Tag Archives: Topic

How the Republican Party chooses a candidate to support in Philadelphia

Michael Meehan is a powerful guy in the city’s Republican Party – for whatever that means. But it occurred to me that that isn’t always explained why. One doesn’t need Meehan’s permission to run, of course. But this state’s elections, … Continue reading

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Pennsylvania: a review of racial politics displayed in Rendell and Swann battle of 2006

For those most interested in the seeming hesitance for black voters, particularly, to resist voting for the Republican Party, one of the most interesting thoughts is if a black candidate outside the Democratic Party ran. I was asked one question … Continue reading

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Nonpartisan elections: the take by Sam Katz, John Street, and others

Last week I got the opportunity to sit down with former Republican contender for mayor, Sam Katz. We spoke on a number of subjects, more notably his view of nonpartisan elections in Philadelphia. He told me that he hadn’t given … Continue reading

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Post-racial urban politics: hardly

We have called for and expected the end of mainstream institutional racism in the United States since about the third day after it was exported to this country, maybe 400 years ago. Back in 1999, when white Republican Sam Katz … Continue reading

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The effects of national politics in the local scene

Photo courtesy of JFK Library. Eight years next month, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton was stumping for then-outgoing City Council President John F. Street in his bid to become Philadelphia’s next mayor, as election day was nearing and Street was facing … Continue reading

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Philadelphia magazine: Can Michael Nutter be a reformer?

Can an established Democrat in a city that has seen nothing but Democratic rule for more than 50 years really be a reformer? Back in January, Philadelphia magazine had a great profile of Philadelphia’s likely next Mayor, who is charged … Continue reading

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Atlanta: give me your Republican mayors

I may be finding a trend. At some point, two party systems went missing in our country’s great cities, and no one seems to care. Scant a city is without some complaints of at least a lackluster Republican Party, yet … Continue reading

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Phoenix: an active urban Republican Party

A few hours ago, I got an email from Ed Montini, a political writer for the Arizona Republic, a regional newspaper based in Phoenix. It comes as no surprise that a city of 1.5 million, better than 75 percent of … Continue reading

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