Kasim Reed is not cool
I would cry if someone said that about me. But it's okay, Mr. Mayor. Really.
by Rembert Browne
Mayor Kasim Reed during former president Bill Clinton's speech last week at the Democratic National Convention
At this past week's Democratic National Convention, more than 100 speakers hit the stage, nine of whom were current mayors. Some were obvious choices — Chicago's Rahm Emanuel, because that's his boy; Los Angeles' Antonio Villaraigosa, because he's the chairman of the Convention; Charlotte's Anthony Foxx, because that was the host city, and Newark's Cory Booker, because he's Cory Booker — and after seeing San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro deliver a 2004 DNC Obama-esque address, it became clear why he, too, was invited to talk. Rounding out the list were R.T. Ryback of Minneapolis, Thomas Menino of Boston, Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, and Annise Parker of Houston. Although I have nothing against these mayors, and even discarding my biases and hometown allegiances for Atlanta, not seeing Mayor Kasim Reed make the cut was initially a shock. No disrespect, but I couldn't pick a "R.T. Ryback" or a "Minneapolis" out of a crowd if my life depended on it.
Speaking with NBC's Chuck Todd, Mayor Reed addressed his absence: "I did not seek an opportunity to speak." While I'm sure this wasn't a fib, I have a sneaking suspicion Rahm and Cory didn't have to file lengthy request forms to get on the bill. They were most likely approached, because regardless of what's going on in their respective cities (VERY BAD THINGS, RAHM), they have one thing always going in their favor: they're cool. And when you're less than two months from an election, you have no choice but to put your best foot forward and assemble all the cool kids. So when it's time to strategically stack your DNC lineup, you need your rabble-rousers, your lookers, your legends, your storytellers. Sadly, this was a list Kasim didn't qualify for. Why? Because he's not cool.
Interestingly enough, however, is that he's not too uncool for the entire national stage. Not in the slightest. Enter: Meet The Press.
Since the beginning of 2011, Kasim Reed has been on the iconic Sunday morning program five times. If that doesn't surprise, shock, or impress you, consider the fact that only three other mayors in that time span have been on the show twice (Booker, Emanuel, Villaraigosa) and one three times (Bloomberg). It's also impressive, because the role in question isn't a cameo on Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, it's a member of the Meet The Press roundtable. You can't be dumb and be on Meet The Press. And if you somehow are an idiot and sneak on the show, you will be eaten alive by the likes of David Brooks and Peggy Noonan and never be invited again. Impressively, Reed has had his intelligence card renewed four times, as recent as this past August.
But it's deeper than simply not being dumb when it comes to the Mayor. It's also about being more than just a walking, talking bag of charisma, something many of Atlanta's past mayors have had as a crutch to fall back on.
The city's long, storied, occasionally hit-and-miss history of almost 40 consecutive years of Black Mayors has consisted of five individuals, four of whom could talk their way out of a paper bag, and Kasim. While there's no shame in dripping with charisma, there's no ignoring the fact that being charming can cover up deficiencies in one's approach and policies. Be it an 100-watt smile or powerful oratorical skills, perfectly executed photo ops or famous friends, they all can do wonders in distracting people from problems plaguing a city, and a leader that isn't too sure how to proceed effectively.
Lacking that crutch, but having in his corner a positive prior track record, intelligent things to say more often than not, and the blessing of running against stiffs that made him look like mid-'90s Denzel Washington, Kasim Reed is currently the Mayor of Atlanta. If you think about it, it's pretty amazing. A policy wonk who decided to tackle pensions out the gate is the mayor of Atlanta. For a city that historically loves it some sexy, its leader is anything but. That is, unless you find smart "sexy." Then he's your man.
If I read the aforementioned words, and they were about me, I'd cry, because I don't want to be told that I'm not cool. That's why I'm 25 and not the Mayor of Atlanta. I'm sure the 43-year-old running the City of Atlanta, too, wants people to like him, but "being cool" doesn't seem to be his primary goal, like the rest of us. He seems to be concerned, primarily, with helping the city, and while he's at it, become known as America's "smart" mayor. Sure, it might not get him a role in the next Tyler Perry film, but this new Atlanta approach to mayoring might be the perfect thing for a city that can't fully figure out what its next move is. At least there's someone at the helm who might actually have a plan.
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