Democrat Doug Wilder became the MAYOR OF Richmond VA on Jan. 2

[diamond14]

Richmond is the CAPITAL of Virginia.....at one time, Richmond was the Capital of the Confederate South....and NOW, a Democrat is the Mayor...a Black Man....In the heart of bush* confederate country....



Wilder is a senior (74 years old)....he ran a very low cost, low profile campaign....what he did was to ride around on the city buses for months, and talk to people...he CRUSHED the incumbent mayor to win 80 % of the vote !


IT THAT COOL????
Go Democrats!!

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Totally cool. Yeah for Wilder and Richmond.

[AllyCat]

2. Yes!!! Friends in Richmond report how segregated it is

That is great that he was able to win his campaign using a true grassroots tactic and getting people out to vote.

:party:

[demnan]

3. I loved it when he was governor

the looks on racist's faces the morning after they realized they had a black governor was priceless, and will follow me the rest of my life!

[underpants]

4. Wilder is a DINO and he is angling to help Kilgore win this year

Long story (I found out about this while working the Kerry booth at the State fair) Wilder has been in bed with the Repubs for a while now. The plan was to get him elected* and Benedetti on the city council and then use their position to deliver Richmond for Kilgore. Kaine rushed over and was sure to be seen with Wilder quite often (good move Tim). Luckily Benedetti lost his campaign.

*-Wilder didn't need to do much in the way of campaigning to win. It was a foregone conclusion as soon as he announced.

[diamond14]

6. whine whine whine whine...booo hooo hoo....seems like NOTHING

can please you at all....


perhaps you'd be happier if a full-blown confederate flag-waving racist was elected Mayor of Richmond....

[Blue Wally]

7. Ummmm..........

Richmond has had a black mayor before Wilder. Like many older cities hemmed in by white suburbs, Richmond has become majority black over the years.

[dean_dem]

8. I'm inclined to agree..

Honestly, Wilder makes me nervous. I don't doubt that he will bust some heads in the city, which is desperately needed, but the man seems to have never met a conflict of interest he didn't like.

VCU pays him around $100,000 a year to teach one class in the fall. That's right, ONE class. Then there is the fact that VCU is planning a major expansion into downtown Richmond. I guess they'll have no problem with that now that one of their more influential employees is the new mayor, not to mention Golfing buddies with the VCU President.

Not to mention he played a major part in changing the City charter to elect an at-large mayor, which I would argue we didn't need in the first place. Then he turns around and runs for it? Hmmm....

So while I don't doubt Wilder will probably bring some much-needed change, its not time to celebrate yet. I'm not completely convinced he's this godsend everyone around here thinks he is.

[underpants]

9. My wife and I received a fundraising package from VCU

being VCU grads that we are. You should see what they want to do. The whole square block across Belvidere from VCU's engineering school is going to be the new business school. HUGE!

Wilder now is in effect the city boss. Everyone has to come to him if they want Richmond to vote for them. He could campaign and deliver Richmond to whomever he wants thus throwing the old state pattern out the window. He is the Mayor Daley of Richmond.

[dean_dem]

13. Yeah, and the whole Monroe Ward expansion is guaranteed....

...to happen now. I don't necessarily oppose it, but I don't like the fact that all the interested parties are completely overlapping.

The Council-manager form of Government serves a city of Richmond's size (and its history) just fine. Change isn't always good simply because it is different. Seems they could have found a better to way to reform city Government.

[diamond14]

14. Elected BY THE PEOPLE upsets you? ....you though it was great when

the Mayor of Richmond was elected by the CITY COUNCIL?? ....an old remnant of the confederacy....and NOW, Doug Wilder deserved LOT OF CREDIT for breaking up that little 'racist' party....you claim that you don't need a MAYOR ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE ???? WOW...that just smells bad....

MORE POWER TO DOUG WILDMAN...elected BY THE PEOPLE !!!! imagine that !! how very shocking !!! what an idea !!!


many of the electorial laws in Virginia need to be revised....and that was only one of many that need fixing here in Virginia....we need a government OF THE PEOPLE, rather than the old "by the plantation owners".....

[dean_dem]

15. Elected by the people my ass....

It's not that simple. Given Richmond's historical knack for disenfranchsing black voters, there was a damn good reason for setting up council wards. Sure, Wilder got 80 percent of the vote, but from what percentage of the city? If 80 percent of the voters were from the Fan and upper income, largely white areas like that (which I don't think that was the exact figure, but it was a clear majority of the voters), exactly how is that elected by the people? At least with Council Wards, both Manchester and the Fan got adequate representation.

