Dallas is economically and racially polarized, so when people from the conservative enclaves of the northwest join with their more liberal counterparts in the southern sector, it is fascinating.

The coalition formed to defeat a proposal that would give the Dallas mayor more power is a collection of cultural and political opposites.

Sworn enemies are getting together for a long kiss that they hope will prevent Mayor Laura Miller from becoming Boss Laura.

Former council member Donna Blumer and her anti-arena allies from District 13 matched with Linda Fantroy, the wife of council member James Fantroy.

Dallas lawyer Darrell Jordan and former state Rep. Domingo Garcia - both soundly defeated by Ron Kirk in the 1995 mayoral race - are now brothers in the cause.

Political commentator Sharon Boyd is on board, as is former Mayor Pro Tem Max Wells.

Can they all get along?

"You don't have to get along," veteran Dallas political consultant Lisa LeMaster said. "If you have one purpose, you divide up the duties and go forward."

That might be easier said than done.

Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said he's concerned that the strong-mayor debate will ultimately be played out along racial lines.

He said consultants supporting the proposal could bust up the opposition coalition by exploiting the mistrust that some of the old foes have for each other.

"There will be a behind-the-scenes, under-the-table poking at racial sensitivities," Mr. Jillson said. "The obvious thing to do is to try to divide the coalition by playing on long-standing aggravations. And the rubble left behind from the debate could further aggravate racial divisions."

There are already problems from those heckling outside the coalition.

Some strong-mayor opponents - such as activist Roy Williams - have accused the central opposition group of being racially intolerant.

Mr. Williams was not invited to join the group because some leaders didn't want voters to think about 14-1 when in the voting booth.

The system called 14-1 is the method of electing council members from 14 single-member districts and the mayor at large.

Designed to assure more representation from minority areas of the city, many activists from the north feel it's not the best way to elect a governing body.

"This is the same reason we had to file the lawsuit [that led to 14-1] in the beginning," Mr. Williams said. "We can't get beyond race because of the divide."

There have been other problems for opponents.

They cringed when former council member Al Lipscomb, in remarks to the City Council, likened the strong-mayor movement to the rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany.

Opponents feared that white voters who would otherwise oppose the proposal would be persuaded to support it after hearing Mr. Lipscomb's rant.

So the opponents' challenge for the next few months will be to get their motley crew to act in concert.

"I know we'll have conflict," said Dallas political consultant Pat Cotton, who is working for the anti-strong-mayor group. "But the spirit of cooperation is just incredible. I think we can hold it together."

Ms. Cotton said the strong-mayor opposition could be the rallying point needed to heal old wounds.

"This could pull our city together," she said.

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