This is not what the data says. I was a Detoiter and I doubt the odds.
Let's assume they CAN spell, they can sign their name on a bouncing check.
Let's also assume they are sick and tired of the status quo and want real change.
50 years of Democratic Operant Conditioning has left them a drugged and listless population.
This is why, they continued to vote for one corrupt Mayor, year after year until now.
I am not sure that Detroiters can pull themselves up out of the muck, alone. Maybe if the football team Lions win 5 consecutive games, there is a chance...
How long before ballots have the picture of the candidate next to their name?
First, primary election turnout in Detroit is so low that results can be had if you can get your voters to show up. In the general election, other things will be on the ballot that the "takers" care about more.
The level of despair among voters shouldn't be discounted. Detroiters have been listening to the "change" mantra for 60 years, while things continued to deteriorate.
Among all the candidates, Duggan was the only one who was "for" anything. All the others were pretty much just "against Duggan" or "against the governor".
For some optimism, if second place man Benny Napolean had received ALL of the other candidates' votes, he would have had only about 1000 more than Duggan.
Mike is a talented manager, and for him to be effective his policies will have to look far more conservative than most Democrats would ever expect. If he doesn't turn it around, he's a failure. I don't think there's much to fear here.