What did it take to get Mayor Ted Wheeler to name and shame Antifa?

Attacking his condo didn’t do it.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced that he will be abandoning his condo in favor of a new home following protests outside his Oregon residence.

Wheeler, a Democrat, emailed his neighbors on Tuesday and notified them that he would be moving out of the 16-floor apartment building after months of demonstrations outside the property. He said it would be “best for me and for everyone else’s safety and peace” for him to seek a new home.

Rioters set fires, broke several windows, and vandalized other parts of the property while demanding that the mayor resign during a demonstration outside the complex on Wheeler’s birthday over the weekend, which included fireworks. More than 200 demonstrators gathered outside. The police declared a riot, and 19 people were arrested.

That was months ago. So why is Wheeler suddenly sounding a new note now?

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is promising to “push back harder” against anarchists and Antifa radicals after another riot rocked the city on New Year’s Eve, admitting that months-long efforts to stem the violence have failed.

“My good faith efforts at de-escalation have been met with ongoing violence and even scorn from radical Antifa and anarchists,” Wheeler said during a Friday news conference, according to KOIN. “In response, it will be necessary to use additional tools and push the limits of the tools we already have to bring the criminal destruction and violence to an end.”

I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the threats from Wheeler. But what actually has him emboldened is the election. Wheeler was, at one point, running behind  Sarah Iannarone, who had declared, “I Am Antifa”.

Enough said.

He beat her by about 6% because what’s left of Portland’s business community pulled together behind him. It’s a pretty sad state when your law and order candidate is Ted Wheeler, and that about 40% of Portland voters backed a candidate who had declared, “I am Antifa”.

But now Wheeler has a mandate of sorts. That and he doesn’t have the vote of the people who support Antifa. That appears to have emboldened him. Attacking his home didn’t do it. But he now has political cover and has been cut loose from the pro-riot part of his electorate enough to actually call out Antifa.

Don’t expect much in the way of action, but Wheeler has at least been emboldened to virtue signal toward a new base now. By Portland standards, that’s progress.