( - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Since Brian wrote an entry about the upcoming Convention, I thought Calitics readers would be interested in my article from yesterday's Beyond Chron.
On May 11th, Supervisor Chris Daly sent out a "save-the-date" e-mail to progressive allies for a Mayoral Convention on Saturday, June 2nd - calling it "the most important progressive gathering of the year." At the Convention, progressives will "consolidate our platform, train in the nuts and bolts of electioneering, launch our candidate(s) for Mayor of San Francisco, and have lots of fun!" With no serious candidate ready to challenge Gavin Newsom this November, many will say that this Convention is long overdue.
But aside from practical concerns - pulling off a convention on such short notice - should progressives prioritize the defeat of Newsom? First, Supervisors have shown in the past year that they have the power and initiative to get things done, even with a Mayor resistant to change. Second, Newsom's hands-off role as Mayor has made him a less formidable foe than Willie Brown. Third, Newsom has sometimes been willing to champion progressive causes - if he can take the credit. While it is obvious that voters deserve a choice this November, the truth is that nobody really wants to run. Which raises the question - why not just let Gavin be the ineffectual lame-duck Mayor that he is for the next four years?
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