David Snyder On The Importance Of Cynical Political Opportunism

The terribly earnest political conversion of Team Dave Snyder (M - yself) continues.  A dismal career in local politics built entirely on a foundation of vapid concession to being everything to everybody and committed to underachievement because progress might offend someone somewhere. 

A guard dog that will not bark because it might wake the master.  A chef who refuses to cook an omelet for fear of offending the eggs.

Dave Snyder was once our golden token Republican.  He joined CBC and left in a huff.  He joined FCCO and left in a huff.  He rejoined the CBC and now works against the organization from within.  He vowed to support mixed use development and then supported two referendums designed to stop it.  He campaigned against colleagues who supported him.  He has viciously attacked his employees from the dais after agreeing not to discuss personnel issues in public.  He worked with Governor Kaine while working to undermine the transportation compromise.  He ran (and lost) against Delegate Jim Scott (D) as the Republican nominee despite promising not to run in a partisan political race while sitting on our non-partisan city council.  He used partisan resources to support his runs for nonpartisan races.  A former president of the Housing Commission Corporation who voted twice against the historic affordable housing initiative.  He sits on a regional environmental board where he advocated for reduced air quality standards because he maintains regional air quality is "improving."  He voted against 6 of 8 city budgets saying he would never cast a vote which increased taxes (including udgets designed to fully fund the schools).  Opposed the hiring of the past two city managers.  Tried to gag the city manager from discussing the city center project.  Tried to gag the Economic Development Authority from holding a forum on the city center.  Tried to gag opponents of the 2008 transportation bill.  Opposed every mixed use project ever proposed in the city.  In one of the oddest political moments in the history of the city, he gave a passionate speech from the dais on why he was against the city center project .... and then moments later voted for it (a moment so odd the clerk, developer, and his colleaques on council pointedly did not want to even discuss it).  Team Dave wrapped up the 2008 local campaign season by refusing to support his longtime friend Hal Lippman for vice mayor - saying he did not "trust him."

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I could go on and on, but you get the point. 

So a few weeks Team Dave, a lifelong partisan Republican whose family has been active in Republican politics since the Civil War, publically renounced the Virginia GOP.  His reason?  Joe McCain called NOVA "communist country." 

Look for an excuse much, Team Dave?

So our newly minted non-Republican (because, natch, Team Dave has not *officially* allied himself with the Democratic Party of Virginia) is now being embraced as the prodigal son.  

Team Dave now has the biggest Obama yard sign in the City.  He has been bringing hot meals to the local campaign office and making phone calls to get out the Democratic vote.

The Obama campaign trumpets the new high profile convert without any stake in what providing Team Dave political cover means downstream for the region.  The local Democratic Committee shrugs off the implications because it is agnostic on local matters.  The nonpartisan CBC does not bat an eye at the overtly partisan activities of one of its endorsed elected officials because it does not know the operational difference between "nonpartisan" and "bipartisan."

So here sits poor Blueweeds.  A lone truthteller.  A Democratic welcome basket in one hand and a cynic flag flying limply in the other. 

Please, someone, remind me again when the filing deadlines for the next elections are?