‘Mayoral Candidates Of Color’ Meeting And Other Items

Things worth noting but not necessarily worth a whole post:

• Charles Clemons, aka “Brother Charles,” announced on the radio this past weekend a conclave of “mayoral candidates of color,” to be held Wednesday morning (ie, today); no others welcome. No white candidates, no press, no onlookers. That’s a first in my book. It might also be a bit poorly attended: Charlotte Golar-Richie’s campaign told me she has a scheduling conflict; Felix Arroyo’s campaign told me it’s not on his schedule. John Barros initially planned to attend; his spokesperson says that Barros and Clemons spoke a while back about the possibility of a discussion about how to ensure that issues of relevance to minorities get aired in the course of the mayoral campaign. However, as of Tuesday evening, Barros had changed his mind. That leaves just Clemons, Charles Yancey, and David James Wyatt. Clemons did not speak to me about it on Tuesday after his spokesperson told me he would.

• The usually excellent Lawrence Harmon took a bit of a cheap shot, I thought, at John Connolly in his latest column, accusing him of political pandering in voting last month in favor of a new Mattapan High School. Support or oppose the idea, it is not a bandwagon upon which Connolly has just leapt aboard as a mayoral vote calculation. (And I am highly skeptical that partnering with Charles Yancey on anything other than his annual Book Fair is a plus for any pol.) Connolly has voted in favor—and signed on as co-sponsor—of the Mattapan HS loan pretty consistently since at least 2009; in the past he has promoted it in tandem with his dream of a “green science” school. In any event, the Nay votes Harmon calls “principled,” suggesting they will cost votes for bold councilors like Rob Consalvo and Mike Ross, is in fact far more easily interpreted as the path-of-least-resistance capitulation to the will of the almighty mayor. Again, I think Harmon should certainly feel free to criticize Connolly for being on that side of the issue, but not the pandering charge, in my opinion.

• Thursday morning at 11 a.m. the traditional “drawing of the ballot order” will take place, with much hoopla. With 12 names on the ballot, much will be made of the potential disadvantage of a poor slot. Also, expect much theorizing that whichever of Conley and Connolly gets the higher listing will get votes intended for the Conley/Connolly listed lower. The order will be drawn for the city council spots too, which could take a while. And it really might make a difference in the at-large race how far down the list of 19 a candidate lands.