Houston elects gay woman mayor

[ploto]

Who and why they voted is an interesting study in people- that is all. Did it matter that the choice was either an African American man or a lesbian woman? Was there especially low turnout from the white suburban voter? Was there a higher turnout than normal in the Montrose area?

[Blake]

So, a victory for political apathy over prejudice

if there were only 150k voters for a mayoral race in a city of millions, then that's apparently the case.

[Marcus Bryant]

Generally, the impression I've gotten is that most people were tired of the ing campaign. It's been going on for most of the late summer and fall, nonstop.

While there were some random instances of Parker's sexual life being made an issue, most people seemed to not care or it was viewed as more of a novelty than anything else. Houston is a city more focused on making that dollar than anything else. This isn't dildo up the ass bag Dallas.

As for the runoff, the sense seemed to be that both candidates' actual political philosophy and their true patrons were the same. Both were establishment candidates. If anything, Parker's support was a little more corporate. I think that, and apathy due to the long campaign is what contributed to the low turnout for the runoff.

Of interest to me was that Parker did at least try to seem more libertine than anything else and made an effort to court conservatives, at least fiscal ones. Of course, most politicians are anything but in both areas.

[Winehole23]

Of interest to me was that Parker did at least try to seem more libertine than anything else and made an effort to court conservatives, at least fiscal ones.

Is that the word you meant, MarcusB?

[doobs]

Is that the word you meant, MarcusB?

I laughed.

[Marcus Bryant]

In the sense of not playing iden y politics. I guess an occurrence like her election wrecks the minds on both sides of the binary liberal v conservative, blue v red, screedfest, but frankly it wasn't that surprising.

[ChumpDumper]

if there were only 150k voters for a mayoral race in a city of millions, then that's apparently the case.

I'm pretty sure only 40k voted in Austin's last mayoral race. Most people still think Will Wynn is in office.

[Blake]

I can't imagine more than 100k showing up for SA's last mayoral election....probably around 50k too....

now that I think about it.....I do slightly wonder how many of the 150k voters in Houston were from Osteen's church

[Winehole23]

In the sense of not playing iden y politics.

An oblique usage of libertine? My own impression of it was made of much courser stuff, I must confess.

[sabar]

What is a "major city"?

I'd say the top 50 most populous cities in the U.S. are all quite influential. There are also a ton of cities than have a low population but a lot of high-rises and economic influence.

the first openly gay person elected mayor of a major U.S. city

Vague reporting on purpose I'd guess. It isn't the first, so why is it noteworthy? I mean, as long as it isn't a town of 148 people or something.

In either case, this isn't that surprising. Voter turnout falls as the government becomes more local. The general feelings of the population are harder to reflect with less people, since each persons vote means more. Cities with more than a million people may only get 1000-2000 votes for smaller elected positions!

Massive voter apathy can probably explain nearly every election with strange results.