The big national story that wasn't

[daniel green]

Amid the bloviation-fest following Tuesday's election, Charlotte's mayoral election seems to have kept on flying under the national political radar. Odd. Think about it: A young African-American Democrat, raised by a single mom and his grandparents, now a successful lawyer, aims for a seat that's been Republicans for years. He mobilizes young and African-American voters and wins in a strong showing. Sound familiar? If that isn't a good enough political story, consider that the last Democratic mayor in this Southern banking citadel was Harvey Gantt, the African-American architect who won fame for trying, twice, to unseat arch-conservative U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Here, I restrain myself from the phrases about kudzu and NASCAR that national political analysts would use, if they had noticed this story. They didn't. A Nexis.com check of news reports found a few paragraphs in USA Today and the Washington Times, a few political blog mentions and a paragraph in the Lewiston (Idaho) Morning Tribune from a roundup on how streetcar advocates did in mayoral races. (They won, including here). Yet Democrat Anthony Foxx's win over Republican John Lassiter is not an insignificant anthill on the political landscape. The largest city in the nation's 10th largest state elected its first Democratic mayor in 22 years, an African-American in a majority-white Southern city, a progressive mass transit supporter and an environmentalist.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/marynewsom/story/1042028.html

[theal3]

Wow, thx. I sometimes think the "media" concentrates too much on race in the NEast or belt way stuff. Good to hear about it. There were all kinds of races in many states last week.

[daniel green]

This one was personal to me and the only race on which I worked. Great win!



Democrats are helped, too, by the local Republican Party's ethnic-cleansing-like campaign to purge all who aren't anti-immigrant, anti-gay/lesbian and anti-legal abortion. Moderate Republicans these days have nowhere to turn.

ibid

I think Foxx ran a great campaign, getting folks motivated, getting the vote out, making calls, etc.

He even had President Obama on taped calls going to all the city's Democratic voters reminding all to vote!

[theal3]

This one was personal to me and the only race on which I worked. Great win!

ibid

I think Foxx ran a great campaign, getting folks motivated, getting the vote out, making calls, etc.

He even had President Obama on taped calls going to all the city's Democratic voters reminding all to vote!

I've worked locally for over 20 years in my area/county. Grass roots, boots on the ground is where it happens. First time back in the 80s, planning fundraisers, for Barbara Roberts, our then first female Gov. Was very exciting; then worked on Peter DeFazio's campaign for HouseRep, first time he got elected and he's still there! More recently for Hillary, then the switch to Obama. The logistics, volunteers, and $$ needed is tremendous. And with the internet these days, it helps trmendously "if organize." Obama and Hilliary were very organized, it was simply amazing to realize the planning ahead and so on needed to keep working for votes.

[Lifeguard]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/marynewsom/story/1042028.html

I never heard a word about this election, nothing! Thanks for informing us all of the good progressive news in N.Carolina. That state went for Obama, as I recall, so maybe there is hope still alive.

[MercedesV]

It is always fun and interesting to read about the local races from all around the nation. Get a taste for what is happening. Congratulations on the win.

If watching the media you'd have thought the only elections were VA, NJ and NY23. And while they were interesting they weren't the only ones. I didn't have any elections so I just got to sit back and watch others.

[franker01]

Southern White people electing a Black Mayor.

Now that puts to bed at least one Liberal Myth, don't you think??

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

[daniel green]

I never heard a word about this election, nothing! Thanks for informing us all of the good progressive news in N.Carolina. That state went for Obama, as I recall, so maybe there is hope still alive.

Of course hope is still alive, and well!

Not only was NC the state that tipped the primaries over to the President, but we voted a Dem Governor and the President!

In fact, the reason for the mayoral race is that the long-time mayor of Chlt--a Republican, of course--ran for Governor and lost, in November.

This election was covered extensively in state and local news--so it was strange that it did not get national media coverage.

Particularly since GOP leaders said what it was a barometer of the mood of the electeroate.

[tirante420]

"The big national story that wasn't"

Why? Because it wasn't a big national story.

[Dustee]

Of course hope is still alive, and well!

Not only was NC the state that tipped the primaries over to the President, but we voted a Dem Governor and the President!

