Poor, poor D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), so the narrative goes: this selflessly dedicated public servant is being done in by dirty tricks and a case of has scurrilous “political identity theft.” “Mendo” has been too focused on helping others to be able to devote enough time and resources to campaign enough to save his political hide.
Mendelson has been the beneficiary of sympathetic treatment from the press, and those who fancy themselves as the most informed of reliable District Democratic primary voters.
Washington Business Journal’s Michael Neibauer uncovered records showing that Mendelson’s business-backed 2006 primary opponent, A. Scott Bolden, helped financed Michael D.’s supposedly shadowy campaign.
CityPaper’s Lydia DePillis took a wild ride in the “Mendomobile” – his (self-consciously?) unsexy, signature 1998 Mercury Mystique – as he visited polling places to personally disabuse voters of “Michael Brown” confusion. (I missed Mendelson by mere minutes at Pct. 40, Ward One, Bancroft Elementary School this morning.) Mendo and DePillis ran into into Michael D. Brown up in Ward 3, confronted him and filmed it.
TBD’s Sommer Mathis was in hot pursuit of “Phony” Michael Brown all day, but the wily “Mike D.” managed to make her chase his “shadow” for most of the day.
This Local Opinion Zone blogger witnessed a community activist accost “Mike D.” at Adams Morgan Day.
But Mendelson had nobody to blame but himself. DePillis had tough questions for “Phony” Michael Brown, but never questioned why Mendelson had so few workers stationed at polling places.
In a “down ballot” race overshadowed by a high profile contest like the mayoral race, voters are hungry for more information. Mendelson should have had workers at every precinct, with his fliers that clearly make a distinction between the two Michaels Brown. That simple tactic would win votes back again from understandably confused voters.
When this blogger visited early voting stations the Saturday before primary day, Mendelson did not have a single worker or volenteer at either Chevy Chase in Ward 3 or Turkey Thicket in Ward 5.
On primary election day, moments before Mendelson arrived at Bancroft Elementary up on Mount Pleasant, a couple of “Mendo” fans passed out some handbills on his behalf as they papered incoming voters with other candidates’ lit.
Vanessa Dixon of Ward 4 was passing out Mendelson lit at Ward 5’s massive precinct 66, and earnestly explaining the distinction, but Dixon was not working on behalf of the Mendelson campaign; she was here helping a whole slate of candidates endorsed by her union, AFSCME.
Another volunteer was doing the same, alone, at a nearby precinct 67, but wore a Vince Gray tee shirt.
CityPaper’s Alan Suderman “tweeted” that other candidates had coverage at polling places across the Anacostia, but “Mendo, not so much.”
Where was Big Labor? CityPaper reported that SEIU funded fliers and mailings trying to clear up the Michael Brown confusion, but they did not put many foot soldiers on the ground in the effort.
Labor has been Mendelson’s traditional ally. Labor groups provided the funds and man power to help Mendelson squeeze out a meager plurality of 17% in an eight candidate field to capture the Democratic nomination and a council seat in 1998.
Maybe labor was all out working on Vince Gray’s behalf, even though he hardly needed it, especially by primary day when minds for mayor were already made up.
Phil Mendelson was irate, but cavalier, and his campaign was ultimately unorganized. If Phil Mendelson does lose today, he can’t blame Michael D. Brown.
