A dozen days before qualifying opens up in this year's race for mayor of Atlanta, Ceasar Mitchell – currently president of the Atlanta City Council – has launched a digital campaign that leans heavily on this video:
The video relies heavily on biography more than policy, but if you parse the script, you can catch some implied criticism of the incumbent, Mayor Kasim Reed.
For instance, Mitchell calls for “more openness and accountability in City Hall.”
On addressing the city’s problems: “It has to be done the right way. No excuses. No easy fixes. Just hard work, discipline and vision.”
Biracial coalitions have become essential to winning what has become a two-stage election: An initial Nov. 7 vote, followed by a two-person runoff. Right now, conventional wisdom gives Councilwoman Mary Norwood one of those runoff berths, just as she did in 2009.
How one addresses both black and white voters becomes crucial. This is how Mitchell threads the needle:
"We have to bring light to the blight that's plaguing our community, so that every place is a great place to live. And we need to protect long-term residents who live in our neighborhoods and raise families in our neighborhoods. We can't leave them or anyone behind."
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