<snipped>


Yes, and our former Dem Governor is currently under state and federal investigation.

[Susan43]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/marynewsom/story/1042028.html

I almost missed this...I'm sure glad I saw your post before it disappeared.

This is very good news for you folks and I hope he works out for you all. :thumbsup:

[snookums1]

Daniel, the same held true for Pennsylvania. Dems all over the state scored wins, even in Republican areas. Here are a few.

Democrats win big in Camden County

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20091104_Democrats_win_big_in_Camden_County.html

Democrats score big in local races across Pa.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091103_ap_democratsscorebiginlocalracesacrosspa. html

So lets see, as far as I can ascertain, Republicans won 2 state seats in Republican areas and Dems picked up 2 national seats, one in a Republican area. Plus, Dems seemed to win big in county and state races in traditionally Republican areas. I know, in the county where I live, Democrats used to not even bother running. This election, they not only ran, many of them won. So what is the message that voters are trying to get across?

[Susan43]

Daniel, the same held true for Pennsylvania. Dems all over the state scored wins, even in Republican areas. Here are a few.

Democrats win big in Camden County

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20091104_Democrats_win_big_in_Camden_County.html

Democrats score big in local races across Pa.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20091103_ap_democratsscorebiginlocalracesacrosspa. html

So lets see, as far as I can ascertain, Republicans won 2 state seats in Republican areas and Dems picked up 2 national seats, one in a Republican area. Plus, Dems seemed to win big in county and state races in traditionally Republican areas. I know, in the county where I live, Democrats used to not even bother running. This election, they not only ran, many of them won. So what is the message that voters are trying to get across?

Wow! And a couple of them won by wide margins. Funny we aren't hearing about this isn't it?

Seattle is a very liberal place so it's no wonder we elected or re-elected Dems. But I thought PA was more conservative. Good for you all and I hope it all works out.

[daniel green]

I almost missed this...I'm sure glad I saw your post before it disappeared.

This is very good news for you folks and I hope he works out for you all. :thumbsup:

Charlotte, and NC, is a very different place than we were during the Jesse Helms era.

When Pat McCrory first ran for mayor of Charlotte in 1995, the Republican Party enjoyed a home-field advantage: 73 percent of the city voters were white, many of whom reliably chose the GOP on election day. But the electorate that Republican John Lassiter faced against Democrat Anthony Foxx last week was different. Whites are down to 57 percent of voters, a result of more minorities moving to Charlotte and white families moving to outlying counties. The percent of registered Republicans has also declined, from 36 percent to 26 percent. In the wake of Foxx's 3,239-vote victory over Lassiter on Tuesday in the Charlotte mayoral race, both political parties are asking whether the city's demographic shift will give Democrats a significant advantage in future local elections. Besides capturing the mayor's office, Democrats now have eight of 11 seats on the Charlotte City Council for the first time. "This is a blue city in a blue county now," said Democratic political consultant Dan McCorkle.

Because Chlt is the second largest banking center in the US, it is a huge deal.

[beattherap]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/marynewsom/story/1042028.html
a national story because ?...

white voters are down to 57%, blacks are up to 37%, white voters don't tend to vote 90+ % for one party, black voters do...

is the national story that charlotte isn't as racist as in the past ?

[daniel green]

snipped

is the national story that charlotte isn't as racist as in the past ?

No. Not in the least.

Because a very large city, the second largest banking city in the country, in the South, chose a progressive, enviromentalist as its mayor in a race touted as the GOP as being vital to its future.

[Lifeguard]

No. Not in the least.

Because a very large city, the second largest banking city in the country, in the South, chose a progressive, enviromentalist as its mayor in a race touted as the GOP as being vital to its future.

That sounds like a good reason! I suppose Steele and the GOP are now claiming "victory" on that race too, just to be consistent with what they are saying about all their other losses.

[daniel green]

That sounds like a good reason! I suppose Steele and the GOP are now claiming "victory" on that race too, just to be consistent with what they are saying about all their other losses.

Probly so. Or a "referendum on Obama." Not sure how that worked out for them since Foxx ran a good campaign, organized, got out the vote and had the President making calls to all Democrats reminding them to go vote for Foxx.