By JOSH RESNEK
The mayor’s refusal to debate his opponents is a sure sign that all is not well with the mayor’s campaign.
His refusal to take part in the Haitian community sponsored debate between the candidates does not do much to improve the perception of the immigrant community in Everett that racial animus stopped him from participating.
Plainly put – the mayor does not care for Blacks and Browns. His failure to hire Blacks and Browns, Hispanics, Brazilians and Asians into city government positions has been his consistent policy for 14 years.
Confident mayors, absolutely sure they are going to win and to be the mayor forever – as this mayor likes to say of himself – will debate anyone, anywhere, at any time about anything.
Not Carlo DeMaria.
He snubbed the Haitian community with his failure to appear Saturday evening at the debate, which was called off.
Gerly Adrien and Fred Capone have been ready for a debate since they announced their candidacies in May.
Capone could do a dance on the mayor’s head at a debate.
Capone is articulate, poised, professional and altogether, he gives off a mayoral essence.
Public speaking is second nature for him.
Adrien is absolutely unafraid of the mayor. She knows what she stands for and she sticks to her guns about equity, right and wrong, and about the mayor’s exclusion of people of color and ethnicity from his administration from top to bottom.
Adrien is used to the mayor’s taunts and the derision of those who surround him and who insulate him from reality in the various offices at city hall.
By comparison to Adrien and Capone, the mayor is a poor debater. He mumbles and stumbles over words and phrases. He is basically inarticulate.
He has been campaigning daily, doing the obligatory door to door thing.
Last week, he and Adrien met on Glendale Street. They crossed paths while going door to door.
If this were a horse race, Adrien and Capone are stallions.
The mayor is strong but he is no stallion.
The mayor was with six or seven of his acolytes led by Jerry Navarra.
The appearance given was that of the mayor out with a gang parading around the neighborhood.
Make no mistake, the mayor remains a formidable candidate for re-election.
It is his election to lose.
The decision not to debate does not aid him in his desire to be re-elected to yet another term.
But then, the decision is not entirely his.
It is part of the strategy employed by the highly paid and competent brain trust running his campaign.
The mayor has been told not to debate, not to engage, not to show anger or frustration and not to put himself at risk by getting involved in any way with his two opponents.
Having considerable opponents, however, changes the strategic dynamic for the mayor.
Appearing at a debate on the stage with them is not part of that strategic dynamic.
Exactly how and whether or not the strategy is working will be revealed on September 21.
In the meantime, the Haitian community has taken notice of the mayor’s snub.