Thursday, April 21, 2005
Meanwhile, in La-La Land...
As with recalled governor Gray Davis (and soon, Arnold Schwarzenegger), James Hahn is about to learn a lesson about image in California politics, a lesson which goes double when it comes to LA politics. Elected officials in this state in general, and this city in particular, cannot disappear from the public eye. As long as they remain visible, publicity good or bad, they create the illusion of doing something. But let them drop off the radar for a month or two, suddenly the impression arises that they aren't doing anything or, worse, that they've done something bad. Let them drop off the radar and then only return in the context of fuck-ups or scandal, their political goose is cooked.
Swing State Project reports that campaign spending limits have now been lifted in the LA mayorial race, but realistically, all the cash in the world isn't going to bail out Hahn's sorry ass now. He's become too tainted. Short of having a brother-in-law take over Diebold, he can't win this election. As Swing State puts it, "A half a million in IE money isn't [going] to do too much for an unpopular mayor who is trailing by 18 points."
Which is another big problem with politics in LA specifically, and in America in general. Nobody wins an election anymore. Rather, politicians lose them. Even in the case of Barack Obama, who won decisively last year, it was as much his opponent's loss as Obama's victory.
The Governator (aka der Gropenfuhrer) has a lesson to learn from Hahn. Don't fall out of the public eye in California, for even a minute. Especially don't fall out of the public eye if you back unpopular programs or have underlings behaving in less than ethical ways. You'll be dragged back in, then dragged through the mud, then ridden out of town on a rail. Not that this is a bad thing in the case of Hahn and Schwarzenegger.
But, in the case of Gray Davis, I think he'll be the one having the last laugh.
Swing State Project reports that campaign spending limits have now been lifted in the LA mayorial race, but realistically, all the cash in the world isn't going to bail out Hahn's sorry ass now. He's become too tainted. Short of having a brother-in-law take over Diebold, he can't win this election. As Swing State puts it, "A half a million in IE money isn't [going] to do too much for an unpopular mayor who is trailing by 18 points."
Which is another big problem with politics in LA specifically, and in America in general. Nobody wins an election anymore. Rather, politicians lose them. Even in the case of Barack Obama, who won decisively last year, it was as much his opponent's loss as Obama's victory.
The Governator (aka der Gropenfuhrer) has a lesson to learn from Hahn. Don't fall out of the public eye in California, for even a minute. Especially don't fall out of the public eye if you back unpopular programs or have underlings behaving in less than ethical ways. You'll be dragged back in, then dragged through the mud, then ridden out of town on a rail. Not that this is a bad thing in the case of Hahn and Schwarzenegger.
But, in the case of Gray Davis, I think he'll be the one having the last laugh.
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