Mark your calendars twice in June for important races: the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on June 1 and that other race, the political one, on June 3, the primary election. As someone who’s been in the back of the pack at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, it’s just plain fun running and knowing you’ll hear a band every mile. This year, 45 bands on 26 entertainment stages will include The Bayou Brothers, who are scheduled to perform at Standley Park on July 20. Then there’s the memory of the guy who stands on Route 163 yelling to those who won’t see any blue ribbons or medals: “The Kenyans are already finished.” Still, what other sport allows you to participate with the pros? Can you be a walk-on with Tiger or Annika? Shoot free throws with Kobe or Candace (Parker)? Rally with Roger Federer or Serena Williams? I didn’t think so. Running and paying that big race entry fee of $110 give you a chance to pretend that if you trained better and ate less pasta, you might be able to go a mile with the Kenyans. Almost 49 percent of this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll entrants will be rookies.
Ellen Hart wrote an essay for Colorado Sports Monthly in which she described what running is all about to those who love to hit the highway seeking a runner’s natural high in their beat-up Nikes: “Running seems more and more a gift ” a productive and healthy skill and outlet, an indication of both internal feelings and external control, an expression of the spiritual, emotional and physical nature within, which sometimes approaches the realm of art. But this gift, like any other, is subject to abuse ” overindulgence and self-importance. Sometimes running appears as fairy godmother, sometimes as painful teacher, but always as faithful companion.”
Substitute the phrase “running for office” and reread Hart’s essay. The June 3 race doesn’t seem to approach the realm of art, but it is subject to abuse, overindulgence and self-importance. Does anybody else read the campaign literature that fills our mailboxes? Do you fast-forward the political commercials? In my mind, most candidates tap into their inner idealism initially when they entertain the idea of political office. The rookies want to climb on board the “change” theme. As the silly saying goes: “The hours aren’t good, but the pay is bad.” And with the blogs beating up the candidates, and the rage of the voters, why would anyone want to be a public servant? Actually the pay isn’t that bad when you throw in the perks. The hours are long, long, long, just like the footrace called a marathon. Marathon days are hard on a candidate’s family life, but no one twisted the candidates’ arms to enter this race, just as free will keeps the runners entering the Rock ‘n’ Roll.
This particular race on June 3 is set to be more a painful teacher than a fairy godmother in our local elections. (“TMI ¦ too much information, as my kids say when I embarrass them about something or other.) Do we want to know how much money our councilman’s wife has in stocks? Do we want to know his water bill? Maybe we know too much about candidates’ personal lives and not enough about their public persona? Who gets let in the doors of City Council members? John Q. Public or John Q. Lobbyist? Do the deep pockets of developers and lawyers get more attention than you do when you share a concern about overbuilding or underfunding programs like public pools?
Take the city attorney election. “Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary,” Robert Louis Stevenson said. Well, each candidate is a lawyer, so check off preparation, but which one will break the tape at the finish line?
The recent political forum the U.C. Community Association put on at UCHS, with Village News as co-sponsor, showed a spirited group of eager candidates, eager for votes and eager to take on the job. There was a lot of good-natured kidding that went on among the candidates.
Sitting elbow to elbow required good behavior. Mike Aguirre as incumbent received criticism from the other four candidates, but he managed to come back at each one with questions about their qualifications, challenging City Council members Scott Peters and Brian Maienschein as part of the pension debacle and Amy Lepine and Jan Goldsmith as lacking his attitude of serving the people first. Maienschein got a good laugh from the audience when a UCCA banner suddenly slipped from the wall because duct tape didn’t hold it. Without missing a beat, Maienschein ” who was in the middle of an oratorical moment ” quipped: “Those were powerful words I just uttered to make that banner fall.” Maybe that’s the secret to a good campaign race. Runners hydrate to keep pounding the pavement and candidates should keep sipping from the good humor cup. Keep it upbeat instead of angry.
Running races rewards the athlete with endorphins that make you feel really good with the natural high, as though you’re at La Jolla Shores seeing a perfect sunset. Running for office, on the other hand, is like being at Pacific Highway, knowing you have to run up Laurel Street over and over with no relief in sight. In a marathon, the truth will tell. You can’t fake it. If you’re not prepared and honest about it, you won’t finish. Today’s political environment, especially in San Diego, is pretty toxic. Some candidates aren’t being honest. Who is telling the truth? Better yet, is anyone telling the truth?