Second in a series
Re: “Whom Will James Endorse for May 21 – Greuel or Garcetti? Why?”
[img]1646|left|Mr. Kevin James||no_popup[/img]Even though fourth-place finisher Jan Perry today has delivered her endorsement in the May 21 Los Angeles mayoralty runoff, to Eric Garcetti, it could take most of April before third-place Kevin James decides whether to back Wendy Greuel or Mr. Garcetti.
After huddling twice with the City Controller and the City Councilman, Mr. James replies, “I don’t know,” to the question of how close he is to making a call.
“I have discovered there is another group of meetings I needed to have.”
Here is where it could get shaky for a young man who doubtless intends to run again.
“I have supporters,” said Mr. James, “who are concerned about me making any endorsement. There are people who are important to me, and I need to hear them. They deserve to be heard.”
What Endorsements Mean
If Ms. Perry’s endorsement is worth its weight in votes, Mr. Garcetti, the primary winner by 4 percentage points, has gained a crowd of badly needed black supporters.
He and Ms. Greuel – often called identical political twins – are chasing Mr. James for the conservative votes they believe he would deliver.
The question arises: Mr. James, the only non-liberal and the least known contender going in, was easily the most critical of his colleagues, because of their perceived errors, and because they are on the left and he is on the right. If/when he crosses the bridge to endorse, how can he square that with his conservative backers?
“A number of ways,” says Mr. James, an entertainment lawyer, and a once and future talk show host. “The Daily News made a good argument in their editorial on this subject, on why I should endorse. They did what a good prosecutor does:
“They used my words to make the argument against me,” he said with a laugh, a response that comes frequently and naturally to him.
Oh, They Are Not Twins?
“‘Against me’ is not the right phrase. But they used my own words to make the argument they wanted to make.
“I had made the statement that I had stood in 42 debates with Mr. Garcetti and Ms. Greuel, and I did notice differences between them.
“The Daily News took that statement and said, ‘Share with us which one you think would be better for the city.’
“So I kind of gave them their argument. And their argument is compelling.
“The other argument in favor of making a decision is that, I never, never in my life have been one to sit on the sidelines.
“The Daily News made a third argument. Because of the work my campaign did, all of us together, our team, our supporters, our volunteers, our donors, I have developed a leadership position, an important voice in the community. Sometimes that requires making hard decisions.
“And I expect to make hard decisions.”
(To be continued)
