A 55% approval rating is nothing to scoff at for any politician, especially a big-city mayor facing the complications of a recession.
Yet many pundits portrayed the 55% approval rating scored by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a recent public-opinion poll as a dark sign for a failing politician.
Why the disconnect?
Probably because Villaraigosa is turning in a fairly strong performance on a job that isn't a natural fit for his skills.
It's become apparent that Villaraigosa is a capable administrator. He either has solid executive skills or is smart enough to carry a team that can handle the challenge.
It's also become apparent, however, that Villaraigosa has greater strengths. His mastery of the art of negotiating is one, and his acute political instinct is another. They feed one another, producing an uncanny talent for pinpointing intersections of power and politics.
Villaraigosa is a deal maker, drawing on skills that he honed as a labor leader and refined while serving as Speaker of the California State Assembly.
Those aren't exactly executive skills, though — there's a bit too much compromise involved. The concept of compromise has been scorned by many political types in recent years, as overheated rhetoric put ideology over actual service to the people. Yet our U.S. Constitution enshrines compromise as a proper path for government. The legislative branch is the natural place for compromise — and Villaraigosa's greatest attributes are his natural legislative skills.
We don't mean to shortchange Villaraigosa, who has shown a talent for adapting his legislative skills to his executive duties as mayor. He has been way ahead of most politicians in recognizing the severity of the economic downturn. He quickly found the intersection of politics and power in negotiations with city employees, cutting deals that appear to have trimmed the city's expenses without serious layoffs — although we concede that public finances remain a moving target throughout California these days.
Still, the fellow deserves significant credit — the city's $500 million deficit has been addressed in a fairly smooth manner when all is said and done. That's the accomplishment of an executive, even if he got it done with legislative skills. It's a nice bonus that Villaraigosa's recent advocacy for the city in regard to the state budget negotiations showed that his legislative skills still work when it gets right down to dealing with legislators.
There had been a lot of talk about Villaraigosa running for governor in 2010, a race he has apparently decided to sit out. Some said he wanted to chase the state's top executive job but couldn't do so because his star has dimmed.
We suspect otherwise. It appears to us that Villaraigosa might have decided that he most enjoys using his legislative skills to conjure up leverage and then figure out how to best deploy the asset in pursuit of a deal.
The Garment & Citizen believes that Villaraigosa could serve voters — and himself — best by using those natural legislative skills on a larger stage. And it just so happens that there is a larger stage that needs exactly the sort of talent that Villaraigosa possesses. It's a place that has grown worn and tired in recent years, with the old lions of the institution fading and few prospects to replace them on the horizon.
The place is known as the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein's term is up in 2012, and she will be close to 80 by then. Feinstein has served honorably and well, and perhaps could have been a true Lion of the Senate if she hadn't arrived in Washington at a time when her gender meant more than it should have in the political world. It appears likely that Feinstein will give up the seat rather than seek a new term in 2012 — and she will have earned the best wishes of her constituents if that is the case.
Villaraigosa will be wrapping up his second term as mayor and as the 2012 election plays out. A win in the Senate race would mean that he'd leave City Hall six months early. It's likely that the city could spare the expense of a special election to replace him under those circumstances.
That all fits rather well, so allow us to get the ball rolling: Villaraigosa for Senate in 2012.
Jerry Sullivan is editor of the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
Except Feinstein is going to run for re-election.
So then what will Antonio do?
Please, Villaraigosa is a joke and a national embarrassment. He doesn't stand a chance. Seriously? Or were you just being facetious?
Oh my this just goes to show how clueless you are and out of the loop of the rest of the city. this is a laughable article. This is a joke right? Villaraigosa couldn't even run for governor let alone a Senate position. Look how bad Los Angeles has become with him in office. There is not one single accomplishment he can speak of. Not one. Every neighborhood council meeting I attend all over the city have nothing but negative remarks about the lack of leadership with this Mayor. He's all about political paybacks and putting his friends in cushy jobs with high pay. Wake up Garment newspaper.