A Political Wedge Added to the Divide?

From the NY Times article In Shirley Chisholm's Brooklyn, Rancor Over White Candidacy, an excerpt:

...But now, in a district whose boundaries were drawn to strengthen black voting power, residents are locked in a wrenching, racially charged debate over a white politician's campaign for Congress....The candidacy of that politician, David Yassky — who has built a reputation as an accomplished, independent-minded councilman — has led to angry accusations of racial carpetbagging....A Brooklyn Heights resident who was elected to the City Council in 2001, Mr. Yassky emerged as a key voice in pushing the Bloomberg administration to include subsidized housing in the gigantic waterfront rezoning in Williamsburg and Greenpoint and banning soda and candy in vending machines in public schools....Mr. Yassky's critics say that he is calculating that the other (three) candidates will splinter the black vote, allowing him to win by capturing whites, who make up 21.4 percent of the district, according to the 2004 Almanac of American Politics, which used 2000 census figures. Blacks make up 58.5 percent. Last year, Mr. Yassky had planned to run for Brooklyn district attorney but abandoned the effort. Mr. Yassky only recently moved into the Congressional district — he had lived three blocks outside it — as he began to campaign in earnest.

Oh yeah, a couple of buzzwords from the article: "gentrifying neighborhoods", "rezoning" and "steady influx of whites".

My feeling:: I'm so torn about these issues, because it widens the divide (class, not just race). On the one hand, we all should want the most engaged, qualified and passionate candidate to represent all of us. I'm not claiming Yassky is/isn't that guy, but theoretically - he should be allowed to run, in order to determine whether/not he is. But that's the best case scenario talking. The reality is that:

a) a lot of voters are not just under-represented, but also under-informed. They don't know/care who they vote for, or the issues the candidate actually embraces, as long as that person "sounds good" or "looks like them"
b) these same voters put far too much faith in party representation
c) Party-men, and the political parties themselves, bank on that, during every primary & election

On the other hand, the district was redrawn (albeit in the 1960's) to increase Congressional representation for black people, in this district. The Park Slope residents, as well as the Crown Heights residents. Is it soon enough to say, they've accomplished that?

And I'm so sure this issue is coming to a political infight near you. And me ;-)