Bulldog 2007-Article 100

(6-30-07)

Daly returned a phone call yesterday morning.      From Atlanta, Georgia.      He sounded happy.     That’s good.       I’d phoned to tell him that since he has nothing else to do (no committee assignments)  …  that he should be able to make Salon.

He told me yet again that he wouldn’t run for Mayor but I’m not buying it.      That’s part of my charm.      And, my disease.       Yeah, addicted to local politics for 10 years or so now:

h.:   “Hello, my name is h. brown and I’m addicted to SF politics.�

Group:    “Hello h.�

You can understand.      You have some stage of the disease, or you wouldn’t be reading this.      And, it’s been slow lately.      The worst thing that can happen in any political season is for there to be no competition.      That means that consultants and printers and mailers and on and on don’t get work.     Warren Hinckle will lose money on the Argonaut and Frontlines will be left with Ahimsa Sumchai-Porter and me as candidates.

I hear rumors that Gonzalez isn’t getting the financial responses he needs to run a credible race this Fall.       Hall’s natural allies are satisfied with Newsom.       Mirkarimi may have peaked on the ‘Peter Principle’ scale and Marc Salomon took a job til after the filing deadline.

So, I still see the Progressive’s strongest ticket as Gonzo, Daly and Mirk locked arm-in-arm.        And, Newsom gets caught snorting coke with a juvenile altar boy.       Both scenarios are unlikely, but definitely possible.      That’s why I’ve entered the race.        Think of me as your ‘fall-back’ candidate.      Or, perhaps, as your ‘bomb-shelter-last-port-in-a-storm’ choice.       I really don’t think Gonzalez is going to enter the race.      I think he’s finished and he knows it but he enjoys the attention, so he’s keeping up the pose.      It’s not fair to his supporters or their cause but like Nader and Camejo, ego overrules responsibility.

Daly has taken a horrific beating with no support from anyone save Fog City, Marc Salomon and myself in the ‘constant-publishers’ category.     Still, youth has a way of rebounding and he remains my top choice for Mayor.

I’ve watched Mirkarimi for 8 years and have a hard time pinning that 4th star on his collar.        Adachi would be a marvelous candidate but, as he showed during his meticulous presentation of the budget of the Public Defender’s Office (which he writes himself!) that he really wants to stay put for now.

Hey, I chased movie stars for you and tried to get the Sheriff to step down and take a run at it.      None of that panned out.     Lefty pundits have announced, but I put the candidacies of Chicken John and Diamond Dave in a category with myself with no offense meant to them.      So, the question arises in all its punnability:

Grow a set, Matt.

Ignore bankruptcy.

See you on stage.