As D.C. Council chairman, Vincent Gray may have had his flaws, but he often made what seemed to be smart, politically savvy moves. For example, realizing the groundswell of citizen support for a mayoral takeover of public education, he quickly aligned himself with the effort. He put his imprimatur on the pre-kindergarten movement, enabling him to claim partial credit for D.C. Public Schools’ enrollment increases. He pushed for a community college when his predecessor offered only tepid support. Not surprisingly, under his leadership, the council consistently earned high approval ratings.

But where is that Vincent Gray now? Trying to find him is like looking for Waldo.