Politically, This Is Called Growth
Eagle-eared listeners at the City Council meeting made note of one lesson Mr. O’Leary already has implemented one ray of political wisdom from his late campaign. At the start of his bid for office last January, he was known as the owner of a popular pub near the busy intersection of Sepulveda and Washington boulevards. By Monday night, the “pub” had diplomatically been softened into a “restaurant,” as he referred to Joxer Daly’s. That was a subtle, commendable demonstration of political savvy.
Depends on Who Is at Controls
For Mr. O’Leary, the frustrating part of this week’s experience was that the rebuff was outside of his control. He could have shrunk the odds against him by applying for, say, three or four of the six commissions instead of merely one. Granted, he would have been up against a mysterious, unseen enemy in most cases — defeating a better known or a well-liked candidate or incumbent. Since winning a commission appointment carries such a low probability of success, Mr. O’Leary needs to scour the landscape and find vehicles that fulfill two mandatory conditions:(a) He must position himself so that he retains a measure of control over his message and, (b) take a position that affords him the consistent visibility he badly needs.
The Camarella Model
Several years ago, the activist Tom Camarella found himself in a predicament parallel to Mr. O’Leary’s. He had made a run for the City Council and lost. He also was told “Get some experience, kid, before you come back and try to play with the big boys.” Mr. Camarella applied for commission appointments. Again. And once more. The more rejection slips he drew, the more exasperated he became. A smart longtime union organizer, he soon deduced he was not going to gain traction via this route in Culver City. He was not going to make a difference until he controlled his own destiny. His next move may have been fated. Mr. Camarella has advised Mayor Gary Silbiger for a number of years. A couple of years ago when individual Council members were making separate appointments to the powerful Charter Review Board, Mr. Silbiger named Mr. Camarella. That was one. Last winter, Mr. Camarella won the presidency of the Culver City Democratic Club. That was his second step toward wider visibility. Around that time, he was elected chair of this summer’s Fiesta La Ballona, which should yield a large dollop of recognition over the next couple of months.
A Fulltime Campaign?
For a patch of time, I don’t think Mr. Camarella missed a single City Council meeting. He delivered a provocative opinion every week, too. Lately, he and his wife, the entertainer Ronnie Jayne, have been traveling more.
I may be wrong, but I believe Mr.O’Leary’s Monday night appearance was his first at City Hall in the two months since Election Day. With only a year and a half until the filing deadline for the next City Council elections — Tuesday, April 8, ’08 — Mr. O’Leary, the newlywed, must become more aggressive, more honed in on the big prize, his goal, if he intends to elevate his congenial Irishman profile. Where is his fire?
Postscript
How do I know that it was at least 11:31 on Monday night when Dep. City Atty. Heather Iker and I were walking out of City Hall, following a lengthy City Council meeting? Twice I asked her a question that was nagging me. Twice she said she could not respond because, as of 11:30, “I am off the clock.”
