2011 Mayoral Race

David Chiu Campaigns With Chewbacca

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Dolores Park-goers this Saturday were greeted to this bit of strange mayoral campaigning: David Chiu and his staff walking around the park in Star Wars costumes and collecting signatures.

I ran into a political reporter from the SF Bay Guardian and when we went to check out the signature-collecting table, trying to figure out if David Chiu was camped out at the table alone, wearing a Storm Trooper helmet and making thousands of day-drinkers question his sanity.  But as we approached the table, Chiu ran up and began one of the most spectacular media whoring conversations I've ever witnessed.  The ordinarily-friendly Chiu became immediately focused, completely ignoring everyone around him besides the Guardian reporter and the staffers he introduced the reporter too.  And after giving the reporter some celebrity-status treatment, he insisted that he have his photo taken with Chewbacca “for the paper.”

Chiu's signature awkward fist bump.

He then led us across the park, kissing ass the entire time, while assembling a crew of supporters for a group shot (not pictured here). He then posed for pictures while the oblivious and apathetic electorate ignored the whole scene, opting to lay on the grass and photograph each other:

After the photo sesh, he grabbed the Guardian reporter, “Can you try to use the shot with all the supporters behind us?”

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Hordes of (Paid) Ed Lee Supporters Invade Mission Street

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

For all of the Mayor's coyishness about running for a full term, he sure does look like he's running a campaign.  Just yesterday, multiple squads of “supporters” traversed Mission Street collecting signatures to (presumably) get Ed's name on the ballot.  While this group was generally more interested in gawking at lucador masks than collecting sigs, another at the 16th BART station were much more aggressive, literally following people asking them for support.

I tried to figure out what was the hell was going on, but they didn't seem to keen on talking to me, probably because I had alcohol on my breath and generally look like a crazy person.  I'm sure asking “Who pays you?” and “Do you even live in San Francisco?” didn't help.  Regardless, more sketchy electioneering from our astroturfing mayor.

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Political Candidates Continue to Lay it on Thick for Mission Voters

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

This year's crop of mayoral candidates sure are doing their best to “connect” with the Mission's youth activist power bloc.  They've invaded Sunday Streets, swept through Dolores Park, collected signatures and volunteer information at Phono del Sol, hung out at taquerias, and Avalos even spun records at Knockout.

The latter was probably the most brilliant move of the all the campaigns thus far.  Not only did it give Avalos tons of free press, but it put him smack dab in the middle of Cool Kid Central, giving him a captive audience to show off the human side of the politician.  Who knows if it did his campaign any good though.  As one attendee put it, “I don't know if I'd vote for him because all I really know about him is that he thinks Twist & Shout is one hell of a jam.”

While Avalos “gets it,” the victim of this pandering race-to-the-bottom is George Gascón, the police chief-turned-district attorney running to maintain his Newsom-appointed position.  George recently walked around Dolores Park trying to connect with young voters who had no idea who the hell he was.  As he slowly meandered through the throngs of kids, he cautiously waved at the people sitting below him, who were visibly concerned if this white haired man was suffering from dementia and needed help finding his caretaker.  When he approached my crew, I shouted out “Hey, Dennis Herrera!” and the sorry son of a bitch so flattered that someone recognized him as a politician that he cracked a wide smile and waved for my lone cellphone.

With the sun overhead, he almost looked angelic in his desperation.

[First photo by Alissa]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

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