The political spirit of Detroit seems to be shifting

There is a different atmosphere in Detroit these days, a city that not long ago seemed to be on another planet. Four years ago, the city was led by a "hip-hop" mayor famous for extravagant living, wild parties, and behaviour so outrageous that one out-of-town police force said it would no longer take responsibility for protecting him.

Today, there is a new spirit of something like sobriety. After Kwame Kilpatrick went off to prison in October, there seemed to be a collective sign of relief. Suddenly, Detroiters seemed to want sane, competent, grown-up leadership. Dave Bing, a sports hero turned successful businessman, was elected to replace Kilpatrick.

When he won a special election in May, most of the other major candidates bowed out of challenging the new mayor for the full four-year term that will be decided this November.