The EYE got Villa on the phone this week. He acted more concerned about the Nov. 7 election (though admitting “my Republican opponent isn’t doing much”) than 2008. When asked point-black if he would file for the 5th Senatorial District, he did say, “If in my view the race is winnable, we may well do that.”
State Rep. Jeannette Mott-Oxford, who won’t be term-limited in 2008 but could file in the 5th Senatorial District, is another wild card on Villa’s mind, in addition to how many blacks wage credible campaigns.
Villa was asked if he would stand down for the good of the party, based on the argument that Missouri Democrats need to do more to support black politicians in the state if they want to unify their party against the lock-step Republicans, who of course have little to worry about black power.
“That type of appeal would not be appealing to me,” Villa said. “I’m not trying to be snotty.”
Snotty or not, Villa makes a good point. “I was having a conversation about this stuff with Yaphett El-Amin about six weeks ago, and I said your problem is that apathy is alive and well on the North Side.”
True, true, true.