When You’re Wrong, You’re Wrong: I Was Wrong
A few months back, I wrote a piece entitled “Michael Nutter Lost My Vote Tonight”, after a “meet the candidate” event in Philadelphia.
I retract my statement. No, I still don’t agree with Mr. Nutter on a number of topics: that hasn’t changed.
What has changed is that Michael Nutter twice visited Drinking Liberally, the group I host in Philadelphia. I’m sure he was surprised to see me there the first time, and I made sure I mentioned our previous tangle, which he remembered.
We had a small group that night, and I was sure that was the last we’d see of him, especially in light of our earlier interaction. But Mr. Nutter came back a second time, just last week, and after consideration, I have a new respect for the man. Last week was a lot busier, and even though he said he was leaving around 8:00, he stayed much later than that, talking with everyone. He’s clearly a policy guy, which impresses me, and he’s happy to debate.
This isn’t meant as an endorsement of Mr. Nutter. I haven’t decided who I’m voting for. However, I wrote rashly after my initial meeting with the candidate, and so I’m making this effort to set the record straight. The best candidate will get my vote, Michael Nutter included.
November 21st, 2006 at 7:35 am
Good to hear, Brendan. I think that the important thing is to make a decision based on a number of factors, rather than on one issue. Lord knows that I’ve been disappointed by many a politician before, but Nutter strikes me as a genuinely thoughtful man. I don’t think that he has all the answers, and I don’t know that I agree with him on every position. But I do think that he’s the type of person who, when faced with a difficult position, would listen to public voices and consider all sides of the debate. And that’s a pretty damn good quality to have as a politician, especially these days.
November 21st, 2006 at 4:37 pm
It was exactly those characteristics that mad eme change my mind.