Adrian Fenty: Good bye to connections to the Privileged Few and lots of fired teachers.

[Stinky The Clown]

Vince Gray defeated Adrian Fenty fair and square - by winning more votes, including those from more than a supporters in Fenty's own strongholds.

Why?

Because Fenty sucked up to the wealthy and powerful over the people. Because Fenty fucked beloved teachers. Because Fenty listened more to the tiny Rich And Powerful MINORITY than to the citizens who elected him. He acted with arrogance. He acted like he had some divine right.

Fenty didn't dance with those what brung him.

Good riddance.

I have no reason to think Vince Gray will be the second coming. He's a long time local politician who has probably been in too damned long, too. But at least he acts like he gives a shit about the people who elect him.

There was a lot of good news stories in the primaries yesterday. This story is one of them.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Typo: first line . . . .

"more than a supporters" should read "more than a few supporters"

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Kicking in hope of an actual discussion breaking out

[chimpymustgo]

3. Wish I'd been around yesterday to discuss. Gray will heal the city. WaPo has been shameless

huckstering for Fenty and Rhee. The vote says it ALL.

[kwassa]

4. I have my doubts about Gray.

Fenty was politically stupid, but his reforms really needed doing. Rhee had the same insensitivity as Fenty, and she made more trouble for herself than she needed to.

With Gray we might be right back to inept and bloated city government as usual. He has a much greater need to be popular than Fenty, which will help him politically, but I don't think he has the guts to pull off much if any reform.

[bigtree]

5. you know how it is

D.C. politics. Not the best brain trust of pols in the nation here . . . Good to see Fenty go, but you know that we still have the city council and the rest to deal with - and as you say, Gray is a known entity in D.C. circles. The doors of opportunity and success in his term won't just swing open easily to greet his election. I hope he doesn't think he can just sit back satisfied that he's run his opponent out of office. He'll need to organize his own policies using many of the same actors who allowed Fenty to advance his own. It's hard to suspend disbelief in D.C. politics to imagine there will be some dramatic or even significant transformation anytime soon. The main issue for the schools is still funding (imo) and that can't be achieved by an overabundance of partisanship. We'll see.

[chimpymustgo]

6. Do you live here? "Not the best brain trust of pols in the nation here". WTF???

I love my city. Very smart, caring people here. I'm looking forward to Gray taking charge and moving the city forward. Fenty is an elitist, cruel sonofabitch (as was Rhee). The vote says it ALL.

[bigtree]

7. yeah, I've lived in Washington and nearby most of my life. My parents as well.

Of course, I'm just talking about the folks who've managed to get elected. I'm not at all impressed by the city council members or any of the mayors in my lifetime (including the first one I was aware of in my youth, Walter Washington).

[chimpymustgo]

8. Of course there's an incredible brain trust here - with a huge, highly educated middle and upper

middle class. But the political structure makes politics a dead end street. It's not like you can serve a couple of terms as mayor, then run for Congress...

I have high hopes for Gray. He showed political courage to even run against Fenty.

[bigtree]

9. they really have their hands tied when looking for money to fund their initiatives

. . . and manage their infrastructure. Then, you have Congress still acting like a paternal overseer when they look for the federal government to either assume responsibility for their fair share of the expenses or get out of the way and allow the mayor and council funding without the conservatives' opportunistic strings they've attached in the past.

My mom taught in the District for 40 years (20 as a volunteer every school day). I have a lot of affection for the people and the town. I've been a part of Washington from the time of smoldering and burning brick and broken glass-covered playgrounds in my youth; to the many protests for statehood, legalization, and the environment I've been involved with; to the spot across the bridge where both of my parents lay buried.

I looked over the history and makeup of the council and former mayors and I couldn't bring myself to find just one bright spot among them all. (Holmes-Norton's service a notable exception, perhaps).

It's a wonder how things have remained so banal in D.C. politics with all of the bright and energetic advice and advocacy that's come from the many critics, activists, and observers over the years.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I think you've cited the core of the matter - Plantation Politics

DC needs statehood or it needs to be subsumed back into Maryland.

[Hannah Bell]

11. kr