All Politics are Local

Although most people think of national politics when they think of DC, local politics are also kind of a big deal around here. Marion Barry anyone?

Early voting in the DC Mayor's race started on Monday and the one early voting booth is right outside the metro station by my work. It's intense. Getting to my office past all the campaign supporters and weaving through the vans shuttling voters over felt like running through a gauntlet.

Sometimes I forget that as high-profile DC is as a city, it's pretty small. Everyone seems to know each other, and it's not unusual to see the mayor or his opposition walk down the street and campaign.

It's also interesting to live in a city where people care. LA was so large, and everyone there was so "LA" that mayors races came and went without much fanfare. Here though, lawn signs, rallies, and campaigning everywhere.

Well, at least it looks like a lot of people care. When my co-worker saw an old classmate holding a sign outside the metro, he asked his friend why he supported that candidate. Response: "Who? They just paid me to hold this sign." Good old DC politics.