HOW CAN THERE BE SO LITTLE INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT? (SOME QUESTIONS ANSWER THEMSELVES)

[Note: Cross-posted to Blog P.I.]

In an online-only article Friday, TNR assistant editor Marisa Katz sought to explain the low turnout (35%) in the contested Democratic mayoral primary in DC. Although she almost puts forth a plausible enough argument (more than once), the piece gets tangled up in its own arguments and fails to make its point, whatever that's supposed to be. The most glaring problem is a simple misrepresentation, and one that should be readily apparent to any District resident circa fall 2002:

Turnout in the primary -- a "watershed" contest to replace outgoing two-term Mayor Anthony Williams -- was a measly 35 percent among registered Democrats in this almost exclusively Democratic city. That pales in comparison with the most recent significant mayoral elections in Philadelphia and Baltimore, which both saw turnout well into the 40s. More embarrassing, it's only a couple points higher than in 2002, when Williams's reelection was so secure that he ran as a write-in candidate.

Katz's telling creates an image of Williams as political Houdini: And for my next trick, I'll seek re-election with one hand tied behind my back! The Post seems to have moved its 2002 primary coverage offline, but the DC Watch website accurately names the reason for Williams' write-in candidacy as "insufficient signatures on petition," and Wikipedia's entry on Williams gives a fuller story:

In the 2002 primary, the mayor needed to collect signatures from voters to get his name on the ballot. The firm that he hired to do this had some irregularities with the names on petitions. Examples of faulty signatures on his petitions included Tony Blair, Billy Joel, and Robin Hood. As a result of the dodgy petitions, Williams was fined $277,700 by the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics and was kicked off the ballot, forcing him to run as a write-in candidate.

That sentence would have never made it past the copy desk at the Washington City Paper. Maybe we could consider this another example of DC political types not paying attention to city politics - that being the thing she's trying to diagnose here, as will become apparent.I'm not so sure the turnout was all that low, at least going on her examples. She compares DC's turnout unfavorably with Philly and Baltimore, but she doesn't identify whether she means the primary or general election of each. The 2003 Philly mayor's race was hotly contested up to November, but if that contest -- featuring physical violence and wiretapping -- only pulled in forty-something percent of the electorate, maybe 35% isn't all that low. Sure, the 2006 primary turnout was on the low end -- but as Henny Youngman would say, "Compared to what?"

The article has other problems besides:

Anthony Downs would say [a pollster friend who hadn't been following the mayor's race] was just being rational. In his 1957 essay, An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy, Downs argued that voters want to support candidates who, if elected, give them the greatest utility. But, because it can take a lot of time to divine the distinctions between candidates (and because, even if a voter picks "correctly," the potential benefits are uncertain and probably small), it makes sense for a voter to remain fairly uniformed [sic]. Presumably the theory applies to political strategists just as well as it does to those who have never given any thought to how to engage an undecided voter.

Economists might say her friend was being rational, all right, but they would be more specific: She displayed what's called "rational ignorance." Ms. Katz is right to credit Mr. Downs with the theory, but I'm afraid her explanation -- especially with the misplaced emphasis on the concept of utility -- doesn't do it justice. More economics-related language follows:

I'm also a believer in the division of political labor. There are a lot of legitimate political issues out there -- some local and some national -- and not even the most politically active person can worry about them all. Nor, in a healthy body politic, should they have to. Some people can work to bring attention to the threat of nuclear terrorism while others advocate on behalf of affordable health care. Some people may be hard-pressed to name their member of Congress, but they may have the date of every neighborhood meeting marked on the calendar.

What, do political consultants not care how their children's schools are run? Or how their tax dollars are used to build the new baseball stadium? Actually, Katz had already dismissed the notion that the low turnout was attributable to political professionals:

Why does the most political city in the country seem to care so little about the right to vote? Of course, not everyone in this town is in politics. And the negative side of the city's recent and ongoing gentrification has no doubt encouraged disaffection among some residents. Still, the federal government is the region's largest employer. According to census data, one out of four workers in the city work for government at some level. And that figure doesn't capture the lobbyists, analysts, and reporters who make a living out of government watching and influencing. How can there be so little interest in government?

