The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published another love letter to Tom Barrett.
It doesn't read like hard news. It reads like a press release from the Mayor's campaign.
Little opposition lines up for Barrett
Four years after a crowded, intense battle that sharply split the city's voters, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is launching a re-election bid Monday night facing. . .
Well, not much competition.
...Analysts chalked up the lack of serious competition to a variety of factors, from the power of incumbency to Barrett's nice-guy likability, from a $600,000-plus war chest to a local electorate that historically sticks with what it knows when it comes to City Hall.
Consultant Jeff Fleming of the Zizzo Group, who worked on then-Mayor John O. Norquist's staff, said many overlook that Barrett, who took office after a racially fractured election, worked hard to mend fences, build support and position himself for a second term.
"If somebody is going to run against Tom Barrett, what would their platform be?" asked Fleming, who is a Barrett supporter. "What do you choose? Maybe crime. Maybe a broader vision for what the mayor's office is."
...Last week, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who had publicly considered a bid, said he would not run.
"I want to be smart about this and not make a decision based on emotion, but one based on reality," Clarke said.
"There's been no outcry from residents for change. It's hard to beat an incumbent unless there is a huge outcry for change."
No outcry?
WAAAAAAAAAAAH!
MILWAUKEE NEEDS CHANGE!
The question is simple:
Is the city of Milwaukee better off than it was four years ago?
The answer is obvious:
NO.
Barrett is a likable guy. So what?
Never mind the hostile climate for business, the tax hell, the failing public schools, and the ever-growing crime crisis. Forget about all that stuff. Barrett is a nice man. He deserves another term.
And what will Barrett accomplish in what appears to be a guaranteed second term?
Well, I suppose he'll be nice.
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