA with dumbo Thomas?
LL, take the shovel patrol on the road tomorrow and visit Mathews' crib.
9:13 pm
fuck yeah, mike. if he thinks we can plan for the biggest snowfall in history, then i'd like to hear specifics how he would have avoided this. what a blowhard.
9:34 pm
Thomas is a dumb ass, and so is Chris Matthews.
9:35 pm
Mr. Brown has a conflict of interest. He is a shill for the Fenty administration. Ask him if he has ever been the recipient of a nice, fat consulting contract from the ethically-challenged Fenty administration. Another Fenty insider profiting off the hard work of the DC taxpayer. When will Fenty apologist William Lightfoot chime in? Go Harry Go! Go Kwame Go! Go Mary Go! Go Michael Go! Go Vincent Go! (I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd say this) Go Marion Go!
10:02 pm
Yesterday, downtown was pretty clear. The main arteries definitely were.
Probably the capital of the US should have more plows than it needs, ready to go at a moment's notice starting November 1. But that is something that the federal government should probably pay for.
10:05 pm
Chris Matthews is a jerk! How can you plan for back-to-back blizzards? How can you plan for the most snow on a hundred years.
10:10 pm
Go to Miami, I guess.
10:11 pm
At 10:00 PM the Mayor still hasn't closed the DC Government
What is going on at DCPS?
FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11:
All DC Public Schools will be closed.
A decision relative to administrative offices has not been made. Administrative employees should continue to check the DCPS website and email for additional updates as the weather progresses this evening and during the early morning hours.
Stay tuned here for updates or sign up for email notifications.[Updated Feb 10 at 6:30pm]
10:15 pm
I am glad liberal whites like Chris Matthews are seeing Fenty is a light skinned arrogant Negro jerk. I can assure all these Fenty ass kissers on here, Adrian will not get re-elected in September 2010. I am a native Washingtonian and I have been in this city longer than most of you implants from other parts of the country. The majority of black D.C. voters hate Adrian's guts and now white D.C. voters are no happy with him. I know Adrian Fenty personally, before he was a nobody and a homely 4C02 ANC Commissioner. Adrian kicked a lot of people to the curb who support him in the beginning, particularly many black Ward senior citizens. Black voters still are the majority voters in D.C. and they will come out in numbers as they did to vote for President Obama to vote Fenty's ass out of office. Many white gays support Fenty for his support of gay marriage, but that's a topic for another discussion. This is why white gayss don't want gay marriage to be voted on, because the majority of D.C. black voters don't support gay marriage. King Fenty, the God of many white liberals in D.C. is falling fast from grace. Some are calling for both DDOT and DPW Directors resignations. Fenty have anger many whites in Congress with his lack or handling of the snow storm.
10:25 pm
Oops. Go Yvette Go! Go Phil Go! You're both doing great work! My Bad!
10:25 pm
Correction:
I am glad liberal whites like Chris Matthews are seeing the light skinned Negro Fenty as a arrogant inexperienced jerk. I can assure all these Fenty ass kissers on here, Adrian will not get re-elected in September 2010. I am a native Washingtonian and I have been in this city longer than most of you implants from other parts of the country. The majority of black D.C. voters hate Adrian's guts and now white D.C. voters are not happy with him. I know Adrian Fenty personally, before he was a nobody and a former 4C02 ANC Commissioner. Adrian kicked a lot of people to the curb who supported him in the beginning during his run against former Ward 4 Councilmember Charlene Drew-Jarvis, particularly many black Ward 4 senior citizens. Black voters still are the majority voters in D.C. and they will come out in large numbers as they did to vote for President Obama to vote Fenty's ass out of office. Many white gays support Fenty for his support on gay marriage, but that's a topic for another discussion. This is why white gays don't want gay marriage to be put on a ballet, because the majority of D.C. black voters don't support gay marriage. King Fenty, the Negro God for many white liberals in D.C. is falling fast from grace. Some are calling for both DDOT and DPW Directors Gabe Klein and William Howland resignations. Fenty have angered many whites in Congress living in D.C. with his lack of handling the snow storm.
Ward 4 D.C. Voter/Resident/Taxpayer
10:27 pm
Why does anyone even bother watching Chris Matthews anymore? His ratings are a notch above C-Span broadcasts of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Cow Teat Shining.