There's almost too many stupid ideas here to address them all: First of all, would gentrification (ooh! scary!) turn people off politics? If it's the bogeyman Katz implies, shouldn't that rile up the local activists? More importantly, if the transient professionals and privately-employed political strategists are leaving the nitty gritty of local politics to the civil servants who make up the vast majority of federal employees, who do the government employees leave it up to? Actually, based on the condition of the roads around here, the answer would seem to be no one.

So I'm not trying to claim DC is anybody's idea of a participatory democracy, but when she asks "How can there be so little interest in government?" there are several answers she doesn't consider:

• The government isn't very interesting (the differences between mayor-in-waiting Adrian Fenty and his closest rival, Linda Cropp, were more about style than substance).
• Assuming they're numerous enough to matter, perhaps the political professionals get enough politics at work.
• Perhaps the locals are turned off because they don't have full federal representation (a possibility she sets up, but never develops).
• And we could answer with another question: Why doesn't the same question apply to other cities -- like, say, Philly and Balmer?

Editor, please! Ah, they're probably too busy blogging.

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posted by WWB at 11:12 PM |

 
MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING NEIGHBORHOODS

I was wondering why, about an hour ago, a local news van pulled up on the street in front of my house, one cameraman got out, shot maybe twenty seconds of the high school across the street, then got back in and drove off. Now I know why:

A 16-year-old student at Cardozo Senior High School was shot once in the leg this afternoon during an incident across the street from the Columbia Heights school, police said.

The student was taken to Howard University Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, D.C. Public Schools spokeswoman Patricia Alford-Williams said.

The shooting occurred shortly after noon at the intersection of 13th and Clifton streets NW. Three suspects were seen running from the scene, according to police, and police took two people into custody for questioning.

And I keep telling people this neighborhood is getting safer? It's not the first shooting within a block of my apartment since I've been here, and not the first time Cardozo High has been newsworthy.

At least unlike Frank, I haven't seen somebody murdered up here in SoCo, as he has over in Brookland. And while he certainly traded up by moving over to here... apparently not by as much as he might have thought.

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posted by WWB at 7:55 PM |

 
DISORDER IN THE HOUSE

It's been a pretty crazy fortnight in this neck of the mid-Atlantic region. Among the things I have done and not yet written about -- or been able to write about:

• I saw a car on fire on the street below my apartment, which the fire department soon arrived to put out, pushing massive amount of smoke out of the car's hood and drawing a small crowd out of the buildings surrounding.


• I went to my first NFL game, the Redskins' season opener last Monday night at FedEx field, which they lost, miserably, to the rebuilding and should-be-miserable Minnesota Vikings.


• That weekend, I saw my old college friend and Commentator mentor (well, one of them) Mark Hemingway married off, and drank until the early morning hours with a few of those other mentors.


• The day after, I watched my Ducks eke out a win over the Oklahoma Sooners, in what was undoubtedly the most controversial game of the season so far; sure, some of those late calls were inexplicable, but you can't hold that — or our #13 ranking — against us.


• I saw a two-car head-on collision at the corner of my street, less than 20 feet from where that car had caught fire just the week before.


• And then... I spent the last 30 hours or so semi-homeless, as an electrical fire in the basement of my apartment complex knocked out the power in my whole building (eventually, just my half of the building), forcing me to spend last night on the couch at the office, and today while waiting to get back in, worked from the Love Cafe, and was prepared to spend a night on the Bailey/Pfeiffer living room couch. Luckily, the power returned less than two hours ago, just before we swung by on the way back from dinner.

All in the span of two weeks. For the incidents where I've got got photographic (or video) evidence to share, I will share soon. And of course there's that European trip. I'll be getting to that, too.

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posted by WWB at 10:21 PM |

 
FIVE YEARS, STUCK ON MY EYES

Five years, what a surprise. Five years ago this morning I was sitting in my last apartment in Eugene a wooded third-floor perch overlooking a wooded courtyard. Being three time zones removed from the East Coast and enjoying the final days of my final summer vacation, I slept through everything save the falling of the second tower. It was a strange thing to wake up with. Today I woke up to tributes, and type this just a mile or so north of the Pentagon, from a Northern Virginia office complex improbably named the Twin Towers (in six months I have heard it called that exactly zero times). Like every day, passenger jets pass overhead in one direction or another every three to five minutes, even today. And who flies on 9/11? People who have to work, I suppose. NBC is reairing the morning hours of their 9/11/01 Today show starting at 8:30. If I didn't have to work, I'd probably watch that, so it's probably a good thing I have to work.

