The Murk loses a vote
A reader writes:
Rob,
A couple of interesting items in the news this week about Mirkarimi's campaign for sheriff. Mirkarimi got only 4 votes out of 400 from union members, who endorsed one of their own.
With 353 votes, the clear winner was Paul Miyamoto, a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department. I hope the anti-Mirkarimi people coalesce around Miyamoto.
Labels: District 5, Ross Mirkarimi
posted by Rob Anderson @ 6:56 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Unfortunately 396 "No" votes won't swing the election, but I will add my "no" so we are up to 397. Unfortunately most don't live in the City but really the issue is very telling.
Since the 2003 mayoral election, when Matt Gonzalez lost to Gavin Newsom, the question has been, Can a San Francisco progressive win a citywide election? Gonzalez came close, but in 2007 city progs couldn't even get a prominent prog to run against Mayor Newsom.
If nothing else, Mirkarimi is a SF progressive, but his record can't be attractive to the law enforcement community, Democrats who still distrust him for his Green Party background, and, for that matter, Republicans, who have more than 40,000 registered votersin San Francisco. In a close election, city Republicans will probably vote against the Murk.
Again you overestimate how much voters look at secondary races like Sheriff. Nobody knows who Paul Miyamoto is, Mirkarimi is a Supervisor with some name recognition. Ergo, Mirkarimi wins.
I'd prefer he lose, I think he's more valuable as a supervisor. Which baffles me as to why he's running, but I guess if all you are is a politician, the only way to make more money is to run for an office that pays more.
Captain Paul Miyamoto has solid experience and qualifications to be the next Sheriff. He has serious credentials that make him the only candidate that would be ready for the job on Day One.
Mirkarimi has used every adjective he can to embellish his law enforcement experience. Everyone endorsing him is ONLY doing it for political reasons. He and Chris Daly tried to get Mike Hennessey the Mayor gig, but failed, but now the Sheriff owes him.(Sad Legacy right before retirement too) The organizations endorsing have ALL been I.O.U. endorsements. The Teacher's Union, for example, did not give the courtesy for ANY other candidate to speak with their group before making their decision to support Mirkarimi.
The Murk will get all the kneejerk, prog/lib vote, the kind of people who take the Guardian's recommendation card into the polling booth. That's enough to get elected in District 5, but not enough in a citywide vote, especially for someone with Mirkarimi's rather indulgent record attitude toward cop-killers, which doesn't win him many friends in the law enforcement community.
And if that's not enough, there are many other reasons to vote against the Murk.
Post a Comment
<< Home