The League of Young/Pissed Off Voters is hosting a debate between the candidates for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in District 9 (the Mission and Bernal). There’s a whole bunch of candidates, but as we all saw from the presidential primaries, it’s hard to have a substantive debate with a large number of candidates. So we’ve reviewed them all, and we’re only inviting the three strongest candidates:
- Eric Quezada
- Mark Sanchez
- David Campos
For a more complete list of candidates, see here. Asked to describe how they decided on this particular trio, the League wrote back:
The League’s steering committee decided that Campos, Quezada, and Sanchez were the strongest candidates based on (1) their experience, (2) their positions on the issues, and (3) the strength of their campaigns.
1. Experience: They all have strong resumes that make us confident that they’re ready for the job.
2. Issues: We feel that they share our views on the most important issues, including:
- Addressing the root causes of the crisis of violence in the Mission (such as lack of jobs, education and community), and reforming the SFPD.
- Maximizing affordable housing (particularly in the new Eastern Neighborhood Plan) to preserve San Francisco’s character.
- Making San Francisco a national leader in the fight against global warming by implementing Community Choice Aggregation and passing Prop H.
3. Strength of campaign: We’ve seen that all three are working hard and that they have demonstrated broad support in the community.
Some of the other candidates are interesting, but when considering the combination of experience, philosophy, and strength of campaign, we decided that Campos, Quezada, and Sanchez are head and shoulders above the rest.
The debate takes place at the Pirate Cat Radio studio and cafe at 21st and Florida. The public is invited to watch in person, or listen in via 87.9 FM or the Pirate Cat website. And it’s over by 7pm, so you can go see Drooker.
. There’s a whole bunch of candidates, but as we all saw from the presidential primaries, it’s hard to have a substantive debate with a large […]</p>
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the SF League of Young Voters is quite… “progressive”. mostly interested in poor folks, homeless, “community organizers”, etc.
this is all well and good. we need folks to fight those fights. doesn’t help me & my problems / concerns, but that’s OK.
thing that bums me (and makes me think they’re dogma-driven liars like the rest of the progressive pack), is that while they espouse all sorts of “equality” & “of the people” rhetoric, by stacking these candidates only in the debate, they’re:
*limiting gender diversity, not including the female candidate (who is also backed by Newsom)
*limiting racial diversity, not including either of the white dudes (one of whom is a left leaning guy, one moderate)
*limiting point of view diversity, not including the one moderate
so, while i agree that these 3 are the “strongest” candidates in terms of experience in the League’s political machine of choice – there’s no denying the resumes – i think this debate is bunk.
what the hell are these characters going to “debate”? all 3 of these guys are, in degrees, clones of one another.
i think a debate with the 3 Stooges would be more illuminating….and they’re all dead.
this is going to be a self-satisfied smug fest.
I’m gonna agree with zinzin on this one.
Plus, the Pirate Cat Radio cafe? WTF.
I hear ya on doing things local-level, but how about Atlas Cafe or somewhere else that’s more representative of the community and not just the “hipster mcfixie pants” -say the Mission Rec Center?
generally speaking the “progressive” machine is not interested in fielding or considering an array of views. it is self-referential and insular.
in its pure form, this is because it needs to protect itself from the constant onslaught of the establishment, eroding its progress-minded cause at every step.
in its SF form, this is because it has a dirty secret: it IS the establishment, and it’s hurting our city as much an any establishment can.
This seems like as good a time as any to remind everyone that there’s a debate featuring all the candidates 10/7 at the Victoria Theatre. For more info. (and to post anonymous questions for the candidates): http://www.d9debate.com
oh, and the Atlas Cafe has mostly people with white collar jobs at it. or at the very least cultural creative types….
the progressive machine doesn’t give a fuck about them at all….because they aren’t so bogged down with need, real or otherwise (ie poor brown folks and guilt ridden liberals) to believe the lies.
(my view, PCR is in the latter….more guilt ridden liberal than lazy hipster. they do play some rad tunes, though.)
Geez, y’all sure are a cheery bunch. It was a tough decision about whether or not to include the other candidates. Sacrificing diversity wasn’t an ideal choice, but because every other debate (Milk Club, Bernal Dems, the upcoming Victoria Theater debate, etc) had all of the candidates, we wanted to do something different.
It’s precisely because Campos, Quezada, and Sanchez have such similar positions that we wanted to spend more time with them to try to determine the differences between them. If we included all of the candidates, we would have just gotten a bunch of sound bytes. And then we probably would’ve ended up decided our endorsements based on our preferred flavor of progressive “machine.” (Ammiano-Campos vs Daly-Quezada vs Mirkarimi-Sanchez.)
