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>> >>AMITA SHARMA: A STATE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION MEANS SAN DIEGANS WILL HEAD TO THE POLLS TO
ELECT A NEW MAYOR FOR THE SECOND TIME IN NEARLY A YEAR.
FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY PAUL PFINGST AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST CARL LUNA JOIN ME TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD. PAUL, KAMALA HARRIS SAID FRIDAY THAT THE STATE
HAS OPENED A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF FILNER. IT'S THE MOST BROAD STATEMENT THAT'S BEEN
UTTERED BY AUTHORITIES SO FAR. HOW SERIOUS DOES A PROBLEM DOES BOB FILNER
FACE? >> >>PAUL PFINGST: THAT IS A VERY BAD THING
FOR BOB FILNER, BECAUSE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPENING A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IS ALMOST
ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY A CRIMINAL CHARGE. WHETHER THAT CHARGE WOULD BE A FELONY, MISDEMEANOR,
SERIES OF EITHER ONE, IT'S HARD TO SAY. THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE
PROBABILITY OF CRIMINAL CHARGES IS HIGH. >> >>AMITA SHARMA: CARL, LET'S TALK ABOUT
THIS SPECIAL MAYORAL ELECTION NOW. NATHAN FLETCHER HAS SIGNALED HIS INTENTION
TO RUN, HE RAN LAST YEAR, BUT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE RUN OFF.
HE HAS BEEN LABELED A POLITICAL OPPORTUNIST BECAUSE HE WENT FROM BEING A REPUBLICAN TO
AN INDEPENDENT, THEN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR HE SWITCHED TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
DOES THAT LABEL STICK OR IS THIS ELECTION HIS TO LOSE?
>> >>CARL LUNA: IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH. IT'S LIKE THAT OLD SONG KARMA CHAMELEON.
HE MIGHT BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, IF DEMOCRATS WANT TO COALESCE AROUND
A CANDIDATE WHO HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING AS A MODERATE WHICH ATTRACTS INDEPENDENTS,
HE MIGHT BE THEIR GUY. THE IDEA HE'S ALSO SOMEWHAT OF A CARPET BAGGER,
HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DEFLECT THOSE CHARGES. >> >>AMITA SHARMA: PAUL, FLETCHER HAS A BACKING
OFER BUSINESS HEAVY WEIGHTS IN TOWN, LIKE IRWIN JACOBS.
HOW FAR DOES THAT SUPPORT GO IN HELPING HIM? >> >>PAUL PFINGST: THIS IS TOUGH, BECAUSE
WHEN HE GOES IN FRONT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND LABOR GROUPS THEY'RE GOING TO ASK HIM ABOUT
QUOTES HE GAVE WHEN HE WAS A REPUBLICAN, AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO SAY I CHANGE MID MIND
AND THOSE BELIEFS THAT I SPOUSED SO VIGOROUSLY BACK THEN OR I HAVEN'T CHANGED MY MIND.
IF HE HASN'T HE'S NOT GOING TO BE POPULAR AMONG LABOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WHICH
ARE A VERY IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
IF HE HAS CHANGED HIS MIND, YOU CAN EXPECT OPPONENTS SAYING THIS IS WHAT HE SAID THEN,
AND NOW WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE? >> >>AMITA SHARMA: CARL, THE LABOR UNIONS
WHO SUPPORTED BOB FILNER, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHO SUPPORTED BOB FILNER TOOK A BIG HIT BECAUSE
THERE ARE PEOPLE SAYING LOOK, YOU ALL DID NOT FULLY VET YOUR CANDIDATE.
HOW BIG OF A BODY BLOW IS THIS TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HOW BIG OF A BODY BLOW IS IT TO LABOR?
>> >>CARL LUNA: IT DID NOT HELP THE BRAND. WHAT THE PARTY AND THE LABOR HAVE TO FIGURE
OUT IS HOW DO WE GET A WINNING CANDIDATE WHO CAN PUT IT BEHIND US.