Tonight I will mark the anniversary, or at least spend the anniversary, at a very, very public event: the Washington Redskins' opener vs. the Minnesota Vikings at FedEx Field. I'll have the Canon with me, so expect another set of slightly disjointed photographs to appear in this space sometime soon.

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posted by WWB at 7:47 AM |

 
TRUTH & BEAUTY (& WEIRDNESS)

A great man once said:

The game will not be beautiful. But when they play, it will be beautiful.

Indeed, it was not beautiful. This "W" win won't do much for our standings in the national polls, but but it's more than we've beaten the Bulldogs by in our last four meetings. Maybe the coaches and sportswriters will take this into account? No, we'd do better to hold our own against Oklahoma next week — we could've used Stewart more than his one carry (for a touchdown) but it's probably better to let him rest up for next week. And if we manage to finagle another "W" out of that game, BCS here we come (you have to think about these things early on).

Anyway, Last night I went to a party early in the evening, returned for the Ducks game; it was the first time in awhile I'd had a laptop and no distractions during a Ducks game. (I returned to the party afterward.) If stream-of-consciousness is your thing, well, knock yourself out:

What -- Jordan Kent fumbles! (Ernie Kent smiles?) ... sophomore quarterback? We can take this guy ... if I roll my TV stand up close, who cares that it's not HD? ... I hope Frenso just goes for it on 4th and 14 -- damn ... that was all Jordan's fault, not Dixon's ... Garren Strong doesn't look *that* hurt ... that was a first down, right? yes! ... weird how the Bulldogs stadium has stairs right behind the uprights -- sure takes the crowd out it, even if it's not quite like free throuws (though they do have thunder sticks) ... whoa, that dude knocked out? that dude looks worse than Strong -- didn't look like he got the worse of it either; Finley bounced more. but not our problem ... his problem ... great Dennis Dixon pass to Jaison Williams ... Dixon knows that one was his fault ... inside the 15! ... at the 2! ... good use of trick plays ... touchdown -- Jonathan Stewart! -- that was a giganic hole ... this team looks really confident ... 1st and 20 -- Bulldogs are getting penalized again already ... whoa -- touchdown?! flag? sure thought was incomplete ... QB dude DID get hit hard -- squashed, actually ... double-foul, canceling penalties ... after the TF? was his arm going forward? -- TOUCHDOWN! -- will they challenge? ... I disagree with the announcers -- him getting hit jerked his arm forward ... ah, that was almost a pass -- but I think it came out of his hand almost sideways -- it was the *hit* -- and who was he passing to? (does the pocket collapsing take him out of the pocket?) ... just like the early challenge in the OSU/UT game earlier -- agh, reversed. oh well. close call. 4th and a jillion yards, though ... if Jonathan Stewart reminds me of Jon Stewart, Dante Rosario reminds me of Rosario Dawson ... "looks like a chicken on a junebug when he gets into that secondary -- yeeha!" -- oh, fuck! good throw by Dixon. damn ... but hey, uh, awesome punt! ... damn -- our backs have been terrific at backing up and finding an alternate route ... should've given it to Stewart, but good run there, Dixon ... Jeremiah Johnson! -- didn't even need to hold the ball out -- no one was near him ... I think I'd like to see some Gaelic football ... c'mon Oregon! these Bulldog 3rd down conversions are killing us! ... and so will that false start! ... agh, 14-9 ... 14-10 ... g'dammit! -- 4th and 4? ugh -- and on the 30 or so. lame ... good tackle, I guess ... their run is working -- knock, knock, Oregon D-line ... phew -- no 3rd down conversion ... and a possession later: Dear Oregon offense, please do something ... that was a start -- flag? argh ... 4 penalties now ... well, that was something -- Dixon never seems to run for much yardage, but he does save absolutely awful situations, like that near-safety -- phew ... this counts as something ... gah! SO almost a touchdown -- c'mon, Jaison! ... jeebus. not playing like you guys want to stay ranked ... the AFLAC trivia question is about when a WAC team last beat the Ducks -- Hawaii in '94. I'm almost offended by the question ... bah. let's get a FG already then ... at least that. 17-10 is, well, you don't completely suck -- where's that competence I was talking about? ... INTERCEPTION! -- with :02 until the half, totally pointless, but NICE! ... [HALFTIME] ... defense has its mojo back? ... agh, Jackie Bates -- please stand up! -- Bellotti's on the field, yeah, that looks like it'd hurt -- but good deflection ... seriously, do we have ANY rush defense? ... once again, Fresno St. converts on the third down ... sheesh -- Bellotti, are you ready to lose your Fresno/WAC streak? ... good stop, need a few more ... hey, doing well ... Willie Glasper! ... uh, well, at least you made them fight for it? 17-16 - 17-17 ... Dixon's fault that time, not Williams' ... Dixon to Williams again! -- THAT was something ... and Jordan Kent again -- another 1st down -- better ... ugh, 4th and 2? please tell me you're going for it -- to Stewart -- wha? field goal?! BLOCKED?! RECOVERED!!!! -- conference?! agh! ... wow ... next play, touchdown! ... phew ... and no foul, despite the celebration ... nowadays, NCAA is the real no fun league ... so what if Paul Martinez is no longer perfect for the season -- at least he got that PAT ... even if we do win, which we should, we're still going to lose ground in the AP/USAT polls ... our secondary is kicking ass most of the time -- where's our D-line? ... finally! a 3rd down they couldn't convert ... change of possesion, and ... Dixon, not quite a Vick, but a great run for the first down ... not so good the next time ... and, punting again ... whoa, I've never seen this Drew Rosenhaus BK commercial ... weird. not nearly as funny as the one where the King comes out of nowhere to catch a TD pass, though ... ugh. Dear Oregon Defense, I am a disappointed fan, please keep them outside the 20 ... Dear Defense, please don't let them score a touchdown ... at least if we beat them by 7, that'll be more than we've beaten them by in the last five years ... I'd forgotten Dan Fouts was calling this game -- I'm guessing all the pro-Fresno State commentary is coming from him ... you know, a couple years ago you could easily mistake him for Dennis Miller on MNF -- 20 pounds later, no chance ... FUCK -- Brandstadter (?) should NOT have had that first down ... 24-23, 24-24 ... for the record, I was in the pisser during that Brandi Stater touchdown ... I knew I didn't want to see that ... fuck you, Fouts -- I don't *want* this to be a "great" football game ... for the fourth or fifth time this game, Dixon throws to absolutely nobody at all ... good Dixon-Williams first down ... and another good first down ... our guys can jook all right ... yes! pass to first down up the middle! ... YES! pass to first down up the middle! ... good run, Mr. Johnson ... Rosario Dawson for another first down! ... just give it to Stewart ... ugh, well, we recovered ... c'mon, guys! seriously! ... cripes --- AHA! FUCK YEAH -- Brady Leaf with the fake!! ... pitches it for the Martinez TD run ... nice ... Toeiana injured? not so good ... you know, the numbers on our unis really do look cartoonish ... and, a change of possession later... Bellotti's the winningest coach in Oregon history.

