Election day luncheon in SF
Former Mayor Willie Brown, with luncheon co-hosts Angelo Quaranta (left) and Alex Clemens (right) behund.
By Steven T. Jones
I ran into Willie Brown as we were both headed into today’s Election Day luncheon at the California Culinary Academy – a two-decade-long tradition hosted by political power brokers Angelo Quaranta and the late Bob McCarthy (with Alex Clemens now stepping into that host role) – and asked for his electoral predictions.
“There’ll be no surprises,” Brown told me, “not a one.”
I took that as a hopeful sign that Barack Obama will win the presidency by an electoral landslide and Democrats will add significantly to their congressional majorities, but it didn’t tell me much about tonight’s nail biters, including the fate of the same sex marriage Proposition 8 or the balance of power on the Board of Supervisors.
Inside, many of the political luminaries expressed real anxiety over Prop. 8, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who warned Brown and the media against any early Obama victory parties that might hurt Prop. 8, the high-speed rail bond measure Prop. 1A, or the other crucial measures that need every Obama supporter they can muster.
This has always been the who’s who gathering of the San Francisco political world, an occasion when the rough and tumble campaigns that divide this essentially one-party town end in a big tent shindig fueled by fine food and wine. “We Democrats, we fight all the time, but this a chance to make peace, where we just come together to eat and drink,” Quaranta told me.
Yet this particular party had a somber feel to it, due to the Sept. 14 death from cancer of McCarthy, an attorney and political fundraiser for the most powerful San Francisco politicians of the last several decades.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein with host Angela Quaranta (right)
“For many of us in this room, we might not be where we are if not for Bob McCarthy,” Feinstein told a crowd that included Brown, attorney general Jerry Brown, former District Attorney Terrence Hallinan, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, former District former California legislator Rusty Areias, and local officials ranging from Sup. Sean Elsbernd to Community College board member John Rizzo.
But in a crowd dominated by Democrats full of enthusiasm about today’s election, the mood didn’t stay somber for long. “It’s fair to say there is one word that dominated that election, and that’s change,” said Feinstein, who spoke glowingly of Obama, whose inaugural committee she is going to chair.
She did, however, sound a note of caution and criticism of media outlets that could announce as early at 6 p.m. this evening that Obama has garnered enough votes to win the presidency, potentially suppressing voter turnout in California. But Brown, who took the microphone next, said he didn’t care.
“We are going to start celebrating at 6 p.m., Dianne, whether you tell us not to or not,” Brown said, beaming at the prospect and promising to be among the broadcasters making the call as early as possible.
“If term limits were on the ballot, you wouldn’t do that,” Feinstein retorted.
But Brown was irrepressible, telling the crowd, “When Barack Obama wins, it’ll be a reason why the whole world will smile.” Perhaps, yet even a strong and sustained surge for Obama in California might not be enough to keep same-sex marriage from being outlawed by Prop. 8.
As I left the party to ride back to the Guardian for the final push on this week’s paper, I received yet another robocall from the Yes on 8 campaign, this one using a speech by Obama himself (who opposes Prop. 8 but doesn’t support same sex marriage). “I do believe the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman,” Obama said, as he’s said countless times on the stump before going on to call for equal rights for gay and straight couples.
How will it end up? That’ll be the big surprise of the night.
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Comments (2)
Steve:
Thanks for covering the lunch. And to be clear: it's still The Bob McCarthy and Angelo Quaranta Election Day Lunch. Gino Lazzara and I are going to assist Angelo with putting the event on each year, but I haven't been promoted to co-host - I'm just helping out. It's Angelo's baby, and Bob's too, and Gino and I respect that tradition.
- Clemens
Posted by Clemens | November 4, 2008 04:24 PM
RE: Robo calls.
We are fighting back.
The National Political Do Not Contact Registry is a non-profit, non-partisan group working to get political calls added to do not call registries.
Join us for 2010.
Shaun Dakin
CEO and Founder
StopPoliticalCalls.org
Posted by Shaun Dakin | November 5, 2008 11:38 AM