Readers from Toronto, D.C., and the world’s mega-cities may not know that name, but Pittsburghers will. Mark is an old friend who left a promising career in D.C. to return to Pittsburgh and help foster change in the late 1990s. Now he’s running for Pittsburgh’s mayor as a Republican. And the Pittsburgh Post Gazette just endorsed him (h/t Camille Dvorsky).
As a self-proclaimed nonpolitician, he is refreshing and even chafes
at the notion that mayoral politics expects him to “pound my chest and
say I’m great.” That’s not him, he said. “I’ll tell you what I don’t
know.” Yet, in reality, there’s not much he doesn’t know. One thing we do know is the Republican, this year, can win. With
$285,000 raised in cash and in-kind contributions, more than any recent
mayoral candidate from his party, the DeSantis challenge has a shot. If the number of Post-Gazette readers reading this editorial agree
he should win, then he will win. These readers, these voters, have that
kind of power, even though some of them may have voted for few or no
Republicans in the past. Other “Democratic” cities, after all, have had
successful Republican mayors — New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, to
name a few. In Pittsburgh, plenty of disaffected Democrats and others
have been waiting for a credible candidate to return two-party
democracy, debate and decision-making to the city. That would be the first big change under Mark DeSantis. For Pittsburgh, it should be the start of many more.
Amen.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:42 am
A litmus test for Pittsburgh: 21st century aspirations or status quo?
October 29th, 2007 at 10:42 am
A litmus test for Pittsburgh: 21st century aspirations or status quo?
October 29th, 2007 at 10:42 am
A litmus test for Pittsburgh: 21st century aspirations or status quo?
October 29th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Pittsburgh’s airport (PIT) just shuttered a quarter of its gates.
Link to USA Today Online story from Ben Metzabaugh’s Today in the Sky blog provided in byline.
Despite being able to keep the Penguins in town with artificial support from state funds and a tax on a new gambling casino, the metro area is one of the oldest in the US and population shrinking.
October 31st, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Why are people looking for non-politicians in political jobs? “My water pipes broke, I think I’ll find a non-plumber.” “I need to design a new machine, I’ll go get some non-engineers.”
Maybe Mark DeSantis is a clever politician with a slogan indicating he’s not business as usual, that would be OK. But if he’s going to do the job, he’d better understand politics.
When a city has been run for decades by a particular party with its internal interest groups, etc. it gets ossified. An outsider may be needed to make necessary changes.
October 31st, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Why are people looking for non-politicians in political jobs? “My waterpipes broke, I think I’ll find a non-plumber.” “I need to design a new machine, I’ll go get some non-engineers.”
Maybe Mark DeSantis is a clever politician with a slogan, that would be OK. But if he’s going to do the job, he’d better understand and be good at politics.
When a city has been run for decades by a particular party with its internal interest groups, etc. it gets ossified. An outsider may be needed to make necessary changes.
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Michael:
Re: Lack of political experience — DeSantis worked for fifteen years in DC and has a Ph.D. in public policy.