Actually, that’s not a wholly accurate title. What I would opt for after watching tonight’s 7-way Mayoral Debate on channel 10 would be (F) Neither of the two likely winners.

In what was nearly a model debate (attention George Stephanopoulos),  the seven candidates for Sacramento Mayor faced off over questions evenly divided between general issues of concern and their particular areas of strength - and, more interestingly, weaknesses.  Enough questions were directed at Kevin Johnson and Heather Fargo to clearly indicate who the serious candidates were and were not - though I give them credit for at least inviting all candidates.

What struck me most: the average candidates - the five whose names you likely don’t currently know and never will - offered more concrete ideas (not all winners) than either of the marquis candidates could muster.  Perhaps this is because they weren’t viable to begin with, thus, they enjoyed the freedom to say whatever they wanted and actually create a record.

Kevin Johnson managed to speak without saying anything for much of the time.  And he relied on his already disproven facts about local crime without getting called out for doing so.  I’m not sure what the professional analysis will say tomorrow, but I think he gave the weakest performance. (No, I’m not necessarily on Team Fargo yet, I’m just callin’ it like I see it.)

Fargo, for her part, certainly sounded like a policy wonk, using acronyms and political shorthand that’s likely unfamiliar to most voters (then again, maybe not to the people most likely to be watching a local mayoral debate).  She sounded like she knew what was going on - for better or worse.

But the rest of the field did a good job representing the rest of us: calling out Johnson and Fargo for their very real personal and professional failings and their rhetoric.  It was an awesome display of honesty and a breath of really fresh air in this already tired political season (nationally speaking).  There were some nutty moments, but I’m glad they were there.

Did you watch?

I complained earlier about a choice between Fargo and Johnson for mayor not really being a choice. Who else is there running for mayor? Enquiring minds started googling. Fifteen seconds later, thanks to modern technology, I found an answer.

There are eight candidates in all as of today for mayor. Only two have posted statements online. Which two? Well, Heather and Kevin.

My burning question for Richard Jones, Leonard Padilla, Muriel Strand, Shawn Eldredge, Adam Daniel, and Robert Drumgoole is: where are your statements? If you are running for mayor, can you please let us know why you think you can do the job?

I do confess, I recognize at least two of the names in the list (NOT Heather, and not Kevin). I can’t say that it’s a good thing—both have negative publicity—any PR mavens out there to help wannabe mayors in their campaigns?

Meanwhile, if you are brazen enough to waste the taxpayers’ money in filing for a mayoral run, finish the job and let us know who you are. If you are running just to exercise your rights as a citizen, let us know that too. Then I can exercise my right not to vote for you.

So there was an investigation in 1996 into child molestation accusations against current mayoral contender Kevin Johnson.  That sucks. No candidate can like that sort of thing. But reading this Bee article about Johnson’s appearance at a press conference this morning where he fielded questions about the incident, the report, and other accusations from his past, I’m struck with his overwhelmingly ineloquent diction:

 ”My goal is to make sure first and foremost that I represent this city in a way that is very positive and favorable,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, accusations have been made that have been dropped and no charges have been ever assessed toward me. And it’s unfortunate that the timing of these things are being brought forward on a regular basis.”

Asked if he had paid a settlement to the 16-year-old who made the allegation against him, as an alternative paper in Phoenix suggested was being considered at the time, Johnson cited privacy concerns. He did not specify whose privacy.

“I think the important thing, and I’ve always said this all along, is you have to protect the rights of individuals,” Johnson said. “And privacy rights are at first and foremost of what I have to do on a regular basis in this community.” 

Okay. Huh? What? Seriously. He had to know he’d get questions about this - he’s had ample time to prepare his soundbites accordingly.  I know we’re a relatively small city - but still.  So is it that Johnson can’t elegantly speak himself out of a paper bag, or is the Bee just being a bit unfair in selecting quotations that make him look confused?

Perhaps you saw on the news last night, or read in the paper today, that West Sac Mayor Christopher Cabaldon got booted outside Temple yesterday.  And unfortunately for him, this being a small town, his Assembly-race-opponent’s campaign manager drove by and incited a whole lot of coverage. Earned media, indeed.

