Flint Mayoral Candidate Discussion
Okay, I attended the Flint Mayoral Debate tonight. Overall, I was pleased. My impressions of the candidates are below.
Six candidates (Mayor Don Williamson was conveniently unable to attend). I've linked to the candidates webpages where available.
Tamra Edwards: Positive impression overall. Passionate. Oriented towards consensus and cooperation. Multiculturalist. Experience in Durham, NC. Would have liked a better grasp of Flint issues.
Dale Weighill: Very positive impression overall. Highly critical of Williamson. Experience working in Flint. Oriented towards facts and strategies - he was very well-organized and detailed.
Norman Bryant: Positive impression overall. Strongly oriented towards community work and civility. Not terribly inspiring, but good at community work, with lots of good ideas and connections.
David Davenport: Highly negative impression overall. Incoherent, trite, black-and white thinking, and uninformed.
Dayne Walling: Highly positive impression overall. Man's a politician, though, and no mistake. Very polished. Excellent experience working in Washington, DC under Mayor Anthony Williams. Highly intelligent (Rhodes Scholar). Noticed him sliding out of a few questions he didn't want to answer, though. Strongly oriented to technology and transparency.
Sheldon Neeley: Neutral impression overall. Current city councilman here in Flint. Made some good points. Came across as very professional.
The Flint Journal's Blog here has more information.
Six candidates (Mayor Don Williamson was conveniently unable to attend). I've linked to the candidates webpages where available.
Tamra Edwards: Positive impression overall. Passionate. Oriented towards consensus and cooperation. Multiculturalist. Experience in Durham, NC. Would have liked a better grasp of Flint issues.
Dale Weighill: Very positive impression overall. Highly critical of Williamson. Experience working in Flint. Oriented towards facts and strategies - he was very well-organized and detailed.
Norman Bryant: Positive impression overall. Strongly oriented towards community work and civility. Not terribly inspiring, but good at community work, with lots of good ideas and connections.
David Davenport: Highly negative impression overall. Incoherent, trite, black-and white thinking, and uninformed.
Dayne Walling: Highly positive impression overall. Man's a politician, though, and no mistake. Very polished. Excellent experience working in Washington, DC under Mayor Anthony Williams. Highly intelligent (Rhodes Scholar). Noticed him sliding out of a few questions he didn't want to answer, though. Strongly oriented to technology and transparency.
Sheldon Neeley: Neutral impression overall. Current city councilman here in Flint. Made some good points. Came across as very professional.
The Flint Journal's Blog here has more information.