Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Opinion

Bob Brady has a history in city and state politics as well, but embodies much of what needs to be changed in City Hall. Plagued throughout the election by scandals, Brady also came under fire for retaining his seat as the city's Democratic leader, even though many feared it would unfairly influence the endorsements of other city leaders. Brady seems too willing to work within the existing political framework, rather than reform it.

Dwight Evans is last in the polls, demonstrating the failure of his campaign to build a strong support base. After Nutter, Evans is the strongest candidate as far as experience, strong commitment to important issues, government reform and support from various Philadelphia groups. However, his lack of public support in the polls indicates that he may not be able to mobilize support on tough issues if elected.

Chaka Fattah disappointingly conducted his mayoral campaign during his tenure as an elected Congressman, rather than working to serve his constituents. Fattah has extensive experience in local politics, but his agenda fails to include city-planning reform - a necessary component of fighting poverty and crime. His commitment to ethical reform is also shaky, as his campaign was forced to return improperly raised funds.

Tom Knox is the poll frontrunner, but got there by pooling his personal funds into massive television ad blitzes and other expensive campaign gimmicks. Knox has creative ideas for solving many of the city's problems, but has yet to prove that he has the management skills to put them into action. Although he bills himself as a government outsider, Knox has also failed to form a plan for reforming the status quo.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools