Ammiano Endorses Gonzalez; Alioto Endorses Newsom
[This is a deal with the Devil… look at the partnership article, and how Angela Alioto and Gavin Newsom differ dramatically on policy. There’s no way that Newsom is going to be able to resolve these conflicts, this is bound to turn bad… clearly, the factors here are:
a) a desire for power - not as a criticism, but the opportunity to make a difference (or the appearance of such) can be very tempting… if this works, Angela becomes one of the most powerful people in the city, instead of an irrelvant also-ran
b) party loyalty… Newsom is playing up the Dem vs. Green issue, because he knows that if it wasn’t there, Matt would be wiping the floor with him; this is really funny, in a city where the Republicans are the third party (and irrelevant) and in an officially non-partisan race; the machine is very reluctant to yield up any power to an outside force; Angela must have been getting some really heavy duty pressure, and perhaps all sorts of promises of future benefits, to endorse Newsom
The article at the end, on the debate, is an interesting piece of journalism… it doesn’t attempt to be “objective”, but it appears fairly even-handed. Sounds like it was an exciting debate… it looks like this is going to be a close race. It also shows Newsom playing up the “Democrat” card.
-Thomas]
Gonzalez blasts Alioto’s endorsement of Newsom
“While I differ with Supervisor Gonzalez on some issues including schools, he is clearly the best of our two choices for mayor,'’ Ammiano said. “Overall his leadership would be better for the city, and I strongly endorse his candidacy for mayor.”
At last, Ammiano backs Gonzalez
“I have one more thing to say and that is I have endorsed Matt Gonzalez for mayor,” Ammiano said.
Alioto announces ‘partnership’ with Newsom
Endorsement follows promise of policy input.
By J.K. Dineen
Of The Examiner Staff
jdineen@examiner.com
Published on Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Mayoral candidate Gavin Newsom said Monday he had reached a “historic San Francisco partnership” with civil rights attorney Angela Alioto, where if elected, he would allow her broad powers in advancing policy related to homelessness, public power and contract oversight.
In a joint press conference held at her downtown law offices, Alioto officially endorsed Newsom, who she had harshly criticized for more than a year on the campaign trail leading up to the Nov. 4 general election.
[…]
Alioto and Newsom said they have not settled on a title for her position, which would be unpaid. Asked whether she would be Newsom’s “vice mayor” - which is not a position defined in the city charter - Alioto said the title “sounds good.”
[…]
Candidates spew venom in debate
Newsom, Gonzalez kiss fairness goodbye
John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writer Monday, November 24, 2003
In a rancorous debate that produced far more heat than light, Matt Gonzalez and Gavin Newsom slugged it out toe-to-toe Sunday, each trying for the knockout blow that could make him mayor in the Dec. 9 runoff vote.
Gonzalez painted Newsom as a willing pawn of San Francisco’s business interests, a political clone of Mayor Willie Brown and a foe of the environment who, by the way, doesn’t show up for work at the Board of Supervisors any too often.
“I want to be a candidate who belongs to the people of San Francisco,'’ Gonzalez said, “not to my largest donors.'’
Newsom drew an equally one-dimensional picture of the more liberal Gonzalez, portraying him as an ineffective leader who would ignore the city’s middle class as and someone out of the political mainstream who opposes a lot of blacks, Latinos and Asians when they come up for appointment to city boards and commissions.
“We need a mayor who can work with the state and federal government,'’ Newsom said, “not someone who burns bridges on ideological grounds.'’
[…]
