First in a series.
One reason for City Councilman Jim Clarke’s enduring popularity perhaps has been his penchant for stepping wide of controversy.
Not last week, though, at the Culver City Democratic Club’s endorsement forum for the four Democratic candidates in the seven-person field running for City Council in the April 12 election.
Mr. Clarke submitted one of the questions posed for the candidate panel: How long have you been a registered Democrat?
It was not an idle inquiry.
Mr. Clarke knew the tantalizing answer — that three of the four virtually were lifelong Democrats.
And the popularity of that single candidate lately has taken a fascinating turn.
As candidate Daniel Lee’s community popularity mercurially shot from below sea level to the skies during the past month, word dribbled out that Mr. Lee, despite unquestioned credentials as a progressive, only recently had registered with the Democratic party.
“I checked with the County,” said Mr. Clarke. “Daniel Lee had registered with the Democratic party on Dec. 15.”
The night before last week’s Dem Club meeting, the County Democratic Party endorsed Mr. Lee, along with Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells and Thomas Small for the three at-stake seats.
“The County Democratic Party’s position,” said Mr. Clarke, “was to endorse him based on a recommendation from the Assembly District Committee, which is made up of some of the same people from the club, but not entirely.
“Their policy is, if you are a registered Democrat when filing closes, they will consider you.”
Without question, “I am unhappy about this,” Mr. Clarke said.
“I have been trying to figure out why I have this burr under my saddle about this sort of thing.
“I think it stems from the fact that I used to be very active with the Democratic party. I am a former chair of the County Democratic Party. I was the secretary of the state Democratic party. I was president of something called the California Democratic Council, formed by (the late U.S. Sen.) Alan Cranston, which was about Democratic clubs throughout the state.
“So I have been involved with all of this,” said Mr. Clarke.
“It used to irritate me that candidates running for the state legislature or for Congress, and they had no involvement with the local community or the local Democratic club. They were just a Democrat.”
(To be continued)