10:40 pm
Hmmmmmm. Looks like the arrogant elitist liberal whites who have a false sense of entitlement have just got their faces smashed, Nationally.
Way to go Chris...Truth Hurts.
10:40 pm
I think ll was right on the money. The only thing ll missed was the 60 plus broken down plows and trucks.
10:44 pm
Fenty will win because people can't name one or two people who are running against him.
You have to have competition, and right now there is none.
Unfortunately, he will probably be reelected.
11:15 pm
Proballdc, I don't understand. It sounds to me like Matthews is one of the arrogant elitist whites with a false sense of entitlement.
11:19 pm
@WARD4NDC
Thanks for the correction. It cleared up some questions of mine.
11:42 pm
Chris Mathews is a BIG blow hard!
11:53 pm
Mike DeBonis, your post was an embarrassment to journalism. At least Chris Matthew's attack on Fenty was grounded in reality-there is room for improvement in DC's response to this snow.
Your attack on Matthews for bitching about DC government while living in Mont.Co. has a minor problem-CHRIS MATTHEWS LIVES IN NW DC! Doesn't the Washington City Paper do any fact checking? Given that he is a resident of DC, and yes, he pays his taxes to DC, he has every right to criticize Fenty (not that he wouldn't if he did live elsewhere). He has closer ties to Montgomery County, PA where his brother lives than he does to Montgomery County in Maryland!
12:09 am
Jed, you might want to review near the 3:00 mark in the video, where Matthews says he lives in Montgomery County.
12:40 am
Matthews also compares it to Bush's Katrina response. Just a WEE bit hyperbolic there, Chris?
On a separate note, was Thomas wearing his DC flag pin upside-down?
1:30 am
Mr. Chris Matthews and Mr. Jerry Phillips were on point with their comments about Mayor Fenty. Mayor Fenty have lost many D.C. voters support with his aloofness and his style of management. Fenty's decision to open the D.C. Public Schools 2 hours late and keeping the D.C. Government open showed his lack of concern for our children and D.C. Government employees lives to score political points during this horrific blizzard. Most Metro buses weren't operating and the Metro trains were operating only underground on last Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday there were no Metro bus service and how did Mayor Fenty expect for D.C. Government employees to get to work and many of them live in the States of Maryland and Virginia? I am beginning to think something is serious wrong with Mayor Fenty mentally.
1:39 am
Mike, if you had followed up on the many leads you had, you could have broken this one wide open, instead of reading about it later on today
1:46 am
Jed, Mr. Matthews lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife Kathleen Matthews, a former ABC 7 News Anchor.
7:26 am
I guess he learned that the "flinty Chicago toughness" doesn't work if you aren't prepared for an onslaught of snow and high winds so I'll stop calling Fenty "Flinty". He closed the schools and the govt yesterday and today, and he is trying to do more with less -- fewer plows mean fewer roads cleared and less money overall means fewer opportunities to engage high-priced contractors to make up the shortfall, people. Give the man a break. I wasn't thrilled with his response early in the week (initially, a 2-hour delay for the schools Monday?!!!) but he's getting better.
8:32 am
@KCinDC:
I don't think so, Chris is just telling the truth that the liberal whites of this city just have a difficult time digesting. This storm has been managed poorly by Mayor Adrian Fenty. You can jump up and down, throw a temper tantrum and call for Matthews head on a platter, but at the end of the day, TRUTH IS TRUTH. Deal with it.
From the pompous white liberals who pelt police officers with snow balls and cry bloody murder when they are arrested to the Rhee brigade who celebrate her decision to send kids to the streets when sidewalks are impassable, you are officially, delusional.
Now the nation knows how inept this Mayor has been and, most certainly, the residents in most of the city's wards who cannot venture down their own streets.
The primaries will mark the end of this incompetent boy mayor.
10 months and counting.
8:34 am
Max Brown who did in fact serve in the Williams administration is also serving in the Fenty administration as a contractor to several DC government agencies. He has received over 1 million dollars from the DC public schools. So, white liberals supporting Fenty in dc do not believe in transparency or the full truth.
8:45 am
proballdc- translate white for black and you sound like my racist grandfather. good going, you have the attitude of an unlovable 86 year old Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck fan.
