Good for Jeff Smith, the little state senatorial candidate who could and did (with a little push from a machine politician like Sam Simon, that is). But let’s talk about the 5th senatorial district in the state of Missouri, and let’s talk about putting another black butt in the seat when Maida Coleman goes home because of term limits.
The fact is, in a half-black city, the Democratic Party – at all levels – needs to understand that it needs to promote some black candidates for major offices and pursue minority representation – at all levels. Or maybe the party wants a repeat of the nasty whisper campaign that dogged Russ Carnahan, Brian Wahby and Jeff Smith this year.
A certain white city Democrat Party insider just about choked inside the office of this newspaper a little while back while working the editorial board for an endorsement. He choked when asked what Tom Villa was going to do in 2008. He choked because he was pretty sure that Villa would file for Maida’s seat, white city insiders like himself will be pressured to line up behind Villa – and this would not be a pleasant conversation to have in the offices of the St. Louis American.
Maida told the EYE that Villa would probably win if he files for her seat. Maybe so. But if he files without a substantial challenge from the South Side, while more than one former black state representative files for the seat, then he almost surely would win.
Everybody knows that Robin Wright-Jones, Connie Johnson and Rodney Hubbard would like Maida’s job. Everybody except Hubbard knows that Hubbard’s political and street record could never stand up to the scrutiny of a closely contested election.
That leaves Robin and Connie. They have been talking. They should keep talking. Their friends have been talking to them. Their friends should keep talking to them. Only one of these women should file for that seat.
And Rodney Hubbard should enjoy Jefferson City while he can. And then he should stand down. Maybe All Children Matter is hiring.