TO PUT IN BOB FILNER THEN HAVE HIM RESIGN AND BACK A LOSING CANDIDATE, THAT WOULD BE
A DOUBLE WHAMMY WHICH WOULD SET BACK THE CAUSE OF PROGRESSIVES IN TOWN.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: LET'S LOOK AT THE CAUSE OF PROGRESSIVE.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT BOB FILNER HAS SO MANY SUPPORTERS AT LEAST UNTIL THE END IS
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID THIS IS A GUY WHOSE PLATFORM CONSISTED OF PUTTING NEIGHBORHOODS
FIRST, OF PUTTING THE WORKING MAN FIRST, GIVING HIM A VOICE AT THE TABLE.
DO YOU SEE A CANDIDATE OUT THERE WHO MIGHT CONTINUE THAT LEGACY?
>> >>PAUL PFINGST: I THINK THE QUESTION NOW IS WHAT IS THE MODE OF THE ELECTORATE IN LIGHT
OF FILNER. THE ISSUES YOU ESPOUSED MAY NOT BE THE ISSUES
FOR THE RIGHT TIME, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S TIMELY.
WHAT IS THE MOOD OF THE ELECT OR T. IS IT A SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE, OR
SOMEBODY WHO'S FLASHY? WHAT IS THAT PERSON? I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT ANSWER
UNTIL ELECTION DAY. A BIG TRAUMA HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE ELECT
OR T. THAT TRAUMA IS ONLY GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY REMOVED
ON THE FIRST ELECTION DAY 90 DAYS FROM RESIGNATION. SO WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE MOVE OF THE VOTERS,
AND THAT'S SOMETHING POLITICAL CONSULTANTS ARE GOING TO BE POLLING ABOUT FROM NOW UNTIL
ELECTION DAY TO FIND OUT HOW THIS HAS AFFECTED THE NORMAL VOTER.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOOD OF THE ELECTOR T IS?
>> >>CARL LUNA: THE MOOD IS CAN YOU FIND SOMEBODY LIKE A JERRY SANDERS, STEADY, SOMEONE DYNAMIC,
A NATHAN FLETCHER, MAYBE A HYBRID, I THINK THE PERSONALITY OF THE CANDIDATE IS GOING
TO MATTER MORE IN THIS THAN IN THE TYPICAL ELECTION.
ON THE FIRST DAY YOU FILE, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE PERSONALITY THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW.
YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO REINVENT YOURSELF. >> >>CARL LUNA: THE KEY MAY BE TEMPERAMENT.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: I WANT TO WRAP, THOUGH, WITH THIS QUESTION.
FOUR OF THE EIGHT MAYORS THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED SINCE 1963 HAVE HAD TO RESIGN.
WHERE DOES THE FAULT LIE, THE POLITICIANS OR THE VOTERS?
>> >>CARL LUNA: IF YOU'RE RUNNING A DEMOCRACY THE VOTE LIES WITH THE VOTERS.
IT'S ULTIMATELY YOU BOUGHT THE CON, AND DO THE VOTERS LEARN FROM THIS.
TRY TO GET THE CANDIDATES THEY NOT ONLY DESERVE, BUT NEED.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: PAUL, JUMP IN. >> >>PAUL PFINGST: I DON'T HAVE A CLUE.
IT'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY DIFFERENT REASONS FOR EVERYBODY RESIGNING.
IT'S NOT THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. FILNER BROUGHT A NEW THING THAN *** MURPHY
DID. HE WAS SLOW, AND STEADY, WONDERFUL, EVERYBODY
LIKED HIM GUY. FINANCIALLY IT WAS A DISASTER.
BOB FILNER WAS SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. WHAT IS THERE'S NOTHING THAT STRINGS THEM
ALL TOGETHER. SO THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO BE EVERYBODY
HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT AND ONE DAY ON ELECTION DAY PEOPLE WILL DECIDE.
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: PAUL, CARL, WE'VE GOT TO CLOSE IT THERE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.