Chainsaw Rubio swings for the fences
Carmen Rubio, that blister on the heel of progress at Portland City Hall, announced today that she's running for mayor, against two of her current colleagues, Mapps and Gonzales. I couldn't vote for her under any circumstances, and I don't think she'll win. But she could make Mapps look more like the middle of the road, and so I guess her presence in the race hurts Gonzales. But what do I know?
With any luck, at this time next year Rubio will be back grifting in a nice gig at a nonprofit, sucking in grants galore from the "clean energy" slush fund and Chevy Vega for god-knows-what. She'll probably wind up collecting more public money toward her mortgage that way than she currently does as a city commissioner. But at least she won't be making public policy for our troubled city, and funneling tax pork out to her friends. She's not qualified to run a local government. She never has been.
If it remains a three-way race, I predict Mingus Mapps will win under goofy ranked-choice voting. That's because people who rank Rubio #1 would rank Mapps #2. Similarly, people who rank Gonzalez #1 would rank Mapps #2. For most Rubio people, Gonzalez would be the last choice (and vice versa). Thus, Mapps would win with his larger number of #2 votes.
ReplyDeleteSo why is it goofy if the candidate with the most support wins?
DeleteIf nobody picks you as no. 1, I'd say you have the least support, not the most.
DeleteIf nobody picks you as #1, you’re out. If nobody gets a majority of #1 votes, then the one with the fewest is dropped and then all the votes are recounted. Eliminates the spoiler problem - you can vote for Mapps or Gonzalez without fear that you are helping Rubio.
DeleteSusan I'm-a-Phoney ran too soon for mayor... I wouldn't mind a gig where you have no power, but get a fat paycheck and get to ride in the clown car at the Rose Festival.
ReplyDeleteSo it sounds under ranked choice voting, the candidate with the most #2 is likely to win. Pretty much as usual in politics.
ReplyDeleteShe is your next mayor and eventually governor. Depend upon it.
ReplyDeleteRather watch MIller Paint dry in my basement than listen to this sleepy eyed bore who hasn’t created anything in her life.
ReplyDeleteIf it’s Rubio, Gonzales or Mapps, the heart says Mapps, but given bad times, weak position of mayor, I say Gonzales should enact a few unpopular things that might do some good (like the ambulances), creep that he is, get all the blame as the tallest/visible lightening rod that is the job of being mayor of most any major American city anymore and maybe in some ideal world like Hunter S. said of Nixon he should be fired thru a storm drain out to sea when we’re done with him?
ReplyDeleteHe isn’t a total Tory/suburbanite like Rob Ford in Toronto…
…much as he’s an awful creep, he does live in the city (well, eastmoreland like Charlie Hales did for a bit) & doesn’t seem like he’d be in the Rob Ford model so much (gut/loot the city and *only* spend your time making it a place for suburbanites and their cars (with work from home, who knows these days?).