San Diego Mayoral race gets nasty

by Brian Leubitz

I’ll admit that there are others doing a better job of following the San Diego mayoral election, I’ve been kind of viewing it from afar. However, this little exchange was worth noting:

@vosdscott @MickeyKasparian Because @nathanfletcher is an arrogant, self-centered prick who sees himself as God's gift to America. #idolatry

— Tony Krvaric (@TonyKrvaric) November 14, 2013

Now, that just looks like your generic stupid person on the internet, until you realize that Tony Krvaric is the Southern Vice Chair  of the California Republican Party. Fletcher is still something of a sore spot for the local Republicans, but this is a bit much even considering that fact.

Speaking of Fletcher, he’s been losing steam rapidly and a new Datamar poll shows him polling third, well behind David Alvarez in second. At this point, the big question is how turnout will affect Kevin Faulconer’s vote total. Datamar has him right around 44%, below the threshold to skip a February runoff. No matter who is in that runoff, expect more of the war of words over the next few months.

Joins Asm. Nathan Fletcher as GOP exiles

by Brian Leubitz

Bruce McPherson was never really the vote that Republicans wanted to have to count on, but, he was a fairly reliable Republican. Well, a moderate Republican, of the sort that is currently getting pushed out of the GOP across the nation.  Well, count McPherson as one of the exiles.

The man long known as the only Republican who could get elected in Santa Cruz is no longer a Republican. Bruce McPherson said Tuesday he is dropping his GOP party affiliation and listing no preference, joining a growing bloc of California voters who’ve renounced party identification.

“That’s who I am,” McPherson said. “During my years in the California Legislature, I was widely recognized as the most independent voice in either the Assembly or the Senate. Now more than ever I think we need leaders who make decisions for the community and the people, not what’s best for the party.” (Merc News)

McPherson is currently running for a Santa Cruz county Supervisor seat, and will likely be elected in the run-off in November if he hasn’t already. (The votes are still being counted.) And in Santa Cruz, he’ll still be pretty conservative for the County. But in the end, he’s what he always was, a California Forward kind of guy.

As for the CA GOP…well, follow the registration numbers.

San Diego Assemblyman points out GOP obstinance

by Brian Leubitz

Nathan Fletcher is many things, including a legislative sex symbol. But apparently one thing that he is no longer? In this video, he announces that he can no longer consider himself a Republican:

“The broader issue has just been a reluctance on the part of the Republican Party to be willing to advance good ideas. If it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea. It doesn’t matter which party is going to get the credit for it,” he said.

For all his differences, he said he never considered becoming a Democrat.

“Today’s political environment and political culture doesn’t appear to be geared toward getting people to solve problems. It’s geared toward dysfunction,” he said.(SacBee)

This is typical Arnold Schwarzenegger post-partisan stuff. Much of it true, if slightly self-serving, much of it Blue dog-y. Fletcher is/was on the leftward edge of the GOP, but that’s not really saying too much. But, coming as it is, in the heat of a Mayoral battle that he is losing, it has to make you a little suspicious.  I kind of doubt this will change the dynamic too much, but maybe it nudges him closer to getting into one of the two runoff spots.