San Francisco Mayor Campaign
Published December 04, 2003
I haven't been writing here much because I've been working on the Gonzalez campaign. I have been posting a lot of photos and will continue to do so through Tuesday (and there is also some stuff on my main blog.
Matt can win. We need everyone in the Bay Area who can to volunteer this weekend and on election day if they can get the day off. There also are a ton of amazing events including Votestration Sunday from 10 to 4 pm at Civic Center to encourage people to vote early at City Hall (which I did on Wednesday).
We also need all progressive blogger to write and link about the campaign and help us get donations to fund our get out the vote efforts and the campaign's first TV ad. Newsom has gone unanswered on television. An ad has been produced for free, but time needs to be bought on cable and broadcast television. I'll post a funding appeal at the end of this.
Even if you aren't progressive, you might support Matt on cultural reasons alone. Newsom has made fun of the fact that Matt campaign lit listed that he played bass in a rock band (something Matt didn't want to include), but he is a candidate who truly appreciates and supports, music, art, literature and other culture. He has a display of local art at his offices as president of the Board of Supervisors and a art opening the first Friday of the month. He was on the board of Intesection for the Arts.
The best place for links to stories on the campaign is The Usual Suspects. Testpattern has audio of some of the robocalls & images of some of the campaign hit pieces against Matt (and there is a list of more blog supporters and a logo to add to your blog). It also provides this Google News link with stories on the campaign.
John Nichols has a good piece on the Dems/Greens debate. You can read Matt's original Why I turned Green piece and an early Bay Guardian profile (the Guardian has lots of good articles in this week's issue and has an election page with articles, a new blog & they'll be providing what will be the best election night coverage).
Newsom was interviewed on Forum on KQED Tuesday morning (it and the interview with Matt will be repeated tonight from 10 pm to midnight - they also are available online look under Dec. 3rd & 2nd). Michael Krasny read this question I emailed:
In the Commonwealth Club debate, Michael moderated, Matt Gonzalez asked Supervisor Newsom since he didn't agree to abide by the voluntary $750,000 spending limit, what the limit should be.
Newsom ducked the question and said he was proud of all his donors (I think contributions from multiple divisions of the same company should be subtracted from the total number he touts). What should the spending cap be? $3 million, $4 million, $8 million, $10 million?
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- San Francisco Mayor Campaign
- Published: December 04, 2003
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- Section: Culture
- Writer: Steve Rhodes
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- Steve Rhodes's personal site
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Because Matt is a progressive who will be able to create model programs that other cities will adopt.
Imagine what would have happened if Harold Washington had a progressive city council to work with. Matt will have a progressive majority on the board of supervisors to work with.
While Newsom would be considered far left in almost any other city, here he is a classic corporate liberal alligned with downtown interests how have invested heavily in his campaign. The Guaridan articles linked above go into this.
And he would just use the office of mayor as a stepping stone to higher office (perhaps to run for congress when Pelosi retires or even for President someday).
Matt has said that one reason to vote for him is he'll never make a decision to just be re-elected or move on to another position. If he loses, he can do a lot of other things with his life.
And at the debate, the other night he said the thing he likes most about being an elected official is when he learns something new from a citizen which makes him realize he should change his position on an issue or approach to solving a problem.
Most politicians never even entertain the idea they could be wrong.
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(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/10678)
Steve, when I blogged this, the headline was something like 'Liberal vs. liberal in San Francisco.' So, I am wondering how you hope to convince people that it matters which liberal is elected.