Vince Motyl resembled an elder statesman yesterday as he relaxed in a large chair, knees crossed, on the patio of the Ehrlich home, site of the unveiling of the Göran Eriksson-for-City Council campaign.
One of the most recognizable personalities in Culver City, hardly anyone observers political campaigns more closely than Mr. Motyl.
Amidst the back porch-style chatter that surrounded him, he declared strong criticism of the unusual Siamese twin campaign that winner Anne Burke and loser Scott McVarish jointly conducted in their half-successful, two-for-the-price-of–one campaign for the School Board.
“The School Board election should have taught a lesson to candidates,” Mr. Motyl said.
“I have been around a long time, going back to Steve Gourley (in the early 1990s) in every election.
“The lesson is, you have got to put in a full-blown campaign. This means knocking on doors, sending out your mailers, doing your phone banks.
“It means being aggressive, being visible, being everywhere.
“Do not take any area for granted. You must show up on people’s doorsteps. Put in lawn signs.
“The (Burke-McVarish) slate, un my opinion, did not put on an aggressive campaign for the School Board,” Mr. Motyl concluded.
“Consequently, one won, one lost, although my opinion on the slate is entirely different from theirs.”
What would be Mr. Motyl’s counsel? He was succinct, even cryptic.
“Run as individuals,” he said, and then explained why:
“Everybody has enemies. When you are running as a slate, his enemies become her enemies. Her enemies become his enemies. Add to that the Democratic Club that decided to bullet vote.”
The final score, said Mr. Motyl, “is that you cut out half of your population.”
Hindsight is usually 20-20. So it’s easy to come out afterwards and criticize the running of a local slate that was not successful.
One should not confuse one candidate’s loss with the running of a slate as a losing strategy. It was not the idea of running a slate that lost; the difference was due to one of the slate’s personalities, not the idea of running a slate.
If there is a resurgence of voter-participation in our local elections and the cost of running for local office becomes more and more expensive, running together on a slate may become a much-needed, popular choice of future, like-minded candidates.