Will Kevin Powell Throw in the Towel?

Several weeks ago I was talking with a friend who knows quite a bit more about Brooklyn politics than I do.

I enthusiastically told him about a BrooklynRon posting on Kevin Powell [photo, left], who says he's going to make Brooklyn Congressman Ed (Edolphus) Towns pay for backing Hillary Clinton and dissing Barack Obama.

My friend, a strong Obama backer and therefore likely to support any act of retribution against Hillary's supporters in black Brooklyn, said the following:

"Powell isn't a serious candidate."

Maybe my buddy was right.

The fiasco yesterday of comedian David Chappelle [photo, right] being a no-show at Powell's fundraiser -- after being featured as the main draw -- left hundreds crying rather than laughing.

Crying not just because they ended up listening to weak amateur substitutes trying to tickle their funny bones; but crying because it seemed starkly clear that Powell and/or his people don't seem to have the organization skills required to take on a longtime incumbent like Towns.

It was a cruel awakening. (read a decent account in The Brooklyn Paper.)

Who knows? Maybe Powell will eventually be able to pull it off. There's a lot of anger out there about Ed Towns and Yvette Clarke, two black Brooklyn Congressmembers who stuck with Hillary Clinton even as their districts voted for Obama in the Feb. 5th New York primary.

But Powell has deficits besides this Chappelle flop. Daily News columnist Errol Lewis has written about Powell's misogynist past, which includes violence against women, though Powell says he's repented and turned that part of his life around. (read)

Even so, those wanting to down Towns are thinking, whence will come our salvation?

Comments

[Ron]

The whole thing reflects poorly on our political system, at least here in New York. It doesn't seem like democracy.

I'd be curious to know what you think of a previous post at: The whole thing reflects poorly on our political system, at least here in New York. It doesn't seem like democracy.

I'd be curious to know what you think of a previous post at: http://www.brooklynron.com/2008/06/what-was-that-s.html

Ron

Ron

[Charlie]

Clarke and Towns could never have supported Obama, how could they have ever gotten anything done for Brooklyn with a vengeful, uncooperative NY Senator.

It's Party politics...Sad, but true.