As I sit here stuck in this dumb coffee shop on a beautiful 4th of July Saturday as I suffer from the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation and hunger and the associated ping and pangs that goes with the lack of nutrition, IT ALL JUST KINDA HIT ME!
As a homeless guy on the street without a PENNY for fliers, mailers or ads -- I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF EITHER (money or ads), I came in fourth out of a crowded field of 10 candidates in the L.A. mayoral election in March getting 9100 votes. The incumbent mayor, who came in first spent $3 million; the guy who came in second spent about $300,000 and had 2 AM talk radio stations campaigning for him a year in advance; and the third place candidate (who also had some money) put down"Deputy City Attorney" next to his name on the ballot -- EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NO LONGER WITH THE OFFICE AT THE TIME HE PLACED THE JOB DESCRIPTION ON THE BALLOT.
So fourth out of ten (and 9100 votes in a low voter turn out election) is pretty good, I am told, homeless with no money, or otherwise.
And although some other activists get a lot of super-well deserved credit for helping to defeat Measure B (shady solar); Zuma Dogg would like to remind my political opposition, that I kinda did a little blogging on the topic myself pretty early on and throughout the election. AND, was heard on radio, TV, debates and Neighborhood Council meetings saying things like, "Yes, ZD would like you to vote for him for mayor, but the chances of me winning are much less than the difference you can make by voting "NO on Measure B!" I WAS QUOTED IN LA TIMES SAYING IF THERE IS ONE THING I AM ASKING IS FOR YOU TO VOTE NO ON MEASURE B. I SAID IT OVER AND OVER AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
It was close. ZD has a big following with the crowd who voted and obviously has influence to come in fourth of ten with $0.00 spent. AND I KNOW I BLASTED THE FUCK OUT OF "NO ON B."
But a much more unique story is how Dennis Zine introduced me to some nobody wearing a brown suit named "Nuchtranich" or something like that. Dennis introduced Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich to me and said, "Zuma...Nuch; Nuch...Zuma." Dennis added, "Don't be fooled by the dogg and his apperance. He has a very big constituency."(Thanks Dennis! You NEVER admit that, but was only doing so to let Carmen know not to discount or underestimate ZD...WHICH, to his fully credit...he certainly did not.)
So those who know Zuma Dogg know I am always going to follow up on an offer to call the number on the card I was handed (ask Chris Essel) and I called Nuch to see what he had in mind as a city attorney candidate.
I remember the conversation and the exact parking lot in Eagle Rock I was standing in at the time. The main thing he brought up, right away, was how the city attorney's office was a laughing stock joke for law firms across the city to attack like a pack of wolves against a sheep, knowing the office rolls over and settles and Nuch's big thing was that the city was gonna make you follow through and fight for your bullshit case and it would be like eating a porpcupine or jamming a pineapple up the wazoo, or something like that. (Wasn't going to go down easy.)
But I LOVED what I heard, and mainly, the thing I got from Nuch on that initial phone call was his PASSION and FIRE. He was just talking to someone who although Zine said I was worth the time, was still just some guy with a blog, not a newspaper...and he gave it all he got on the phone and treated it like a Wall Street Journal reporter was calling.
And back then, Nuch was flying by the seat of his pants and didn't have his handlers yet, I don't think, just him, his car and his cell phone. At least it seemed that way. Cause I called him and told him to stop by Casa Princess to film some YouTube videos.
Then, a bunch of you met him for the first time when I dragged him to the SLAP meeting, but more people were at the DWP meeting at Phillipes, so we went there. And Nuch sat in the side room, and ZD walked into the DWP meeting and announced a new city attorney candidate was in the other room, and I recruited my friends for one-on-ones with Nuch, right there. It was great!
Meanwhile, I could call and put him on the phone with friends and he would talk to them.
And I called Kevin James and had early conversations on the air to watch out for Nuch.
BUT THE GRANDADDY...THE RELENTLESS HAMMERING OF JACK WEISS AND PROMOTION OF NUCH ON TV 35 DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
And as we got closer to the election and people were ready to pay attention...I HAMMERED IT ON TV 35 DURING THE MEETINGS. AND THE WEEK OF THE ELECTION ON RADIO AS DOUG AND KEVIN LET ME ON THEIR AIRWAVES TO DELIVER MY MESSAGE.
And on election morning, it was my best fucking call EVER in the history of ZD. It was hilarious...I basically came on Doug's show and said, "You know me, You know what I stand for, you know what I have said...and now, I am saying it is an urgent matter of crticial importance to the future of this region to make sure Carmen Trutanich is elected City Attorney."
His whole family thanked me in person and it was an amazing era and an amazing experience and it's truly a great inspiration that the community can get behind the right candidate when there is one to drive it home. (That didn't used to be as possible five years ago before the internet.)
But the point of this post is, REMEMBER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CANDIDATES AND POLITICAL FIGURES AND WHATEVER BIGSHOT YOU ARE:
Homeless wonder comes in 4th of 10 candidates in L.A. mayor's election, pushed "No on B" (it was no) and hollered about Trutanich and took him all over and screamed on radio, TV and blogged when NOT ONE OF YOU READING THIS EVER EVEN HEARD HIS NAME.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE. SOME HOMELESS BUM CAN ROCK THE ELECTIONS. EVEN DOUG MCINTYRE WAS MENTIONING THE ZD EFFECT ON HIS SHOW LAST WEEK.
Remember City Councilosers who sit behind the President desk when I am speaking, and especially Dioumb O'Connell to remember who the better know, more beloved and respected for the right reasons person is in the chambers when I am speaking. And when I call to ask a question than may be for YOUR benefit...don't say you'll call me back, cause ZD doesn't play that anymore, so you better pick up when I call, and not say, "I'll call you back" if we ARE talking, UNLESS YOU REALLY WANNA TURN YOUR BACK ON THE SITUATION. CAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR YOU LOSERS.
YOU COULDN'T ACHIEVE WHAT I HAVE IN THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE MASSES IF YOU QUINTUPLED YOUR MONEY!
Better hope I like you better than the other person. And to the people I said I wanted to talk to...FORGET IT...you already pissed me off. NEVER MIND. You will see any chit-chat I was enduring was for YOUR benefit, not mine. I SHED NO CROCODILE TEARS FOR YOUR OR YOUR POLITICAL MACHINE.
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