Hey, we all get nabbed. And eventually, we all get booted if we don’t pay our fines.  Ooh, another local official is shown to be human and sometimes forgetful like the rest of us.

But I think he should get some lemonade out of this by pushing for Sac (and his own city if they don’t do this already) to create a system for paying parking citations online, like our more savvy Bay Area neighbors.  It would save time and probably get the city its money on a more timely basis.

KSAC, formerly Talk City, formerly a progressive radio station, formerly a station on which I used to listen to Christine Craft…has gone back to Jesus. No, this is no April Fool’s joke. Christine Craft actually stepped off of that station months ago, and now it has transmuted into a mouthpiece for the Gospel.

I appreciate religion, but where to go now for a dose of progression? I can go to church to hear about God, or I can turn on the radio. Somehow this seems like a liberal’s (and I’m not a liberal–believe it or not) or anyone who is for freedom of speech, freedom of religion’s worst nightmare. Our city is one location in the Orwellian Animal Farm, where the freedoms are restricted one bit at a time. Soon you’ll have to wear your crucifix like an identity badge. A data chip in the cross and your local pastor will know how often you’ve gone to church, how you’ve voted, and whether or not you practice birth control. Somehow none of that seems to fit with what I was taught about in the United States in grammar school.

What’s happened to the local, inspiring, outspoken figures like Michael Newdow and the Pearcys?

I guess I have to go to San Francisco to hear the “progressive word” because no matter how we look at it, Sacramento’s still (firmly entrenched) in the Dark Ages.

Note: Someone will call it a “free market” and say the demand just wasn’t there for a progressive radio station. I will respectfully disagree in advance.

And so it begins. The mayoral race, that is. Sigh. Tonight’s “not a cover girl” statement was the latest mailout from the Fargo campaign. The message being…she may not be much to look at but the city sure is something…?

I can’t recall the last time I got a mailer on ANYTHING from Fargo’s office.

It seems that we got something from the Johnson campaign already, but I suspect it got recycled without being read. (No political motive or statement–just a high volume of recycled letters/ads/Pennysavers, etc.)

My thought on the awesome city-ness of Sacramento is that actually Arnold Schwarzenegger had a lot to do with the uptick in our city’s popularity, thus prompting investment. But what do I know? I only live here…

From the Bee, a Q&A with current Mayor Heather Fargo, who’s approval rating is about as fabulous as W. That can’t bode well. It’s not a fantastically in-depth session but I’m guessing it’s just the first in what will be a lot of increased ink about various would-be mayors.

And: A Bee writer begs us not to use “Hillary v. Obama” rhetoric to describe the Fargo v. Johnson match-up. And there’s not a lot of love for Mayor Fargo generally:

Fargo proved in no time flat that she is politically tone deaf and is surrounded by people who give ineptitude new meaning.

Her strength over Johnson is her grasp of local issues and her experience in government. So what does she do right out of the gate? She hurls slimy accusations at Johnson that prove to be completely baseless.

It took Bee reporters 2.3 seconds to establish that Johnson doesn’t owe $45,000 in back taxes as Fargo had breathlessly claimed moments after Johnson announced his candidacy last Wednesday. Proof was in the documents that Fargo’s staff provided to The Bee, but apparently they didn’t read them.

There’s some questionable stuff about Johnson in there too, but since they seem to be baseless allegations, I won’t spell them out here until they get a base (if they do). No need to feed the google machine.

The Bee runs an editorial today that praises Kevin Johnson’s entry into the race, but not quite Johnson himself, explaining that Sacramento needs a good Mayorial fight to get us back paying attention to our own city again.

 The Bee cites our neighbors West Sac, Citrus Heights, and Rancho Cordova as cities on the move while we just kinda sit here letting progress march right on past as we pass the time counting foreclosure signs in Natomas. Yeah, we could stand to, like, do stuff around here again. Can we redevelop something? Anything? K Street, Railyards? Something that’s not a condo or loft development would be good - ’cause those aren’t selling.

 Anyone have input on whether Kevin Johnson as the Other Candidate is going to give us a good, content-filled race centered on the issues facing this fine town, or whether it’ll just be “hey, Beat LA, go Kings” and no substance?  Having watched Arnold in town for these past few years, I’m not expecting much from celebrity candidates.