It was only a matter of time before a large enough voice in Boston's Black community spoke out against Mayor Menino. There have been grumblings about his support for BU's Biolab for a while and his reputation for being vindictive against people who contradict his wishes is well known. I left Boston before he became mayor and returned 6 years ago. Upon returning, I heard that he enjoyed high ratings, but I could never understand why. Besides literally not being able to understand what he said, I didn't see what the big deal was about him. Yes he made appearances everywhere, but what was he really doing? Did I miss his golden years?
Anyway, the Bay State Banner's editorial opposing Menino is interesting. Has Menino finally bumped up against someone with a legacy bigger than his own? Elma Lewis isn't well-known by many Bostonians under 40. Further, her accomplishments and legacy aren't well known by many Bostonians under 30. Given the large number of young voters, I wonder how important the Parcel 3 project will be to young voters and new Bostonians. Using the Parcel 3 development is an interesting way to portray into the idea that Menino is out of touch with the community. But in order for that to take root on a wider scale, I feel that more examples and connections need to be identified.
Overall, this should be an interesting mayoral cycle. Many communities of color and liberal white communities were envigorated and galvanized by President Obama's election. I'm curious to see whether any fractions will appear if/when Menino formally announces his candidacy. If an anti-Menino movement takes hold in Boston, it'll also be interesting to see how the voting breaks down by neighborhood. Dorchester and Roxbury are two of the most populous neighborhoods, but I don't think they have the highest voter turnouts in any election. Will Menino bother courting voters of color and liberal white voters in those districts if more of these editorials appear? Or, will he pursue a George Bush-style divide and conquer campaign and just go for the safe districts? Unfortunately, none of the current candidates looks strong enough at the moment to portend an interesting campaign cycle. Hopefully that will change soon.
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