K. Chase Patterson, 23, has withdrawn early from the race for District 9 City Council, reports Elwin Green of the P-G's My Homewood Journal. He says that the eleven candidate race has become a "circus" that is "less about policy and public service and more about popularity and personal interest." Welcome to politics, kiddo.The Comet finds this disappointing, because we were charmed by Patterson's poise and incredible media-savvy, as shown in this WTAE clip of his campaign kick-off.
Patterson has thrown his support behind the Rev. Ricky Burgess, not fellow youth candidate Rachel Cooper. We hope this is not an insincere gambit to earn patronage in the potential Burgess office, but simply an insincere ploy to position himself as a serious civic leader in anticipation of future battles.
I say to Kevin (Chase), it wasn't you who was supposed to drop out!!!
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm going to lose sleep over it, because, well, you were the competition, but if the only nobility in a field of candidates rests with the young and idealistic, we'll be left with the same old fogies who largely, through ineptitude or complicity, caused the problem in the first place!
In all honesty, this race can only become a circus if the voters choose to not exert reason and ration in their exercise of their constitutional franchise.
I too worry about the incumbent sneaking back into office, but I am more worried that if left unresolved, the ills that plague our community will destroy its future and we'll be living in Wilkinsburg, Swissvale, Rankin, Braddock, pick a distressed municipality along the Monongahela (or the Youghigheny for that matter).
I agree with Bram, I hope you chose the insincerity of positioning for future battles!