Nathan Fletcher comes across as an attractive, appealing, handsome candidate who -- after a bruising and losing fight for the endorsement of the local Republican Party -- made a calculated decision to rebrand himself as a political “independent.”
His switch in party affiliation has led a number of Democratic and other voters to ask themselves whether they should consider supporting Fletcher for mayor. Perhaps the following information will help you decide.
The most heated exchanges in recent mayoral debates have been between Fletcher and his Republican rival Carl DeMaio. The friction between them is clearly a personality duel, since their views and political perspectives on city issues, proposals, and problems are practically identical.
In fact, Fletcher and DeMaio can be called two peas in a pod. Aside from the differential in charm and sex appeal, San Diegans will find little to distinguish one from the other, should either of them become our next mayor.
Here’s a shorthand way to think about it: if you would feel comfortable voting for Carl DeMaio, you should have no trouble whatsoever voting for Nathan Fletcher. Or vice versa.
As I said, two peas in a pod...with one notable difference.
Fletcher has what appears to be an uncontrolled compulsion to cite his military experience at the drop of a hat. It is uncharacteristic for veterans of combat to repeatedly broadcast their wartime record as a campaign tool to enhance their manliness and voter appeal. Can you even imagine wartime hero President Dwight D. Eisenhower trying to seduce Americans with his combat prowess? Enough said.
To read a superb analysis of Nathan Fletcher’s political persona, I implore you to click onto Jim Miller’s article in today’s OB Rag newspaper: http://obrag.org/?p=58914 . It will be well worth your time.
To hear Fletcher in action as he solicits the Republican Party for their endorsement, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsFZkNmm2v8&feature=youtu.be
To read the full text of Fletcher’s letter in which he makes the statements listed below, click here: http://sdrostra.com/?p=25657
* Family values are very important to me…I take very seriously my commitment to my wife and children. As a Christian of strong faith, I take seriously my commitment to God…
* I have never voted for a tax increase
* I have consistently stood up to labor — I have one of the lowest labor scorecards
* I have been endorsed by Governor Pete Wilson, Joel Anderson, Mark Wyland, Martin Garrick, and the California Small Business Administration
* I…have taken the no tax pledge (aka “Taxpayer Protection Pledge”…authored by Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform.)
To learn more about Fletcher family politics read the following autobiographical account about Fletcher’s wife Mindy. For additional details click here: http://www.flashreport.org/blog/author/mindy-fletcher/
* Mindy Fletcher is a veteran of Republican political campaigns at the national and state level having been a spokesman for Governor George W. Bush, the Bush 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee as well as Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Campaign Manager for Governor Schwarzenegger…
* In 1999, she became Press Secretary for the Bush-Cheney 2000 effort, where she worked closely with national and regional media, managed the day-to-day operations of the communications division and appeared regularly on national television and radio programs.
* During the Florida Recount she served as the senior spokesperson for the recount effort. After President Bush took office in 2001, she became the first woman appointed Director of Public Affairs at the United States Department of Justice...In January of 2002, she became the Party’s chief spokesperson as Director of Communications for the Republican National Committee before she moved to San Diego in 2003…
To see Nathan Fletcher’s decidedly conservative voting record click here: http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/104432/nathan-fletcher
To sum up: I recommend we all heed the immortal words uttered by poor little Buttercup (courtesy of Gilbert and Sullivan) to help us evaluate Nathan Fletcher's mayoral bid:
