Now what?
If you take a look at the comments from yesterday's post, you will some concerns. (By the way that post has the record of having the most comments ever. Thank you.)
One of those comments dampened my enthusiasm, the real test for Ockomon will be creating a professional city workforce rather than a refuge for cronies and hanger-ons. I cannot see a return to the days of Lawler. I think the mayor-elect possesses the good sense to know that for this city to survive he needs people with the abilities to compete on a much broader scale than was the rule in the past. He should also know that firing Republicans or maverick Democrats will show his interest was not in the city but in possessing power for the Democratic Party. He must know that ceding some power will only increase power overall. I am not much of a prophet but I will make this prediction: if this administration cannot or will not change the stereotypical behavior of Anderson Democrats, if he cannot make the Democrats remembered for something more than snake alley, then he will have only one term.
I think that because of the promise he made to make city government a unity government. I think if he fails to make that pledge stick he will find Democrats, those independents leaning to our party and Republicans opposing him. I take some heart from the following quote in the Herald-Bulletin:
"“It’s an indication that the city was ready for a change in leadership style and philosophy,” said state Sen. Tim Lanane, D-District 25, Ockomon’s campaign manager. “For the Democrat Party, it just shows a lot of hard work at a grassroots level.”"I respect Senator Lanane's judgment. I also respect his rhetorical skills.
The Herald-Bulletin article pointed out the difference in straight ticket voting here. The local Democratic Party got out the vote. Just that simple and just that important. I got calls all afternoon about my absentee ballot. I appreciated the calls but I had voted that morning since the reason for getting the absentee ballot no longer existed. That is how it is supposed to work.
Still, we need to take a hard look at that straight ticket vote. That number is the hard bottom of the Democratic Party in this city. In a city of sixty thousand it is not much. I hate to be gloomy but I think we had better look at it as the Republicans let down Smith while the Democratic Party held firm. Another reason why we cannot return to the bad habits of the Lawler days.
I had no time to study the election returns beyond the Herald-Bulletin. I think the Ty Bibbs vote needs to considered and not discounted. The people doing the write in ballot had to be dedicated to something. They had to make a special effort to make that vote. Whether the choice came about due to Mr. Bibbs own personality or disgust with the main parties is a question I would like answered. If, as I believe, the Democratic Party stands for the idea of all the people sharing equally in the benefits of government, then this kind of vote should give us pause. That other independents did well elsewhere influences my thinking here.
On a more general note, I do think we might just consider this the first post-GM mayoral election. I do not think any of the candidates spoke our automotive past as anything but a past to get away from. I think Smith and Ockomon differed more on where to recruit new businesses than with the need to recruit outside businesses and I think both implicitly understood there would never be another local employer employing tens of thousands at UAW wages. Therefore, I call this the first post-GM election.
On an even broader view, I think Anderson fit into the Indiana trend for Democratic mayors. I hope that presages a Democratic Governor and Barry Welsh in Congress.
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