In Our Opinion....

Ernie Davis Should Do The Right Thing

We would have been surprised, albeit pleasantly, if following his defeat in last week’s Democratic primary election Mayor of Mount Vernon, Ernest Davis had done the right thing, the honorable thing, and simply conceded. After all, with a margin of 349 votes, and with only 90 absentee ballots uncounted, what possible hope could Mr. Davis have been nurturing, two days later, that a recount would reverse his fate?

We can understand the numbness that he may have experienced an hour after the polls closed last Tuesday night. We were there on the streets of Mount Vernon, and absorbed first-hand the shock and disbelief expressed by some of his loyalists. For many it was just too much to tolerate, the notion that an honest administration would be taking control of their city, and everybody would be expected to play by the rules. Perhaps, that prospect was far too devastating, particularly for Davis himself to grapple with.

Perhaps he knew something, or thought he knew something the rest of us were unaware of, some device, some magic, by which he would emerge the winner, if only he didn’t concede. After all, hadn’t Nick Spano managed
to wrestle victory away from Andrea Stewart-Cousins in 2004, despite her 355-vote lead walking into the Board Of Elections? If Reggie, a Mount Vernon “homer” could do that for Nicky, why couldn’t he do it
for ‘little old Ernie?’ Why, indeed? All he needed to do was hold out, and stretch it to the second canvass, the recount, or so he may have thought. “What about the will of the People?” some would ask. What about their
courage and hard work that went into tossing him out despite his having spent ten times the money Clinton Young had? We, of course, have known for some time that the will of the People, not to mention their wellbeing, has been the last thing on Ernie Davis’ mind for a very long time.

We fervently hope that Ernie Davis will have come to his senses, and will have conceded his defeat, and accepted the will of Mount Vernon’s People before this edition of the Guardian comes rolling off the presses
one week following the election. We hope that he will have abandoned any misguided notion that anyone would bring about a reversal.

We fully understand all that this rejection by the voters portends for Mr. Davis with respect to his problems with higher authorities, at least in his own perception. Clearly, however, his conduct in office, that has been the basis of ongoing investigations into his administration, is the same evidence upon which constituents based their choice at the polls a week ago. That having been said, We would hope that, if for no other reason than to save face, Ernie Davis will have stepped from the stage promptly and gracefully.