Discuss Election Result. How will it affect Development in the city

[gokapono]

Wheeler blamed her loss on this fact as well.

In the same primary that Wheeler lost, Mike Castano ran against McCrory for the Republican mayoral slot. Castano (the anti-arena poster child) got less than 5,000 votes.

So, if you believe the arena was why Wheeler lost, then why did Castano fare so poorly with those SAME voters? It seems to me difficult to believe that if these vehement anti-arena voters went to the polls, they'd somehow give McCrory a pass.

Wheeler lost because she didn't spend a dime campaigning, plain and simple. It was arrogance.

[monsoon]

That one is easy, Castano was an unpopular candidate.

This article explains Wheeler's loss.

Char/Meck Election Results

But even more telling are the results of this poll.

[nyxmike]

Just curious, what does everyone think of Craig Madans, and do you think he will win?

[atlrvr]

I think he will say whatever he believes the voters want to hear in order to get elected. He is anti-tranist, anti-investment, and honestly has no platform other than do the exact opposite of McCrory who in my opinion has done a farily good job during his tenure, as well as a weak-mayor can do.

There is no way Madan's will win because I believe most voters see through his platform and no anti-tranist candidate has ever one at large.

[monsoon]

Madams was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police for some reason.

Wheeler seems to have racked up a huge number of endorsements.

Turn out is so low in this election, only a few people will decide who gets elected.

[dubone]

I wonder if most just support Wheeler because they don't fully realize her 180degree shift in positions.

[MZT]

I sometimes wonder if Wheeler was affected by all the "Dump McCrory and Wheeler" signs that had been posted on telephone poles for weeks before the election.

Attack campaigning + assumed victory, without personal publicity = defeat.

I just can't see her climbimg back on board. (She probably figures that if Rembert could make a comeback after an embarrasing loss, she can too.) But really, how many people do you hear saying they hunger to have the old pols back? Most people are talking about being tired of the same 'ol faces. Admittedy, I didn't think Rembert could make a comeback either, so.... hmmm....

IMO we may finally be rid of Madans next election. I don't think he'd be in the ring this time, if a serious contender had tried to unseat McCrory. I suspect the Democrats are holding their ammo until 2007. There could be more hunger for change by that point after 7 years of BushCheneyCo... it's a more strategic time to try it.

Madans is such a buffoon. I think even Creative Loafing did not endorse him.

Final jab: The only reason Madans got the police endorsement, was McCrory was too busy or indifferent to bother to show up and ask for it himself...

[monsoon]

Keep in mind that Rhembert lost her school board seat because the North turned out the vote against her. She then ran for county commission seat an there was no organized effort against her and that election turned into more of a Democrat vs Republican thing given the issues around Bush. They had to do at least one recount because it appeared for a while that Rhembert lost the election. Remember Democrats carried the 2004 election in Mecklenburg county.

Lynn Wheeler and Pat Mumford both have 1/2 page advertizements in the Charlotte observer this morning. They both appear to be well financed.

[monsoon]

Mecklenburg County's Gay & Lesbian PAC has endorsed Madams as Mayor and issued a Warning against voting for McCroy. Most likey this is for the anti-Gay/Lesbian positions that McCroy has taken over the years.

Madams is picking up a good bit of support from different quarters it would seem. It will be interesting to see how the election goes.

[nyxmike]

If Madans is elected, will that be the end of the transit system? Thats one thing I'm worried about - we will end up with one 9 mile rail line - it will look pretty stupid.

[monsoon]

The Mayor of Charlotte is just one vote on the MTC so it may not be as big a deal as it would seem.

[atlrvr]

It would likely cause many issues to be revisted...1% minimum funding for arts in public projects, allowing streetcar construction along Eliz. Ave. to begin next year in conjunction with the repaving, arts.....

I have no doubt that Madans will lose.....the best way of judging who will win is the number of signs up in people's front lawns....based on that alone I'm predicting, McCrory for Mayor, Burgess, Lassiter, Foxx, and Lassiter at Large.....personally, I'm spot voting and leaving off Foxx, though I'm tempted to do something to put my vote towards someone beside bi-polar Wheeler.

[MZT]

At least Madans disappeared for 1 year and 10 months.

Wheeler wouldn't stop stepping in front of the cameras and radio mics, and giving interviews. She never really went away. That alone makes me want her to lose. Maybe if she'd taken a REAL walk in the wilderness for a bit and reconnected with the voters, I'd believe her "change of tune" or "priorities" or whatever.

Instead she seems like a political socialite. She's our own local Arianna Huffington.

[monsoon]

..... allowing streetcar construction along Eliz. Ave. to begin next year in conjunction with the repaving,

Can you explain that one a little more?

[atlrvr]

Elizabeth Avenue is going to be repaved, the utilities buried, pavers at crosswalks installed etc.....the city has decided to go ahead and build the streetcar portion from Kings to Hawthorne while they are doing the roadwork and has ordered the rails.....the rails would be installed, but no vehicles would operate until they are extended through Uptown in 2008-2009.

Since this is a city project, I forsee Madans trying to prevent this coordination as part of his anti-transit agenda.

[dubone]

Can you explain that one a little more?

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=17859

There are links to the CBJ article from when this first came up. It was reconfirmed in last month's streetcar meeting. The streetscape project is a joint venture between the city, Grubb, CPCC and Presby. The city will pay for the rails, and most likely tally that in to the local contribution if/when the whole project is approved.

If Madans is elected and plans to abandon all transit efforts except the airport merry-go-round, then optimistic decisions such as the one in Elizabeth will likely be reconsidered.

[monsoon]

Predictably, the Observer has endorsed McCroy as mayor and did not endorse Lynn Wheeler.

[nyxmike]

This quote sums it up:

"The light-rail situation, I am planning on stopping it and putting it back to a vote,

[dubone]

Oh my gosh, that man is a lunatic. I just figured he would stop pursuit of the other projects, but to say that you will actually halt a project already approved and funded is outrageous.

[atlrvr]

I think that Charlotte is far less progressive now than in the late '90s.

Getting something approved used to be no problem, now there are organized groups to fight every bit of public investment in everything besides roads and police.

I'm not sure who is to "blame" for this change in attitudes.....it could be the ole' timers who wish things were like they used to be, or northerners moving here for low taxes and cost of living and fighting anything that could drive up taxes, or maybe the local media rhetoric is finally wearing down people's common sense.

[monsoon]

I think McCroy will win. However, it really depends upon turnout in Charlotte.

While I haven't been to vote yet, several of my co-workers are saying there are significant lines in the Huntersville preceints. My guess most of this is the CMS/antiCMS battle that is going on in the North.

[nyxmike]

I think people feel like there is too much going on right now at the same time - the arena was just built, light rail, the arts plan, etc - while the crime rate has gone up and CMS needs some serious help. Since Charlotte has grown so much since the 90's, certain priorities are starting to take over (such as crime and education). Madans says that he will focus on crime and education, yet he says he is the most fiscally conservative mayor running for office. Thats interesting, because I would like to know how he plans to pay for lowering the crime rate and improving education...

It's just politics - he is hoping his broad statements such as improving the crime rate and improving education gets him elected (I don't think he's ever gone into detail about how he will do any of it).

If McCrory is elected, he really is going to have to be careful - crime and education have become top priorities - as long as he can improve upon these issues he should be fine.

[monsoon]

McCroy has little to no influence over CMS. CMS has it's own elected school board, and it is funded by the County, not by Charlotte.

[DigitalSky]

Some real-time election results: http://www.wcnc.com/news/politics/electionresults.html#1

[MZT]

Lynn Wheeler currently in last place (snicker)