Former Mayor Marion Barry made his latest triumphant return to district politics on Tuesday. Elected as Ward 8 Councilman with 94 percent of the vote, Barry told the Washington Post, “It ’s not a comeback; it ’s a coming out of retirement!” Well-loved as Barry may be, this return from retirement reflects poorly on Washington, which should be able to move beyond a period of the city ’s past that is best left to history.
The residents of Ward 8 seem to have forgotten that Barry was the chief source of the endemic corruption that characterized his mayoral term in the late ‘80s, and that still plagues district politics today. The notorious FBI video of Barry smoking crack in his office ended his three consecutive terms as mayor in 1990. He left the city in financial ruins at the end of his last term, in 1998. D.C. acquired its reputation as the murder capital of America under his guidance. Clearly, his track record does not speak to his favor.
Regardless of his many failings, though, Barry remains an extremely popular figure locally, especially in Southeast, the quadrant of his constituency in Anacostia. His rhetoric is as appealing as ever, as he exclaimed in his victory speech, “For the people in Ward 8 who are depressed, who are frustrated: Get up! Get up! … Let ’s bring hope and pride to Ward 8!” This slogan reflects Barry ’s populist approach and the desperation of the poor Washingtonians he represents, but his personal appeal alone cannot outweigh his past actions.
Supporters of the cause for equal representation for D.C. residents are the ones with the most to lose in this case. The city will never be taken seriously as long as politicians like Barry are running it. If Washington ’s residents ever want the district to become more than a political laughingstock, re-electing relics of corruption like Barry is certainly not the path to take.