8:47 am
TYPICAL RESPONSES FROM THE FENTY FLUNKIES HERE! THE FIRST 10 COMMENTS WERE MADE WITH OUT ANY INSIGHT OR FORETHOUGHT. OFF THE CUFF REMARKS TYPICAL OF FOLK WHO THEY IDENTIFY WITH AND HAVE CRUSHES ON. THIS SHIT REMINDS ME OF THE TAYLOR SWIFT KANYE WEST INCIDENT. SO FOCUSED ON THE ACT INSTEAD OF THE TRUTH.
FENTY IS A DUMBASS AND WHO EVER IS GIVING THIS BAMA ADVICE SHOULD BE FIRED. HIS LEADERSHIP SKILLS ARE HALL PATROL MONITOR AT BEST. HE IS TRYING TO JUSTIFY OPENING CITY GOVT WHEN FEDS AND ALL OTHER MAJOR ENTITY'S WERE SHUT DOWN. EVEN METRO HAD ENOUGH SENSE NOT RUN BUSES ON MONDAY.
THE ISSUE OF PLOWED STREETS WAS SPOT ON BY MR MATTHEWS. DC GOVT SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING BACKHOES, EARTHMOVERS AND BULLDOZERS TO CART THIS SHIT AWAY INSTEAD OF HAVING TRUCKS TRYING TO PUSH SNOW TO PLACES THAT DONT EXIST. SHIT THE TRUCKS THEY HAVE ARENT EVEN MADE TO PUSH SNOW OF THIS MAGNATUDE THAT IS WHY THE FLEET TOOK A BIG HIT.
PERSONALLY I DONT CARE WHETHER MATTTHEWS LIVES IN CHEVY CHASE OR CHEVY CHASE. HE IS WELL RESPECTED HERE IN THIS CITY ALONG WITH HIS WIFE. HE IS GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT WHICH IS WHAT MEN DO. NOT SOME SUGAR COATED GEL TAB SHIT THATS EASY FOR YOU PUNKS TO SWALLOW.
TO ANSWERS MR MATTHEWS QUESTION "Why can't a government town do a government job?" BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT TOWN IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBE IT AS A "TOWN". WE NEED A BIG CITY MAYOR WITH BIG CITY IDEALS NOT SOME SMALL TIME FAKE ASS CITY LEADER.
8:49 am
Miss Mary, Not one single DC employee should live outside of the district and I refuse to let my tax dollars support their bad personal decisions. Fenty is right and Fenty will be reelected because he has done the right things.
If the worst thing one can say about his is that he's "aloof" then that's great because I like aloofness! Aloofness is a positive quality in a world where numbskulls on the street say "give me some love" with open arms like they're Forest Gump.
Aloofness is a positive trait, get over it.
8:49 am
Wow.
You all just need to grab a shovel and pitch in. But then that just isn't your way now is it? You would rather bitch and complain...and then of all things...bring up the RACE card? For a snow storm?!!? Really?
Snow like Buffalo....plowing like Miami? First...snow like Buffalo would be 200+ inches a year. Plowing like Miami would mean ZERO plows. So I think the exageration is a bit excessive.
Second, 3 words....Blizzard Of '77. Look it up. Then you lazy morons would realize what BAD is.
My suggestion....grab a shovel...and start digging. Help your neighbors and quick bringing up "Whitey" to blame. Yes, Snow is White....but Whitey didn't put it there. Check your history at the door and deal with the present.
9:09 am
Noodlez-
Dc doesn't own or maintain much in the way of heavy construction equipment. This is because DC, like every other city I can think of, doesn't use municipal forces to build things. It contracts that. Actually, neither does the DC National Guard. They need to go no neighboring jurisdictions with an engineering corps.
All this is to inform you re: your call for heavy construction equipment. Any such dc will deploy must come from third parties such as wasa or Fort Meyer.
It has to be this way, unless you want your taxes to go towards '30's style public works projects.
9:21 am
@downtown rez UMM YES THEY DO. HOW DO YOU THINK TRASH GETS TRANSPORTED OUTTA HERE? IF THEY HAVE TO COMMANDEER EQUIPMENT FROM OTHER QUASI-DC GOVT AGENCIES, THE FEDS OR LEASE THEM FOR A FEW DAYS FROM A CONTRUCTION COMPANY THEN DO IT. THAT IS WHAT LEADERS DO.
GET IT DONE!!!
