I have three words for Republicans regarding the 2012 mayoral election, “Sorry ‘bout it.”
For those not in the know, “Sorry ‘bout it” is the latest gay way of expressing faux sympathy. With the right intonation, it makes it clear that you’re not remotely sorry, they probably brought it on themselves, and you’re having at least a bit of Schadenfreude. It perfectly sums up my feelings toward those who want to mount a recall of Mayor Bob Filner, for a number of reasons.
You picked the wrong candidate – sorry ‘bout it. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis had executive experience and the support of Mayor Sanders. Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher had enthusiasm and a compelling personal story. Both could have appealed to moderates in the general election. Instead, you needlessly endorsed the furthest right candidate in the primary, sending moderates to the Filner camp or their couches, and eventually sending Fletcher to the Democratic Party. Sorry ‘bout that, too.
You don’t get to choose your electorate – Sorry ‘bout it. Councilmember Carl DeMaio was probably the right candidate for 2010. Unfortunately for you, San Diego picks its mayor in presidential election years, which likely did help Filner. But fair’s fair. There are seats held by Republicans at least in part because they come up in off year elections when progressive turn out falls off (County Supervisorial District 4 comes to mind).
Still, there are things you can do at the local level to combat the national trends, and on those measures you got outhustled. Whatever the Comprehensive Pension Reform initiative did to buff your voter lists was dwarfed by what progressive groups were able to do with the groundwork laid by Jess Durfee and the Democratic Party, as evidenced by across the board victories including Supervisor Dave Roberts and Congressman Scott Peters.
You’ve got no cause for a recall – sorry ‘bout it. Recalls were meant for people who committed a crime, or at least pulled a major bait and switch on the electorate, like the one Gov. Scott Walker pulled on the people of Wisconsin. Despite his sudden embrace of a far right agenda that he rarely discussed as a candidate, the recall effort against Walker failed. Polling suggested that moderates, and even some liberals, disliked his actions but did not feel they warranted a recall.
Yes, Gov. Gray Davis was successfully recalled, but more for positioning himself so firmly in the political center that both sides abandoned him. Four years removed, I don’t even hear many conservatives longing for the halcyon days of the gubernator.
In contrast to Walker and Davis, Filner is rewarding his voters by working to implement the agenda he campaigned on in the no-holds-barred style that has defined his political career.
The optics haven’t been pretty, particularly with a divided City Council, but Filner’s actions are more about integrity that iniquity. Barring a serious scandal, a recall attempt will be seen for exactly what it is: a sour-grapes endeavor to rectify bad decisions in 2012 by shopping for a more sympathetic electorate. Even if they somehow win, Republicans will look out of touch and desperate. Should they lose, they’ll look foolish, too. If they give it a try, I won’t even feign sympathy. I have three better words: “Make my day.”
