Centerfield

No. How many points for not being able to asnwer the second part of the bonus round? ;-)

I actually feel sorry for Berry--he's an addict. Like most addicts, he will do and say whatever he needs to do to be able to feed his addiction. Finacially, he was destitute and the seat on the DC Council provided him with much need income to fuel his habit. Hey, at least the man makes an effort to work for his drug money!

As to the bonus round...lol...I'm not touching that one.

"Just how alienated, angry, and self-destructive must the residents be in order to vote this man back into office?"

How fascinating is the answer to this question!
Why do people vote against their interests?
The Republican Strategists are masterful at managing this.
Poor people voting for legislators who reduce services.
Minorities voting for candidates who legislate against them.
The answer may be a psychological one relating to identity and power. i.e. Voting for the strong alpha male or for the rich and famous out of desire to be like them.
Politics and leadership is not a rational process.

The really sad thing is that because of this story, we all know one more chapter of the Barry saga of decline. But the media at large deems it beneath public interest to inform any of us, as to whether there are any promising leaders in Washington DC who might be giving the people there reason to hope.

Once someone reaches a certain level of public prominence and celebrity, whether it's for good or bad reasons, we are virtually guaranteed to be treated to updates, especially when they follow a narrative of rise and fall. Why? Because the news is more about entertainment than information.

If anyone can give me any sort of a decent story about some other DC public figure who deserves our attention because they might really be able to make things better, I'll consider giving it thread level prominence.

The current mayor of DC, Tony Williams, is doing a pretty good job by most accounts. As it happens, he was my classmate in grad school Nice guy, but not charismatic. From what I hear, Marion Barry has the charisma, but not the self-control.

To understand Barry's continued political success, you have to understand his voting base--the black entrenched poor. This is a segment of society that distrusts all power and has no problem believing Barry to be a victim of racism (a perception Barry nutures) and a champion of black causes (which he claims he is even as his record has been one of increased violence and poverty among blacks).

As a former resident of DC, I can say with all certainty that Washington is one of the most politically bizarre cities in the U.S. You have ultra-liberal, rich whites and poor blacks all blindly voting for the same slate of corrupt knuckleheads who use identity politics to drive their success and backroom deals to fatten the wallets of friends.

Anthony Williams has actually done a pretty decent job of helping DC climb out of its pit, but even he is squirly.

Now, as for "the bitch set me up" I can say I've never used that phrase. Guess I didn't live in DC long enough.

To understand Barry's continued political success, you have to understand his voting base--the black entrenched poor. This is a segment of society that distrusts all power and has no problem believing Barry to be a victim of racism (a perception Barry nutures) and a champion of black causes (which he claims he is even as his record has been one of increased violence and poverty among blacks).

That is a stretch... Although there is definetely that sentiment among some African-Americans, I don't think it is enough to win. I think if you look at the voting patterns of African-Americans and there loyalty to their own, ideology not skin color, it makes more sense. Furthermore, whether you like him or not, Barry delivers on a consistent basis for his constituents, not someting that the Democratic Party can say for African Americans, IMO. He is currently getting much of the credit for the compromise on the new stadium deal.

If anyone can give me any sort of a decent story about some other DC public figure who deserves our attention because they might really be able to make things better, I'll consider giving it thread level prominence.

I am a fan of Georgetown Councilmember Jack Evans.

Barry, drugs, legal problems, NO WAY!

Bonus Round: Never used the phrase.

And I'm appalled at what his career says about Washington, D.C. Just how alienated, angry, and self-destructive must the residents be in order to vote this man back into office?

Keep in mind that most of Washington DC, especially South Eastern DC, constitutes some of the most crime-ridden impoverished neighborhoods in any American City.

Then consider DC has no representation in the Federal Government. "Taxation Without Representation" is the official slogan for the City's license plates.

So we've got poor people ducking bullets without any congress-people to address their grievances and a Federal Government that spends one of the Nation's highest tax-dollar to federal-funds-recieved ratios in the country on less than 1/4th of the city (The Mall).

Marion Barry represents the outrage I would feel if living with such injustice. Yes, it's insane, but the insanity goes beyond DC's poor African American community.