9:26 am
Seeing this made my morning -- having Fenty's arrogance called out on national tv was a beautiful thing. I've emailed both Evans and Graham about the state of side roads and seeing plows at Dupont Circle on Monday not plowing even though there was 6 inches of snow still evident. Compare Rock Creeek Parkway (fed plowed curb to curb) with 14th Street NW where on Tuesday you were lucky to have 2 of four lanes open. Enforce the Snow Emergency, tow the cars and plow curb to curb.
9:40 am
@D: Well, I presume you are one of the offended truth deniers drunk on Fenty Juice. First the dynamics between the white and black experience in America are dramatically different. So it would be irrational to pretend that you can substitute terminology ("black" and "white") and there be a similar connotation.
I say white liberals because that is the only group who this hybrid Mayor has catered to since being elected.
This mayor has created a clear division in this city between pompous liberal whites and African Americans. Both, mostly Democrats. It is now blatantly clear that it is not "liberalism" or "conservatism" that engenders racist sentiments. It is the people. At least racists, like your grandfather, had the courage to admit that they were/are prejudiced. Cowardly elitist white liberals of today would rather prostitute the black vote so they have pretended to care by tossing them tokens of appreciation. At least until now.
The game is over. The charade has come to an end.
In 10 months, the king with no clothes will be sitting on the curb.
9:41 am
First,
Ward4NDC:
What is with the light-skinned black stuff? Man, I thought we left that behind us when Wesly Snipes came up?
Anyway, it's funny that someone brought up Katrina. Well, it is crazy irresponsible really...but for the hell of it. Ray Nagin was the Mayor of NO at the time and was hated by Blacks. Did a horrible job. Not a Fenty personality bad job....a real "stuff don't work" bad job. Got re-elected.
And if you really think that Black voters are going to come in the same numbers as the election of a black president. You are nuts.
The facts of the matter is that Fenty wins by carrying the white vote and pulling 30% of black votes. And, yes, some whites are souring on him. But you think that means that they will vote for the same guy that Ward 8 blacks do? Good luck on that. When white folk say they would vote for a "reasonable" alternative...they ain't talking Kwame Brown or Vincent Gray. For example, I dissaprove the job Obama is doing. That doesn't mean I am voting for Sarah Palin.
Fenty could lose. But it is almost March. There isn't 10 months left there are only 7 to the democratic primary. He just raised 880 grand last reporting period. Has three million in the bank. That is plenty money to get his message out in June, July, and Aug. To date, he has just been catching punches without a real response.
When he does, his opponents, without money, will still be posting on blogs.
Man, Bush won re-election when 70% of the nation disaprroved of him. Elections are about organization.
Fenty has that. Also, despite the noise from anti-fenty folks and Chris Matthews. They are doing a good job on the snow twice. They have done a good job in the schools. A good job on crime.
Fenty will snap up about 95% of white vote. About 30% percent of Blacks.
Voter turn out will be around 30%.
Most people who are real close to him believe that he won't run for a third term.
So, if I was a really interested in being Mayor. I would wait until next time. Who wants to be mayor in a depression.
10:06 am
Woah, where does Chris Matthews get off criticizing? Has his city and county government plowed his street and neighborhood to his exact specifications at this very moment?
I agree with letsgobuffalo. Pick up a shovel, dig out your property and help neighbors who can't do so.
10:54 am
The state of the roads are awful. I voted for Fenty last time, but would not again. My family in Silver Spring picked us up on Sunday afternoon, a full day after the first blizzard. They couldn't get down my street at all, we had to walk to 16th steet, the main road. And even that wasn't clear. Imagine 16th street, a main road into town. It was amazing to see the difference in Montgomery County. All the streets were clear, even the side streets. Here, they had a hard time, having to go very slowly, even on 16th. Amazing. I shudder to think what the state of the streets are now with the second blizzard.
I agree with Chris Wallace. And I don't think it should have been a FEMA initiative. Fenty just need to get his act together and get the streets plowed, like our neighbors did.
10:55 am
DeBonis- WTF guy? CP folks are a bunch of hypocrites- you guys bash the hell out of Fenty for being an arrogrant prick about this snow removal stuff and when someone else does it, you jump in his defense. Nice.
I think Fenty in general is a moron but the guy likes to do crowd pleasers. Cutting ribbons, kissing babies, snow removing, whatever. His ego just gets in the way of everything.
With that said, "Tommy" Thomas is an absolute fucking moron. The guy constantly makes an ass of himself and the City. He wants to bash Fenty publically but really just envies the guy.
