The Big Race This Year

It isn't in Connecticut, or Ohio, or even Virginia. It's the D.C. mayor's race, of course. The Democratic primary is on September 12, so we're in the final stretch. And it feels like the stretch, with the number of yard signs, television ads, and vicious attacks. The question is, For whom to vote?

In case you're not hip to the D.C. politics, the incumbent mayor, Anthony Williams, is not running for reelection. He has endorsed Linda Cropp, of opposition to the new baseball stadium fame. I've heard, on the street, that Cropp basically represents the old Barry machine. As in Marion Barry, of "bitch set me up" fame. So, enough said, not voting for her.

If not Cropp, then who? I've been told that Marie Johns, a former Verizon executive, is the candidate of choice of the "young urban hipster" crowd. But I'm not that young any more, and I'm not sure I've ever been a "hipster." Plus, Johns seems nice and all, but she's not really in the running. (Seems that there aren't enough young urban hipsters in the District to elect anyone mayor.)

The frontrunner, and the leader in the polls, is Adrian Fenty. Fenty has run harder than anyone else. I swear, he's had yard signs out for more than a year. Last year, when we moved here, I thought that the election was in 2005, because Fenty's signs were already everywhere. I think I've shaken his hand three times. He's always out, on the city streets, at the Metro in the mornings, wandering around the U Street neighborhood, canvasing for votes. Ben's Chili Bowl, a U Street landmark, appears to be a Fenty canvasing headquarters. (Thinking of which, it's been a while since I've been to Ben's Chili Bowl. The half smoke is delicious, people.)

The question with Fenty is experience. He's young, and looks a little younger. I'm not sure what experience would be relevant to being mayor of the dysfunctional District, but, like John Edwards, he could probably use a little more of that. Indeed, Edwards in 2004 may be a great analogy for Fenty. Fenty strikes you as a great candidate, if he were only ten years older and more experienced. But he wants the job now.

There are others. But it's basically between Fenty and Cropp. Cropp is now running ads attacking Fenty's record as a lawyer and lack of experience. I don't know if these attacks are working, because I haven't seen a recent poll. Since I've basically ruled out Cropp, I guess it has to be Fenty.

Update (8/29): In comments, the question is raised: How old is Fenty? According to Wikipedia, he was born on December 7, 1970, which makes him 35, going on 36. To be honest, I thought he would be a little older than that.