Ryan,

This may surprise you, but that is one of the best comments, and most perceptive, I have seen you write. I think it is easy for those outside of DC, who have never lived and/or worked there, to make comments about their dislike of Barry ( worked there, but lived in Northern Virginia). It is very clear, if you have been to the neighborhood Barry represents, why he is their leader. Furthermore, I personally find it offensive that we force these people to pay Federal taxes, yet they don't have a vote in Congress.... Injustice is exactly the right word to use in this case, and outraged by it we all should be.

Wow - it's pretty interesting that you knew Anthony Williams. I'm also a big fan of his; IMHO, he's just what the city needs to recover from Barry. And the Post is pretty good about covering him

And I echo the bit about lack of representation being important. IMHO you got it on the nail.

OK, then, so how did Barry get to be popular? Well, he was just another mayor until the Reagan FBI pulled their entrapment. Not only was it an entrapment, it was a pretty unjust one. It was set up poorly so that though Barry was clearly violating the letter of the law, his actions could be looked at as good.

To DC residents, it looked like the Reagan Administration was trying to reverse their own electoral choice - I mean, Mayor is one of the not-enough things that DC residents CAN choose. Now here was gov't trying to take that chance away.

That turned Barry into a martyr. He still has alot of political importance along those lines, despite his arguable long misrule.

As to the bonus question, no. Putting aside the perpetual embarrassment that is Marion Barry, one does have to be impressed at his ability not to give a sh-t. The mere fact that this ultra-crook has still managed to retain political power is a either a testament to God's eternal patience, or a portent of the dissolution of society.

OK. That was a bit melodramatic.

Seriously, the whole thing makes me laugh.

Thinking it over, I really was being harsh in my earlier comments. Barry's a tragic figure really, and it's not impossible to understand why poor DC residents, faced with ridiculous choices, were forced to back him, and many still back him. He's still a crook, but what choice did they have, back then?

Tony Williams indeed seems to be a solid guy.

Ryan and Mathew,

It is not exactly true that DC has no federal representation. It is true that they have no Senators. However, they elect a representative to the House. Currently their Rep is Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Kim,

Delegate, not Represenative, Norton has no vote in Congress. She is a face and at times a voice, but that is it. So, yes, IMO that is the same as having no representation, or it might as well be. She, herself, would tell you that.

Mathew,

I disagree that Marion Barry comes through for his constiutents. He has never done a damn thing for the poor blacks in Washington. When he was mayor, he was really a tool of the white business community. The only thing he ever really did was set up a patronage system in local government--I guess that provided some jobs to the community. IMO, Barry is like Coleman Young in Detroit--using racial politics to build a constituency that doesn't recognize that he is doing absolutely nothing for them. Coleman Young did a good job of helping to run Detroit into the ground but he is still popular I suspect in the inner city.

I think Alan is largely correct. Poor blacks largely distrust anything advocated by the white power structure (generally with good reason). Demagogues like Barry take advantage of this to build up their own power--the residents feel better because they think that, in some way, they are sticking it to The Man, but in fact, they are only sticking it to themselves.

I think Alan is largely correct. Poor blacks largely distrust anything advocated by the white power structure (generally with good reason).

That is a generality that is simply unfair, IMO. Furthermore, I don't know of any hard data that exists that would lead one to conclude this is anything more than one movement within the black community, and not representative of African Americans as a whole.

It is more statistically evident that poor black Americans don't vote, and therefore more likely that those who are the base of Barry's support are in fact lower to upper middle class, educated, working African American families that live in the outlining areas of Anacostia. I don't see the connection with angry, poor, black people and Barry's electoral success, and think someone should actually show that to be the case before making such an accusation. It is simply too easy, and a bit insulting to that community, to say that someone with Barry's problems gets elected because his constituents don't like or trust white people.

Talk to people from his district if that is possible for you, ask them what happens when they call his office to complain... This is a man who is popular because he is responsive to the needs of his community. Is he a politician? Yes, always. Does his charisma help? Of course it does. Would I ever vote for him? Absolutely not, but I get why he keeps winning.

OK, then, so how did Barry get to be popular? Well, he was just another mayor until the Reagan FBI pulled their entrapment.

Under the direct orders of Ronald himself, no doubt.