NOODLEZ- You limp dick basturd, just had to say hello.
11:02 am
Adrian, CP has bashed Fenty for his ridiculous attempt to pretend that government offices and even schools could open under these conditions -- something he's fortunately given up on. That's completely different from Matthews bashing him for not immediately cleaning up all the snow after a history-making blizzard.
11:08 am
KC- Cherkis did a piece a couple days ago about Fenty working out in Georgetown when he should have been on the forefront of this storm. Now that Matthews is bashing him, it's a problem. It just seems sort of ridiculous to me...
11:30 am
That may be, Adrian, but my understanding is that Mike DeBonis and Jason Cherkis are actually two different people.
12:19 pm
I live in Mt Pleasant. Mayor Fenty's parents also live in Mt Pleasant. I live on Kilbourne Place NW which is one street over from Kenyon St NW where Mayor Fenty's parents live. I would like to know why Kenyon St NW has been plowed for several days now and Kilbourne Place NW has just seen it's first plow (and it was only one plow).
12:24 pm
Letsgobuffalo,
Buffalo's average annual snowfall is under 100 inches. Who's exaggerating now?
12:25 pm
KC- I never blamed Debonis, I commented on CP in general. Thanks
12:29 pm
Ward 1 Resident-
Kenyon is a snow emergency route. Kilbourne isn't.
12:29 pm
Both Virginia and Maryland declared a State of Emergency. A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. D.C. did not declare an emergency. Federal assistance also becomes available to areas that are declared to be in a state of emergency, therefore, snow removal or overtime cost would be covered.
Although, I could not get out on yesterday because my streets were never plowed, there were many people out and about in Dupont Circle, Capital Hill, Connecticut Ave and other "walkable and liveable" areas in DC. In Ward 7, we only have one sit down restaurant and I don't think we have a Starbucks or Bookstore or Movie Theatre to take a break from our cabin fever.
12:30 pm
But at least you don't need to move your car during declared emergencies, right?
12:32 pm
hymesb,
Obviously, you never studied local level politics. The candidate who spends the most money doesn't always win, particularly an unpopular incumbent. Furthermore your Bush '04 comparison gave me a chuckle. There's no electoral college system in DC, and Bush only had to carry Ohio or Florida to lock up his reelection. The other Red states were a lock. Whites are roughly 30% of the DC population and Fenty did a lot of work in Ward 3 (Fire Station on Wisconsin) to be deemed acceptable. If they still like him enough, they'll vote for him again. But it probably won't matter. Blacks make up 57% of the DC population, more than enough to offset the White vote. One thing you fail to realize about the Black vote is that Blacks won't come out to vote if they already know the winner. That's why the Black voter turnout has been historically low in DC. Blacks in DC have always known the winner. This year is different b/c of Fenty's treatment of Blacks over the past 3 years. That said, whether Fenty likes it or not, Election '10 DC is about race... and he's the white candidate.
If you're looking for a prime example of racial politics, look at the former Cleveland Mayor. I don't remember her name, but when they elected her, she installed other whites as agency heads (similar to Fenty) and ignored her Black constituents. Well, four years later, she was gone. Cleveland has a 60% Black population.
Bottom line is, Mayor Adrian Fenty is in trouble. He could have $5 million dollars in his reelection coffers and it wouldn't matter. Whoever challenges him has until
March to decide. Announcing in March actually gives the challenger a short time to remind voters about Fenty's shortcomings over the past 3.5 years. His biggest shortcoming being outside your windows.
1:46 pm
The Truth hurts. Especially when one considers how much 50 million could have purchased (City Embezzler Harriet Walters take) and the mass RIF (reduction in force) aka 'firings"; Fenty has instituted in both the Department of Public Works and Dept. of Transportation in addition to DC edicts not to spend anything. The result is BROKE in every sense of the word and as for Statehood, fuggetaboutit!!
2:08 pm
Quite frankly, to hear Fenty getting bashed on national TV was music to my ears. He has it coming and more. He and Rhee waged war on governmewnt employees nationally, so what goes around comes around. Maybe more national bashing is in the way? I hope so.
2:18 pm
@Adrian Bent-Me HEY GURL!
I SEE YOU MAKING YOUR GRAND DIVA ENTRANCE.
LOOK I UNDERSTAND WHERE DEBONIS IS COMING FROM BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO CALL THIS BAMA OUT FOR WHAT HE IS NOT DOING.