Yes, we’re proud progressives. Not because the Bay Guardian tells us to be, but because we really care about issues like affordable housing, addressing the root causes of violence, universal health care, clean energy, etc. That doesn’t mean that we don’t try to think for ourselves about what’s the best way to achieve our progressive goals.
We’ve been busting our asses since July doing independent research on our own time on the 24 SF propositions, 12 CA props, 7 Supervisor seats, 4 Board of Education seats, and 4 CCSF Board seats. This will be the 8th straight election that we’ve made a voter guide for, and we take a lot of pride in them. In every one we’ve had differences of opinion with the Guardian, the Democratic Party, the Green Party, etc. Ultimately, we do our best to make our own educated decisions.
All of that said, I had to work late tonight and didn’t get to see the debate. But I heard it went well and helped people decide between the candidates. Stay tuned for the audio and video in the next day or two at http://www.theleague.com/sf
Dear Pissed Off Voter…
Thanks very much for your comments. I’m really glad you’re so proud of your own efforts.
That said, in my view, by focusing only on candidates that more or less align with your own views, both historically and as you outline them here….your “debate” is bunk.
All you’ve done is take a few of the “progressive” candidates, and put them out there in a “progressive” forum, so they can talk about “progressive” issues for a “progressive” audience.
this is less of a debate than a showcase.
I am sure this has value somewhere, but it has no value at all for me personally.
Hi.I don’t know anyone that owns a fixie at pirate cat or is considered a hipster.Is that really a issue?Now I know why the world has problems.At least you had a place for your debate.Why don’t we all think about the real issues like all the murders in S.F..The crackheads,homeless,and rent control.Thanks,Dj Skully Pirate Cat Radio
p.s. I don’t own a fix or dress like a hipster
what’s a fixie?
a fix-push skateboard: http://missionmission.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/just-get-out-there-and-push-the-fix-push-skateboarding-revolution/
i didn’t see any “hipster mcfixie pants” at this debate
Wait, Nibbly, you ever even been to Atlas? Or PCR? Maybe you have the two confused? And how is Atlas more representative of the community? Because of their goat cheese salmon sandwich? Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Atlas, but I do have a problem with your statements. Pirate Cat is entirely volunteer run, locally staffed and dedicated to local/underground programming, be it debates or music.
Besides, hipsters are too busy being cool and snorting coke and having their picture taken by Merkley to host a radio show.
p.s. Good call on that video Allan
Uhh yeah, have it at atlas, a cafe, vs a RADIO STATION and cafe, where the debate can be broadcast on the air and internet. I wasn’t able to get all the way to the debate after work, but I was able to listen to it on the radio.
And yes, I’m a progressive, so I’m voting progressive. I’m glad they were illuminating the subtle differences between these three similar candidates- because of PCR and the League, I’m voting for Sanchez based on ideological agreement, rather than Campos who has so much exposure.
Thanks League of Pissed Off Voters, Pirate Cat you ROCK!
The cafe is awesome, and if it is anything, it isn’t hipster. They occasionally show up, but that’s not exclusively the crowd. It’s super diverse: I’ve seen steam punks, hippies, neighborhood kids, industrial goths, and yupped out parents there, all mixed together as straight up sf folks.
um… i don’t think anyone was indicting PCR specifically, were they?
i think the issue is that this “debate” is seen as bunk by folks who might question the validity or integrity or anything at all about the “progressive” machine.
ie the fact that it’s self-referential and insular (big surprise).
i think we can all appreciate PCR for what it does (it really is a great radio station, imho), and for hosting this debate. like i said, the debate probably has some value for someone (like Roisin the Progressive, here).
that said, if PCR got caught up in folks’ general questioning of or disdain for the “progressive” machine, well….i guess that’s what comes with aligning and voicing an opinion.
any true activist can take those lumps – given the obvious self-pride in accomplishments and virtues spouted above – right?
I sort of think of last nights debate the way I think about the US Nominating Convention.
“They didn’t have any republican perspective!!!!” yeah, because it was the democratic candidates hashing it out. Clinton is not the same as Obama, McCain is not the same as Huckabee, those differences need to be illuminated rather than just using Partisan generalization, and letting the best funded candidate therein win.
Sanchez is NOT the same as Campos, and I’m glad I know how.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_nominating_convention
wait, can I point out, Charles Nibbly:
Oh, because there are NO hipsters at Atlas.
And uhh, Rec Center, right, because they have the faculties to broadcast the debate to a wider audiance, through 3 media!
yeah right.
The debate was valuable, not every progressive is the same as the next.
I’m sorry to be blunt, but I just think the comments are a bit stupid; it’s like lamenting the fact that there was a lack of Republican candidates in a debate between Obama and Clinton, and then getting pissed at NPR for broadcasting the debate.
