I was disappointed that Interim Mayor Todd Gloria didn’t run to keep the job. I thought he (along with Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins) had the best chance of defeating more conservative candidates to keep working on the progressive promises of former Mayor Filner. As one of his District 3 constituents, I also thought he…
My parents bought my brother and me a video game system, allegedly to improve our hand-eye coordination and thus our poor penmanship. They quickly realized that we would play video games at the expense of all else, and set up some rules. The first hour was free. The second hour had to be paid back…
Democrats who support former Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher put the case against Councilmember David Alvarez succinctly: “He can’t win.” Often sandwiched between such phrases as “He’s a great guy” and “I have nothing against him,” the message is clear: If you don’t want Mayor Kevin Faulconer, you need to vote for Fletcher. Why? “It’s too soon…
The path to an Alvarez victory is perhaps the most easily visible, as former Mayor Filner walked it just last year. It’s called solidify your base. Despite his own negatives, two moderate candidates and arguably lackluster early campaigning, the party machine turned out 30 percent of the primary vote for Filner. If Alvarez can reach…
The case for: Electability In the movie Weird Science, two tech geeks try to create the perfect woman, and end up with Kelly LeBrock. If there were a 2013 sequel in which political geeks tried to create the perfect mayoral candidate (call it Weird Political Science), they might well come up with former Assemblymember Nathan…
When Fox News aired a story last month highlighting Jason Greenslate, a San Diego surfer musician who bought lobster with his CalFresh support (aka food stamps, aka Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP), the response from the right was swift and vicious. Like the relentlessly demonized “welfare mothers” of the 1990s, he was the proof…
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been touring the country trying to get businesses to move to Texas. If he really wants to bring more money into his state, perhaps he should talk to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. Rybak has been touring states without marriage equality, inviting same-sex couples to wed in Minneapolis. Minnesota is the…
In about fourth grade, adolescent boys (at least I think it’s just the boys) start taunting each other with the game “Would you rather do ______ or kiss your mother on the lips?” For those who don’t remember this, or a similar game, the blank is an ever-worsening list of disgusting things for which the…
So now we know. Mayor Filner will be succeeded by the winner of a “normal” special election, not a post recall free for all. That means the winner will have to get more than 50 percent, if not in the first special election then in the subsequent run-off. That likely narrows the slate considerably by…
Like many San Diegans, I found out Monday morning that Congressional candidate Carl DeMaio would be organizing events for the effort to recall Mayor Bob Filner. This is my shocked font! Of course, the man who lost the mayoral race to Filner is joining the recall. It allows him to settle an old score and…
