Ok, so it wasn't technically a debate, it was a candidate meet-and-greet followed by a forum. Yes, there were TV reporters there, but mostly all they did was pass the microphone from candidate to candidate--another reason I'm glad I don't work in television. But it was still the biggest--and longest--event of the campaign season to date, which is why I'm now going to recap it in full. Since I have other things to do today, and since I'm on a tight deadline for the holiday, it will be up in parts throughout the afternoon. Yeah, I could have written it last night, but after three hours of live-tweeting and taking notes, I just wanted a glass of wine, dinner, and bed. Sorry.
Part 1: The City Council Races
Meet your next city council members! Chances are, it'll be a white man!
I know, you're totally surprised, right? Yes, there are two black candidates--Michael McBath in for At Large Seat A, and Sharon Welch for At Large Seat C--but neither came off especially impressive, although both had swell closing statements. McBath sounded like he was reciting song lyrics when he said, "You can trust me. I will always be here for you," and Welch proclaimed, "I am a visionary," and you could tell, she really believes that she is. In no way am I saying Welch isn't a visionary--I have no idea if she is one or not--but she's got tough competition in the Seat C race against Ron Peabody and Finbarr Sanders, both of whom were sharper and more on point last night.
In fact, Peabody came across as the most informed candidate at the forum, although the proscribed one-minute answers amongst so many candidates didn't really allow anyone to shine. Peabody also had the most ill fitting suit, although his weren't the only pants that bunched down around the ankles--really, fellows, is it so hard to get your pants hemmed properly? But Peabody knew the details of the pension plan, and, as its main opponent, he obviously knows the details of the Ten-Year Plan. He also stayed on topic when other candidates rambled.
Just slightly less impressive than Peabody was Seat A candidate Paul Berney (whose pants fit properly, I should note). Given a longer time frame for answers, it seems likely that Berney would have impressed more--unlike some of the candidates, he seemed to have a clear appreciation of the complications and nuances of city politics. For example, when asked if he would support the consolidation of city and county government, Berney pointed out that it wasn't up to the Council but to city voters. When pressed on it, Berney tried to explain that it wasn't that simple--sure, it kind of came across as waffling, but you could also tell it was more that he really wanted to explain all the nuances of what would need to happen before it could even come before the city council for a vote to put consolidation on the ballot for a vote. (When pressed, Berney said he would vote to put such a measure on the ballot, as did all of the other candidates except for Peabody and John Stancil, who is also running for Seat A.)
As far as the other Seat A candidates went, there's McBath, who seems like a genuinely good guy (and who was the only male candidate not wearing a jacket and tie--he had on jean shorts and a blue shirt which he wore with aplomb) but didn't come across as extremely well versed in the ins and outs of city politics. Then there's Stancil, whose most memorable moment of the evening came when, asked about the Ten Year Plan, said it was a "disaster" and then said, "You want affordable housing? Come on over to my neighborhood!" (Stancil lives in Parkridge, by the way.) Finally, there's George Wallace, who didn't give much of an impression at all, other than a vague whiff of Realtor.
And that was the problem with having so many candidates on stage at once--it was really hard to get an impression of most of them. The Seat B candidates, Marshall Stair and Bill Owen--well, I don't know if I'd recognize them if them walked past me right now, although Owen definitely had a crowd of fans in attendance. Which is unfair, but that's how unmemorable their statements were. (Buck Cochran, the third Seat B candidate, did not attend last night, nor did Seat C candidate Terry Milligan.) As a whole, everyone mostly said the same vague things in answer to every question--yes, city employees should keep their current pensions, but the system needs reform; yes, the Ten-Year Plan needs to be reworked in some fashion or another; yes, we should look at how the Public Building Authority is structured; no, we won't raise taxes.
In fact, District 5 candidate Mark Campen was the only person to say anything remotely controversial: that he would vote to raise taxes, if necessary, to fund the pension plan. Of course, Campen is running unopposed, so he can say whatever in the hell he wants. (He also gets credit for showing up when there was really no need for him to.)
Hopefully, as the election season wears on, the candidates will start to distinguish themselves. Because based solely on last night, you might as well flip a coin in the booth while voting.
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