By Elaine Wilson, Middletown

You're absolutely right. Those filthy Republicans will have us circling the drain in no time, come back and save us Gray Davis. BTW. what kind of message is it when the Democratic Party looses to a moron like George Bush, twice? I know, "the Republicans stole the election", I guess we should mirror the Democratic party's primary vote counting technique. Single out whatever party you will but the fact is it's us (tax payers) against them (politicians). Until we're ready to stand up and demand redistricting and are willing to change the "voting for the lesser of two evils" doctrine they will continue to cater to special interests, BOTH PARTIES! Feel free to keep pointing fingers at the opposing political party while ignoring your own party's failings, the man behind the curtain likes it when we're distracted. Don't we all deserve better?

Posted by PP | reply to this comment
June 30, 2008 3:00 pm

Pete Wilson was a great mayor, and a good governor and senator. His vision of San Diego that was set in motion long ago has benefited us living here. That said, I don't know much about Gorton but frankly the animosity about Rove is both ironic and funny. Here's a self-taught college dropout who was smart enough to get someone like Bush elected not once, but twice. That ain't evil, boys `n girls, that's flatout political savvy. And a belly laugh on the frat and metro crowd who hate him-- and surely envy him even more.

Posted by BlkJK | reply to this comment
June 30, 2008 3:15 pm

Unfair too call Pete Wilson names, He was a great mayor and Governor. Left the City and State in great shape. In the last 30 years we have had two great mayors, Wilson and O'conner. Both put the City first.

Posted by lee | reply to this comment
June 30, 2008 9:10 pm

I agree Pete Wilson was a great mayor, but I think he was an OK senator and a terrible governor.

Posted by Steve K | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 9:08 am

Pete Wilson was once a 40-year old second lieutenant in the Marines. That should tell you something about his leadership qualities. He proved his ineptness thrice over; as mayor, senator and governor. Even Bob Dole pegged him correctly when he ventured out as "presidential" material. The least the schmucks who own SD could do is to select somebody for office that isn't a continuation of the Golding/Wilson/Murph phenom. We all deserve better than this.

Posted by Fred | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 12:04 pm

Wilson was a good mayor through his first term. After he was re-elected he showed his true colors as an opportunist and sold us out. Our "environmentalist" mayor did an about face and gave Pardee Construction the green light to develop North City West on previously protected open space, resulting in LA style traffic through the area ever since. We were no longer the "city in motion" and he was a friend of big business for the rest of his political career as a Senator and Governor. Hedgecock was an opportunist period, and was run out of office for being a fraction as corrupt as Golding. O'Connor didn't do too much damage which is probably about the best you can say about any of our mayors this side of Wilson. Golding was absolutely terrible and Murphy wasn't much help in dealing with the fallout from her administration.

Posted by BP | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 5:26 pm

What an entertaining bunch of comments. The anger on the left, the sarcasm on the right. But let's not forget, nobody gives us our mayor. We vote him or her into office. If we voters are stupid enough to be influenced by money and commercials (as 35% apparently were in our last mayoral election), then too bad for us.

Posted by Algernon Sidney | reply to this comment
July 1, 2008 9:58 pm

If you wanted to get elected in this town, or get an initiative passed in the 1970s, 80s or 90s, the smart money always turned to George Gorton or Tom Sheppard. Those two could convince San Diego Voters to do anything, including electing several corrupt leaders, walling off downtown's bayfront with a solid six story high wall of concrete called the convention center, and giving away half a dozen blocks of east village real estate to John Moores AND subsidizing his new ballpark with tax funded bonds. George has had a colorful life, in and out of politics and I found the story interesting. Now do profiles on Tom Sheppard and Roger Hegecock.

Posted by Watcher | reply to this comment
July 2, 2008 10:51 am

Why is it you have to take a test to drive yet not need one to vote? A government by the people for the people, maybe our forefathers didn't know we'd have such a high ratio of dumbazzes.

Posted by PP | reply to this comment
July 2, 2008 1:58 pm

I agree that this George Gorton story is like something the Reader would publish as a weekly cover story. And that's good. I thought this two part story reflected an enormous amount of work on the part of the writers. I learned new details about someone who I've often wondered about. I thank the authors and VOSD for providing long-form reporting I usually find only at the Reader. Kudos, VOSD. Love him or loathe him, Gorton is important and interesting so you've done San Diego a service by telling his story.

Posted by Fred Williams | reply to this comment
July 5, 2008 8:52 am

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