Close, but no cigar… Gavin and the machine pull out a squeaker.
[Well, the SF Chronicle is certainly determined to paint this as a mandate for Newsom’s crackdown on the homeless, but if it is a mandate, it is a pretty sorry one… Mr. Newsom, who claimed to be “the Democrat” is clearly in office with the support of a minority of his own party, and only the most narrow margin overall… the corporate interests in San Francisco certainly got their money’s worth… $4 million dollars (and counting) buys them another four years of the status quo on development and corporate control. Even the Chronicle makes that clear.
Overall, despite Matt’s failure to win, this has got to be seen as a positive development. Nobody expected him to be competitive, either in the initial round, or the run-off, and despite being outspent 10 to 1, despite Democratic Party fearmongering, despite appearances by the former President and President who might have been, despite the entire state Democratic Party machine desperately pulling out all the guns, despite a depressed turnout due to bad weather on election day, he came damn close… bodes well for the future.
As for the Chronicle, that sorry rag of a paper - if they ever make the mistake of calling me for a subscription, they’re going to get an earful from me. -Thomas]
NEWSOM: ‘THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS HERE’ [NOT! -Ed.]
CLOSE RACE: Gonzalez does well against [machine -Ed.] Dems
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Gavin Newsom, riding voter frustration with homelessness (BULLSHIT! -Ed.) and fueled by nearly $4 million in campaign contributions, won election Tuesday as San Francisco’s 42nd mayor in a campaign viewed as a test of strength for the city’s dominant Democratic Party organization.
Newsom, a moderate member of the Board of Supervisors promoted as the new face of the Democratic establishment, was backed by endorsements from Democrats at all levels of government and supported by dozens of unions and real estate and major downtown corporate interests in defeating Matt Gonzalez, the progressive board president.
[…]
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How about these scary pics? Would you want this man as your Mayor? He screams plastic android!