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May 23-29, 2002 slant Groovy
Larger-than-life Ed Rendell takes the stage of his lucky ballroom at the Warwick Hotel, and it is bedlam. Months of pent-up angst and anger and crazy kinetic political energy uncorks, with shouts of “Ed-die, Ed-die” rocking the packed room. Philadelphia is feeling a groove it hadn't felt since 1914, the last time we sent a homey to Harrisburg. And Rendell, being the humble guy that he is, quickly reminds the crowd that the first thing you have to do to succeed is believe. And that he has always believed. "Last February, when I started this campaign, nobody thought I had a chance to win, because I am from Philadelphia," says Rendell, launching the overflowing masses into another chorus of Ed-die. "The experts said no Philadelphian could be elected governor of this state. But the experts, as they often do, underestimated the people of this state. The people of Pennsylvania understood one thing the experts missed and that's ... that the people of Pennsylvania want change." It's a big change for Philadelphia, knowing that, hell yeah, long after man landed on the moon, a Philadelphian can land in the governor's mansion. As the hours melt away on primary day, people are absolutely giddy with the anticipation, tee-heeing even to strangers about how well Ed is doing today, how good it would be for us if he wins and that it was about time Philadelphia, the economic engine of this state, flexed its muscles. "We really need this," says the ever-tanned restaurateur Neil Stein, as he bounds down the stairs of an 8th Ward polling place. "Ed went to Penn. He was the D.A. And, of course, he was mayor. Ed knows this town. He's a driving force. We need him as governor." It is like this all through the city, as voters can taste victory so long denied. This is no longer the city of the Egregious Iggles and the Floundering Flyers and the Infuriating Phils and the Suffering Sixers. It is the city of Larger-Than-Life Ed Rendell. A city that can win. As sweet as it is to see Ed win, it is just as sweet to see another tumble by Very Vincible Vince Fumo, the Mensa-worthy genius of a state senator who once again proved he has the un-Midas touch when it comes to running elections. Fumo was, as they say, a ganzer macher in the Casey campaign, helping ensure that Junior, a nice and likable man with an engagingly wry sense of humor, came across as a bloodsucking oaf who couldn't tell you why to vote for him. Just like it did when Marty Weinberg ran for mayor with the blessings and beneficence of Very Vincible Vince, the Fumo Mojo proved fatal for Casey. But there is change here, too. Where he once wreaked havoc stomping the political landscape like a ravenous Giganotosaurus, Very Vincible Vince is now chased from delis by men wearing Spider-Man costumes who dish out one-sheets dissing the man once feared. Perhaps this is the end for Fumo and his politics of the ugly. As he tries to escape the throng of reporters who have surrounded him, Rendell says, without naming or implying any names, that politics of the ugly is a big reason why Casey lost. "I told Bob Casey that he wasn't well-served by the people around him," Rendell says, "that our positive ads took us from 7-8 points behind." Still, Casey's negative campaign did have some effect, Rendell quickly points out. "They did some damage to me," he says, pointing out that, before Casey went negative, both Democrats "were 20 percentage points ahead" of Republican Mike Fisher, whom Rendell will face in November. "Now it's a dog race," says Rendell, before catching himself. "Ah, a horse race." The former was more like it. Now comes the healing. All the big Democrats in the room, Congressman and party boss Bob Brady, Congressman Chaka Fattah, D.A. Lynne Abraham, state Sen. Allyson Schwartz -- they all say it. The party will come together, and even Fumo will be on board. It has no choice, says Fattah. "Democrats have been out of power for eight years in Harrisburg," says Fattah. "[Yet] This is a state where we have 400,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans." One reason for this political dichotomy, says Fattah, is "not having the Democratic family, the team, all with the same uniforms on, playing for the same victory, so I am very hopeful and have every reason to believe that Senator Fumo and the union leaders, some of the people not reflected in the numbers on the Rendell side, that we will be able to add them back in." If anyone can herd these kitties, it's Ed Rendell, who says his first order of business Wednesday morning will be to start calling the vanquished to "tell them all is forgiven." Though he can and should never admit it now, the only real question left for Rendell -- Fumo or no Fumo -- is how he wants to stock the governor's mansion's refrigerator. If you would like to respond to this Slant or have one of your own (850 words), contact Howard Altman, City Paper interim editor, 123 Chestnut St., third floor, Phila., PA 19106 or e-mail altman@citypaper.net.
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