Atlanta mayoral race: Poll shows Mary Norwood with early lead (Jackson: live, moving)

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

No, it won't. If you look back to last election Reed solidly won the near eastside neighborhoods which are majority white. This election will come down to who is painted as the progressive candidate versus the conservative one. Norwood has already been cast as the conservative candidate and she hasn't done much to dispel that idea, regardless if it is true or not. It doesn't play well in Buckhead.

It really comes down to White people have proven both in Mayoral elections in Atlanta (Jackson, Young, Campbell, Franklin, Reed) and in Presidential elections (Obama) that they will vote for a Black candidate. Black people have not proven the same thing. Will the Black vote in Atlanta prove that they as a group are willing to vote for someone who looks different than them? Time will tell.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

The only candidates I think of as progressive are Cathy Woolard and Al Bartell. Maybe there are others I haven't heard about.

Vincent Fort

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

No, it won't. If you look back to last election Reed solidly won the near eastside neighborhoods which are majority white. This election will come down to who is painted as the progressive candidate versus the conservative one. Norwood has already been cast as the conservative candidate and she hasn't done much to dispel that idea, regardless if it is true or not. It doesn't play well in Buckhead.

Reed didn't really have any serious opposition in the last election, though.

In the 2009 election, Reed did well in several eastside neighborhoods, but Norwood rolled in places like Virginia-Highland, Midtown and Candler Park.

Likewise Norwood made a solid showing in several black neighborhoods, but didn't have enough votes to win.

But your point is well taken that race isn't the deciding factor. I believe most people are beyond that and simply want the best person for mayor.

2009 Mayoral Runoff results

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Vincent Fort

Good point.

[Cameron H]

Originally Posted by ronricks

It really comes down to White people have proven both in Mayoral elections in Atlanta (Jackson, Young, Campbell, Franklin, Reed) and in Presidential elections (Obama) that they will vote for a Black candidate. Black people have not proven the same thing. Will the Black vote in Atlanta prove that they as a group are willing to vote for someone who looks different than them? Time will tell.

LOL. Black folks have a long tradition (at least, since they've been allowed to vote) of voting for white political candidates, because white political candidates have so often been their only choice. A black person would have to be a seriously infrequent voter to have avoided "proving" they'll vote for a white candidate.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

LOL. Black folks have a long tradition (at least, since they've been allowed to vote) of voting for white political candidates, because white political candidates have so often been their only choice. A black person would have to be a seriously infrequent voter to have avoided "proving" they'll vote for a white candidate.

Not in Atlanta they haven't especially when there is a Black candidate running.

[Cameron H]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Not in Atlanta they haven't especially when there is a Black candidate running.

Again, black voters have a much stronger track record voting for white candidates than vice versa because they more often than not haven't had any choice. How many opportunities have black voters in Atlanta had to vote for black candidates in presidential, gubernatorial and senate elections?

Right. Black voters vote for white candidates all the the time. Indeed, it's the rule proven by exceptions typically limited to local offices.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by ronricks

It really comes down to White people have proven both in Mayoral elections in Atlanta (Jackson, Young, Campbell, Franklin, Reed) and in Presidential elections (Obama) that they will vote for a Black candidate. Black people have not proven the same thing. Will the Black vote in Atlanta prove that they as a group are willing to vote for someone who looks different than them? Time will tell.

Are we STILL entertaining this "Post-racial" delusion here?

You act like it's some major victory being scored that (some) white people voted for a black candidate. Black politicians from a relative standpoint are reliably "blue" in most major life-sustaining areas of human life.

That's what it boils down to.

And in the case of Atlanta, black politicians in terms of perception generally speaking...are the most inclusive across the board. That's the aspect that people, black or white...vote for.

It's non-black candidates who for whatever reason...keep having this kneejerk need to flirt with "reaching across the aisle" or letting extreme conservative voices have a hearing.

No one who is "blue" in political outlook is having that nonsense anymore.

Because all we have to do is simply look to what is going on at the Capitol currently...that it will mean an automatic rollback to before Maynard Jackson's time. Nothing but conservative old heads hoarding the resources and sharing with no one...be they black, female or otherwise.

With a black politician, you can at least give them a good smack on the back of the head. It may not work consistently, but at least the punishment mechanism is there. And that's what people vote for.

With a non-black politician, it gets a whooooole lot more complicated...

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Again, black voters have a much stronger track record voting for white candidates than vice versa because they more often than not haven't had any choice. How many opportunities have black voters in Atlanta had to vote for black candidates in presidential, gubernatorial and senate elections?

Right. Black voters vote for white candidates all the the time. Indeed, it's the rule proven by exceptions typically limited to local offices.

I just gave you examples of where without the White vote a candidate would not have been elected in Atlanta. Wouldn't you agree that this election for Mayor would be a good test to see if Black voters are willing to elect a white candidate?

[Cameron H]

For the last time, we don't need a "test" because black voters voting for white candidates has long been the norm, not the exception. I hope we'll continue to recruit increasingly diverse candidates for all races from the local, to state, to national level. Once that becomes the norm, perhaps we'll see less voting along racial lines...but we have a long way to go.