NAMELY BEING "A MAYOR"!
2:47 pm
CoHi.
1) go a read a census report.
As of 2008, Blacks made up 54.1 % of population.
Whites make up 40.1%
The gap has gotten smaller since then.
That is a difference of 14%. Not the 30% that you just stated. That means your estimate was off by over 100%.
You can thank all the DC employeed Black middle class professionals that take their money to PG and Montg county. Ironically, for better schools ans safer streets. They can only vote for Legit and Johnson.
2) Are you telling me that people knew that Williams was going to beat Chavious and so blacks just said screw it? No. Black voter turn-out is relatively low (compared to other groups) everywhere.
That is why Chicago has a white Mayor. That is why New Orleans just elected a white mayor. That is why DC will eventually have a white mayor.
3) Thanks for the civics lesson. I understand the difference between the presidential election and a Mayoral one. I brought up Bush to point out that opinion polls don't necessarily translate to the voting booth.
Electoral college aside, Bush got a lot of votes from people that, when polled, said they didn't approve of his performance.
In Fenty, you have people that say they like what he is doing. But don't like him. What is the opponent going to argue? I would do what he did, but I am not him. He will look a fool in a debate.
3) I have watched DC elections since the early 90's. Poorly managed, under-funded campaigns lose. I have never seen a major candidate anounce with just 7 months to the primary and win. Even Cropp was in the race by November of the previous year.
3:09 pm
"You can thank all the DC employeed Black middle class professionals that take their money to PG and Montg county."
LOLOL... maybe Fenty's chauffeur (and PG resident) Keith Lomax can get a DC contract run classes and teach them all how to come back and vote fradulently like he did!
3:19 pm
Oh, and Atlanta just barely elected a Black Mayor. Reid won by less than two thousand votes
Politics are one thing. Elections are another. I just don't see another person with an organization to beat Fenty's.
I wouldn't be suprised if they had mapped out the specific number of votes needed and an execution plan for getting them. He doesn't seem like someone that takes things for granted.
If I was a Gray, Brown, or Brown. I would sit this out and continue to benefit from being the leader of the Anti-fenty brigade.
I can't see a smart politician stepping out taking that chance. Hence, here we are in mid-feb with no one announced. And Chris Matthews, Wash post, Mike Debonis begging someone to run. Even Kwame Brown qualified his "seriously considering" with the words "if" things continue this way.
3:34 pm
Anon,
That was funny.
Met Lomax once. That is a really big guy. Like 6-7" But, he sounded like he was a life-long DC resident.
Anyway, I didn't think it was illegal for people outside the district to do business here. Who knew.
Anyway, it isn't like he moved to Florida for a decade and then cames back a runs for Mayor.
But really, that is where all the Barry money went. He made Maryland rich.
We sit around and blame white for taking over "our" city. But don't fess up to the fact that the people that benefited from "chocolate city" government. Took their money and kids and went to Maryland.
4:53 pm
Gabe Klein had no experience in public transportation before being named Department head. He worked at Smartcar or Zipcar and ran a food cart. I mean, really? not that that differs from some of the Heads of other Fenty agencies, (are you under 40? clueless? YOU ARE IN! ) It should be no wonder that this cleanup is not going well.
5:13 pm
ANY criticism of a black politician is RACISM, according to the D-crat handbook. Ergo, ANYBODY that criticizes the gross incompetence of Fenty is a racist.
7:58 pm
hymesb,
Chicago has a white majority, and New Orleans and Atlanta, I'm sure some folks appreciated you comparing the District to those deep south line stepping Negroes. They're quite different from the Black people here. Furthermore, that 40.1% white population you quoted includes Hispanics. Nice try though.
2:06 pm
hymesb, you're logic doesn't cut it. Because Barry's cronies broke the law, doesn't justify the Fenty cronies' equally bad acts.
"Anyway, I didn't think it was illegal for people outside the district to do business here. Who knew."
It isn't. But it is illegal for non-DC residents (people who live and pay their taxes elsewhere) to be awarded points, meant specifically for DC residents, to compete and win DC LSDBC contracts.
It's just as fraudulent as Fort Washington resident Lomax using his business address--which he rents out to an MPD cop--to vote in the 2008 DC primary.
This doesn't begin to look at exactly what services Mr. Lomax's landscaping business performed to earn it's multi-million dollar, non-compete contracts for DC Schools.