Dueling Clipboards at Brookside Market

Yesterday afternoon, on the way home from work, I dropped by the Brookside Market to pick up a loaf of bread, unaware that the day before Thanksgiving is not the wisest time to attempt a brief shopping sortie. The crowds of festive people, though, make a target-rich environment for signature-seekers trying to complete their candidacy petitions.

On my way in, I got approached by Jim Glover (no website yet, Jim?). I've known him for years, and he is a decent, if unexciting, guy. I signed his petition, discussed name recognition (a positive for him), and thanked him for participating.

On the way out, I stopped to chat with him again, and, while I was chatting, none other than Mark Funkhouser showed up, bearing clipboards! I signed his petition, too (yes, you are allowed to sign more than one petition), with considerably more enthusiasm. Within moments of showing up, Funkhouser was surrounded by well-wishers and eager supporters. MPA graduates appeared out of nowhere, as well as neighborhood activists and concerned citizens.

It wasn't a debate, it wasn't a poll, and it certainly wasn't the primary. But, on the day before Thanksgiving, on the sidewalk outside of Brookside Market, there was a clear favorite. Mark Funkouser is on his way to a big job that starts on March 28.