Yes, they would both be democrats, but not all democrats are the same, just like not all progressives are the same (Campos is not the same as Sanchez).
And then, I’ve met hipsters who listen to NPR, does that make NPR “hipster mcfixie pants”?
I think if you are arguing against progressive ideology (which blog comments really isn’t the place for), that’s one thing, but saying that the debate is complete useless bullshit- it just seems misdirected to me.
ps, a fixie is slang for a Fixed Gear Bicycle.
why is a blog comment the wrong place for arguing against “progressive” ideology? it’s exactly what we’re talking about. good a place as any, i think, when the issue is so germane to the topics of discussion (and the upcoming D9 election).
really, I’d like to know. i never commented on a blog till this month. (also, calling shit “stupid” seems kind of rude, no? a little personal?)
far as the “debate”, I’m saying that it’s complete useless bullshit FOR ME, because it’s insular, self-aggrandizing and self-referential. the 3 candidates chosen are of an ilk, and so are the folks who planned it, broadcast it, and would think the debate is useful.
i think it’s all good for those that are interested, and for those that care to find the differences between these 3 candidates….but let’s call it what it is….a “progressive” machine candidate showcase. for those that aren’t fans of career “progressive” politicos…it left them out in the cold.
(also, comparing them and PCR to Obama / Clinton and NPR is a bit of a stretch, no? )
the thing is….it’s not like wondering why there’s no Red at a Blue debate. that assertion is totally incorrect.
In the D9 election, there’s actually a wider array of candidates running (female, white, moderate, non-career-politico, etc), with a broader set of target issues to be shown, and discussed, and broadcast…but the organizers of the debate chose to ignore them…in fact chose to go against any “progressive” dogma i’ve heard by limiting the field to the 3 “establishment” candidates. it’s actually amazing to me that there’s even a defense for the “progressive” folks that put this thing on to exclude the underdogs! does that make ANY sense at all??
and i wonder why that was? to make it “simpler”? or to kowtow to the machine, and celebrate their own?
i don’t know. I’m not voting for any of them.
Zinzin, I think you set the combative tone for this thing when you started off by suggested we were “dogma-driven liars.”
I wouldn’t call the candidates “career politicos.” Quezada has spent most of his life as a community activist. Sanchez may be a school board member, but that’s a part time job. He’s also a hard working teacher. Maybe you could say Campos has designs on being a career politician. But come November, two of them will go right back to their current lives, with little chance of becoming “career politicos” for another 8 years.
And we’re not looking to “kowtow” to any machine. What does that even mean? It’s not like Tom Ammiano or Bruce Brugman have hidden slush funds they’ll bestow on us if we endorse their candidates. If there are any progressive smoke-filled rooms in this town, we haven’t been invited to them.
I already explained our reasoning for only inviting the three candidates: there are plenty of other forums to hear all of the candidates, such as the Victoria Theater on October 7th. We reviewed all of the candidates, and decided on our three “finalists.” As a result, we had a more in depth debate that gave us a better understanding of them.
There’s a place for a moderate vs progressive debate on the merits of ideas like public power, affordable housing, etc. And there’s a place for in depth discussion of what’s the best strategy for implementing progressive ideas. If anywhere is that place, it’s District 9. D9 is the most progressive district in San Francisco. This neighborhood has a long history of strong support for progressive principles. See the fine work of Deleon and Latterman for the wonky details:
http://www.sfusualsuspects.com/deleon_latterman
There are three strong progressive candidates for D9. We thought it made sense to have an in depth discussion with them.
We didn’t mean to leave anyone out in the cold. I still don’t know what important issues you think we’re ignoring. We just wanted to provide substantive information on the three top contenders so people could decide based on the merits of the candidates, instead of just on who’s endorsing them. Is that so wrong?
ok,guys simmer down & let’s just be glad we are alive to hear it
Pissed Off…
I don’t think you all did anything “wrong”, FOR YOU. the original post said you picked the candidates that were “closest to your views” or something like that.
to me, that means the “debate” is stacked. it’s the very antithesis of what a debate should be.
again, this event was targeted at a certain swath of folks, and none of these 3 candidates represents me, or a lot of other people on this blog, and in the Mission. and that’s OK. but let’s call it what it is: a curated event representing one point of view.
you all can do whatever you want, and i am please that you espouse a viewpoint. it’s more than most do. but don’t expect everyone to agree with you, or expect everyone to say “hurrah” when you extol your own virtues.
far as being combative, you bet i am. you can defend these guys as much as you want, and i respect your viewpoint, but again, i don’t agree.
the “progressive” political machine in SF is, in my view, a huge failure of the worst kind: morally bankrupt and without integrity…. and while i am sure these guys are all swell fellas in the off hours, their all willing participants in that machine.
to me that makes them thieving liars.