Re “He Said It on Election Night”
Second in a series
What an inquiring reporter learned walking through Downtown and venturing out into the neighborhoods on Election Night when two incumbents and two newcomers were elected to the City Council by Culver City voters:
The first person encountered upstairs at Rush Street was former School Board candidate Alan Elmont.
“I can’t say that I am surprised by the four winners,” he said, with a catch in his tone. “I am pleased in general, but I am disappointed Scott (Malsin) didn’t make it. He is one of the best Council members we have had.”
Why did he lose?
“There is a negative element to politics in Culver City that has been growing for a number of years. It began with bullet voting and continues with less-than-national-level negative PACs. Groups of people engage in negative campaign tactics that have proven successful on a local, regional, state and national basis. “It is without merit,” Mr. Elmont said, “but it still works.”
Deeper into the second floor of Rush Street, No. 1 votegetter Andy Weissman, the statesman of the City Council, casual in a dark sport shirt and slacks, gracefully was accepting congratulations.
From the start, he was favored to finish first, and he expected to be No. 1.
“I would have been extremely disappointed if I had not secured one of the four positions,” he said.
“But I always felt comfortable with my campaign and what was happening.”
Did the order of finish – behind him, Meghan Sahli-Wells, Mehaul O’Leary, Jim Clarke, Scott Malsin, Stephen Murray – surprise Mr. Weissman?
“I always knew it was going to be close,” said the always measured winner. “I never felt comfortable attempting to predict who was going to finish where. I really am not surprised because it was an unpredictable campaign, having five very experienced, qualified candidates, and Stephen Murray brought an X factor into the campaign of being young, inexperienced and excited. All of this presented a different dynamic to voters.”
Sorry for Malsin
What did he make of former colleague Mr. Malsin’s fifth-place finish?
“I feel badly for Scott because he brought a lot of passion and intellect to the Council. His presence will be missed.
“Been there, done that. I lost my first time out, in 1986. It is very disappointing to put that kind of energy into a campaign and come up short. But he is, in relative terms, a young guy (51). He is somebody who has staying power. He may well decide this is not it for him, and come back in two or four years to try again.”
Before a visitor could travel 150 yards to Mayor O’Leary’s after-party at the Culver Hotel, he dashed across Town Plaza to congratulate his colleague of the past four years.
Before a word was exchanged, the Irishman effusively hugged Mr. Weissman.
“I am glad we have four more years together,” Mr. Weissman said. Stepping back, the Mayor struck a somber note. “Whenever I have questions about Culver City,” he said, “that is important to the residents, that has history, here is the man I always turn to.”
A Matter of Age?
Mr. Weissman started to speak – “because I am the oldest guy on the Council” – but the Mayor protested. “No, no, no, that is not why, and I don’t always agree with you. But once I know the history, then I am able to formulate what I need to formulate. We have been a team that way.
“We never have formed an alliance,” Mr. O’Leary said.
“Because we don’t agree on everything,” said Mr. Weissman.
“When I ask a question, you answer me straight,” Mr. O’Leary said. “That is what I always have loved.”
Where do they mainly agree?
“Doesn’t matter,” said Mr. O’Leary.
“We mainly agree,” said Mr. Weissman, “on what is best for the city.”
“Every subject we talk about,” the Mayor said, “we bring our own experiences to that, and then we formulate our own separate opinions.”
Resigned to the Outcome
Mr. O’Leary had predicted that Mr. Weissman would finish first and he would be the runnerup. Part of the evening he was, before slipping behind Ms. Sahli-Wells.
Nevertheless, he said, “I am elated. I have come in third three times now, once with only two seats available, the second time with three seats available and now with four seats.”
The Mayor never worried about making the cut.
“I believed that whatever the result was, that was the right thing for me. Yeah, win or lose.
“If the people of Culver City decided I was not the right guy, then I am not the right guy.
“Monday Night Football,” said the sports fan Mayor who owns an Irish pub, “is much more entertaining than Monday night Council meetings.”
(To be continued)
