(DC) elections

Michael Neibauer of the Examiner beat me to the punch, in "Schwartz falls to Mara," where he points out that while Patrick Mara won the Republican primary for an at-large position, there is no guarantee he will win a seat in the fall election. From the article:

Given the dearth of registered Republicans in Washington — fewer than 30,000 — Mara, a government relations manager, will have to broaden his appeal beyond party lines to earn a council seat. Brown and Hunter both have a following and are former Democrats.

DC has an election rule that no major party can have more than one of the two at-large seats up for election every two years. At the same time, there is no minimum guarantee either. Technically, neither seat could be held by major parties, although in such a strong Democratic party bastion as DC, that's unlikely. This does make a win by someone like Michael Brown, not really an independent, but a Democrat, far more likely. Maybe in a place like DC, the best Republicans can do is someone like Carol Schwartz, just like in Montgomery County Maryland, someone like Connie Morella...

Carol Schwartz has had appeal that transcends party, which in DC is necessary for non-Democrats. Similarly to how Congressman Tom Davis decided not to run for Senate, because the Republican Party decided to choose the candidate by caucus, and caucuses favor conservatives. There is a good chance that candidate James Gilmore won't win the Senate seat... and probably neither will Patrick Mara win, despite his good Republican platform and credentials.

2. This blog doesn't write about national politics except in how it affects urbanism and transportation, but ... doesn't John McCain remind you of the presidential candidate played by Martin Sheen in the movie "Dead Zone" based on the book by Stephen King? ("Let the missles fly, hallelujah.")