A "non-binding beauty contest"

The first Democratic presidential primary in the nation was held yesterday in the District, in an attempt to get out the message to the rest of the country that D.C. has no actual voting representation in Congress. It was a challenge that D.C. accepted, and then hilariously failed.

Because what better way to demonstrate your willingness to be enfranchised than... holding a non-binding primary that only four of the nine candidates participate in, and that only 10 percent of registered voters show up for? Oh right, any other way would be better.

"Were we going to get record turnout? No. I didn't expect that," said Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), who did not endorse a candidate. "But what we've gotten here today was more exposure on the issue of D.C. voting rights than any other time."

[crickets chirp]