James Joyce, eat your heart out.

° ° ° ° °
In related news, I did not know this:

The Civil War briefly had a traveling trophy, an abstract maple-carved statue of a platypus (a creature which resembles a cross between a duck and a beaver). The Platypus Trophy was awarded from 1959 to 1962, after which it disappeared. Rediscovered in 2005 in a closet at the University of Oregon's MacArthur Court, there is a move to revive the Platypus Trophy as part of Civil War tradition.

These are the things I miss out here being surrounded by the ACC. Can anybody update me on the status of the Civil War (Brought to you by your Northwest Dodge Dealer) platypus?

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posted by WWB at 4:25 PM |

 
LET'S SEE NOW, WHERE WAS I?




Of course! How could I have been so careless: Go Ducks!!!

And in case you are wondering, yes, I am ashamed that it has taken me seven days to acknowledge the return of the only reason I ever wish I could spend more time back in Eugene — our perennially-ranked and notoriously-outfitted football program.

Last weekend I made the first of about a dozen of these seasonal pilgrimages out to Summer's in Arlington to root on the mighty Ducks as they ran roughshod over the Cardinal of Stanford. Today's road test against always-dangerous Fresno State should be closer, but absent a medical downgrade, Jonathan Heisman... er, I mean Jonathan Stewart should be ready to rush for another 150+ yards tonight.

It's a 10 p.m. start out here, so I'll be watching it on ESPN 2 from my own couch instead of a booth near the confluence of Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards. It may not be quite as rowdy, but I'll try to hold up my end.

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posted by WWB at 10:59 AM |