We did away with the At-large mayor system in 1948 exactly BECAUSE it was a racist system, the Council-Manager system was NOT a remant of the Confederacy. That's just incorrect. I'm not saying we'll return to that with the new system, but its something to keep in mind.

[diamond14]

19. It's OK that Wilder got elected by BOTH White and Black voters

and a VICTORY of 80 % of the vote is GREAT !!!....it certainly is ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.....


As a teenager, I handed out brochures for John Conyers in my Detroit neighborhood (my Mom was a BIG Conyers supporter)...Conyers WON by carrying BOTH White and Black voters....some people fought by REDISTRICTING Conyers, and yet, he won over both Black and White people in the redistrict TOO....and NOW, I am PROUD to have Conyers still in Congress (still representing BOTH White and Black voters) and leading the changes in voter rights.....PROUD (since I did my 'little' part to get him elected, at the beginning)....

[dean_dem]

22. You're missing my point....

Sure, it looks like a mandate on the surface when he gets 80 percent of the vote. And while try as I might to get the actual figures I haven't been able. I do know that the referendum vote for an at-large mayor only had a 30 percent turnout though, largely from the white upper-income districts. The mayoral vote had under a 40 percent turnout as well (as that's being generous). So if only 40 percent of registered voters actually vote, and the majority of these voters come from largely white, upper income neighborhoods, whose interests are being represented here?

Like I said, I'm not trying to discount his victory, I just don't think we should be jumping up and down celebrating yet. Lets wait and see who he actually answers to first, the people or Jim Ukrops.

[SaveElmer]

5. I heard that one of the Swift Boat Liars

Was one of his supporters in the election...and Wilder welcomed it. Can't remember the guys name...will check for a link.

Don't embrace Wilder too closely...he has a habit of stabbing other Democrats in the back!

[really-looney]

11. Ask Chuck Robb

[underpants]

12. Roy F. Hoffman (can't find a story linking to Wilder though)

http://mediamatters.org/items/200412220004

[diamond14]

16. doesn't surprise me that you can't link it to Wilder...

but some sure made a smelly STINK about it here....whew...smells bad....


innuendo...unsubstantiated allegations....whew....smells bad...rovian in stature....

[SaveElmer]

18. I did hear it on the radio here in DC

The Swift Boat dude was interviewed praising Wilder and mention was made that Wilder welcomed his support. Believe it...don;t believe it I don't care...I know what I heard

[diamond14]

20. sooo..ooo....you actually BELIEVE a swift boat LIAR?

amazing...I thought the swift boat LIARS had been totally discredited....they don't know how to tell the truth....

to trumpet a swift boat LIAR, just because they were on a BIG radio show in DC...shows me that the brainwashing is complete...all the way down to DU.....

[SaveElmer]

21. It was Paul Galanti

Here is an NPR link on ths story

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4252173

[diamond14]

23. swift boat LIAR attends a 500-person reception for Wilder....NPR can only

find ONE person at that 500-person reception to interview for this story...a swift boat LIAR who claimed to support Wilder, AFTER Wilder was elected....no word from Wilder about this entire matter at all....NPR whored that one....they could have found someone else to interview at a 500-person reception....

I doubt that Doug Wilder even knew the LIAR was there....


yet, here on DU...you cite this as EVIDENCE that Doug Wilder EMBRACES the swift boat LIARS.....now, how brainwashed is THAT???

you remember that...others here REMEMBER that...obvious NPR did their little BUSH-paid-for-hit on Wilder...and sadly, YOU and others here have fallen right into it....sad...real sad...

this should tell all DUers, how very effective the bush* spin machine is...very effective....subtle, nasty, vicious....paid for with OUR tax money....and it WORKS !!! feable-minded people everywhere fall for it....

[ThorsHammer]

10. That is a great campaign idea

I don't know much about the man, but I love his campaign. I wish more politicians would reach out rather than have attack ads.

[w4rma]

17. Not really a big deal. Richmond, VA is always pro-Democratic.

Tim Kaine was the previous mayor. He is now our Lt. Governor.

The closer folks live together the more likely they are to be Democrats. I.e. cites almost always lean Democratic.