The Mayoral Fab Five Prepare for KYW NEWSRADIO Showdown After A Wild Week
Late notes from the Mayoral campaign.
The first truly live debate takes place 8 to 9 a.m. Monday morning - Breakfast with the Candidates on KYW Newsradio 1060. I will moderate and Mike Dunn and Steve Tawa will be asking the questions. Expect fireworks.
The contest is now a brand new one. (see poll info below).
This was a tough week for Tom Knox, his first one of the campaign. One tough week in 5 months is not bad. How Knox reacts to attention on his business record and negative ads against him, will determine his ability to finish strong.
Michael Nutter is on a roll. The Inky has endorsed him - a glowing endorsement, with some nice words for Dwight Evans thrown in. The Inquirer endorsement surprised me, because the paper had nothing but valentines in its coverage for Chaka Fattah. But the Editorial Board is a separate entity, and has little connection with the headline writers. Nutter should be happy. Maybe he’ll smile a little more.
Fattah is not done in this race, and neither is Bob Brady. This campaign has been marked by fast-moving voter sentiments.
The lead may change dramatically in the next several weeks.
Earlier this week, The PEG (Pennsylvanian For Excellence in Government) poll showed that this battle has been turned upside down by the apparent abandonment of racial pattern voting. Both frontrunner Tom Knox and the surging Michael Nutter have serious black AND white support. In fact, Nutter, may, in the end, draw more white voters than Knox, if the pattern continues. The poll has a couple of points separating Knox and Nutter.
Sources in three of the campaigns report internal polling that shows frontrunner Tom Knox still leading, but wth Nutter and in some polls, Bob Brady, closing the gap. But, remember: these are internal polls and are often adjusted to help fundraising.
My instincts tell me that the race is tightening because of increased scrutiny on Knox, Nutter’s impressive advertising, and the beginning of a real focus on the contest. Chaka Fattah is obviously aware that he has problems. His ads are starting to focus on crime-fighting, and are no longer just aimed at the black community.
