D.C. Council Chairman Vince Gray is stealing the day from Mayor Adrian Fenty simply by continuing to support at-large Councilman Phil Mendelson, standing beside him as he tries to clear up some Michael Brown confusion.
A Washington Post poll released Tuesday morning showed that D.C. shadow senator Michael D. Brown is beating the pants off at-large Councilman Mendelson. It seems that voters are confused and believe that when they say they’ll vote for Michael Brown, they mean sitting at-large Councilman Michael A. Brown.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Mendelson, Michael A. Brown and Vince Gray all sought to help clear up the confusion.
Since that confusion is prominent in Tuesday’s news cycle, the opportunity to show his support for Mendelson is also a chance for Gray to get some camera time while Fenty is campaigning out of the limelight.
Standing by Mendelson also offers Gray two potential advantages. Fenty has been criticized for not working well with others, particularly the council. As he stood with Mendelson and Michael A. Brown, Gray implicitly showed that he is already working well with his fellow council members. And if he can help clear up the confusion for Mendelson, the at-large councilman may be willing to forgive a Mayor Gray on a thing or two down the road.
