Is Mayor Tom Potter Out of It?

Let’s face it: Mayor Tom Potter will never be known as Mr. Excitement. He is not exactly dominating the Portland political scene with his personality. I’ve attended one meeting with him – the Portland State Town Hall about the tram - and he made a few comments but barely registered a pulse. In fact, physicists theorize that if he ever met Al Gore, the universe could come to a complete stop. They call it the Big Nap theory.
So is he on top of things or not? The best attribute I think he’s got going for himself, is that he does not appear dazzled by the job. He’s not running around like Sam Adams doing shifts here and there for a day: “Look at me! I’m a bartender! Look at me! Now I’m a cab driver!” That is an obvious sign of a politician who is way too into the excitement. Sam Adams is not just dazzled by the job – he’s dazzled by himself.
On the negative side of things, Mayor Potter often appears to be going through the motions of what he thinks a mayor should do. He’s not completely in the moment yet, and I suppose he deserves time. Here’s hoping he’s one of those quietly effective, behind-the-scenes types, because if we ever need him to motivate the city through a crisis with the shear weight of his charisma, we're in big trouble. As for now, the official position of the Portland Freelancer is that – yes - Mayor Tom Potter is a little out of it, but it’s okay. In fact, so is the Portland Freelancer.