Asked to respond to yet another poll tracking his sinking popularity, particularly among African-Americans, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he first wanted to review it more closely. Smart move. Respondents to a Washington Post poll seemed confused. Some said they love what Fenty has done in their neighborhoods. But they hate the man who brought those improvements. Those folks could have been cast alongside Faye Dunaway in that movie classic “Chinatown.” Remember the scene where Jack Nicholson is slapping her and she still can’t decide whether to describe her child as her daughter or sister.

Truth be told, there was sizable opposition to Fenty in 2006 in black communities; it was split, however, among several candidates. For example, in Precinct 110, one of the largest in Ward 7, Fenty won 791 votes; but 724 individuals voted for his opponents. In Precinct 122, in Ward 8, he won 224 votes; 200 voters turned away from him.