Don’t Be So Touchy in Race for Mayor

Jim Hahn does not like to be touched. That’s what City Hall staffers soon learn when they are assigned to accompany the mayor to events around town. They are instructed not to prod or nudge him -- no matter how gently -- when escorting him through crowds. Instead, they are told to hold their arms down at a 45-degree angle and motion him forward with their hand, like guides leading a one-man tour group.

Those who do touch the mayor -- either inadvertently or out of frustration -- are likely to be admonished by senior staff. Hahn himself has been known to flinch on such occasions.

Of course, the demands of political life require the mayor to shake hands with his constituents. But he generally remains stone-faced and perfunctory; he clearly does not enjoy it. At receptions, his staff members are instructed to keep the mayor from receding from the crowd and to make sure he doesn’t wind up standing by himself.

All this, of course, serves as the perfect metaphor for the man who has projected considerably less than a commanding presence during his four years as mayor. To some, it is an indication not only that Hahn is something of a reluctant politician but that he may simply not be suited to be the political leader of a major metropolis, let alone the media capital of the world.

But Hahn isn’t the only candidate trying to rise above a personality trait that could keep him from becoming a great mayor. According to the LA Weekly, years ago Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa removed the words “Born to Raise Hell” that had been tattooed on his right arm as a teenager. To the Weekly, that tattoo symbolized the attributes Villaraigosa supposedly developed during his “harsh formative years: the brashness, fighting spirit, the impetuousness.” The years, presumably during which he was thrown out of Cathedral High School and arrested after a brawl at a restaurant. (The jury ultimately deadlocked 11 to 1 for acquittal.)

But to me it is not the tattoo that serves as a metaphor for Villaraigosa’s personality; it is the erasure of the tattoo. Charming, energetic and with a Clintonian ability to connect with an audience, Villaraigosa the politician kept his temper in check, out of public view. But in this campaign, his volcanic reactions to Hahn’s attacks are beginning to reveal what political insiders have known for years: The former Assembly speaker can be thin-skinned, easily angered and even vindictive. Although great politicians learn to distinguish between what is political and what is personal, Villaraigosa has not. He can try to hide this side of his personality, as he has erased his tattoo, but, so far, he can’t make it go away.

Despite a double-digit lead in the polls, a slew of prominent endorsements and a formidable fundraising advantage, the councilman repeatedly lost his cool during four debates.

He visibly seethes, furrowing his brows and clenching his jaw. When he reminds voters that Hahn’s administration is the most investigated in L.A. history, Villaraigosa comes across as the nastier of the two. When panelists ask him to respond to Hahn’s charges, he reacts indignantly, as if he resents being challenged. At last Tuesday’s debate in Koreatown, both candidates left a poor impression on some spectators. One 23-year-old UCLA graduate found Hahn “easily forgettable,” and Villaraigosa struck her as “melodramatic and overly bitter.” In any case, she says, she probably won’t vote in this election.

Ironically, Hahn’s cool detachment allows him to clobber his rival verbally while looking harmless. Indeed, in the heat of this nasty campaign the “untouchable” mayor appears more engaged than he has been at any time in the last four years.

In the final two weeks of the campaign, Villaraigosa’s challenge will be to contain his anger even as the Hahn camp escalates its assault on his voting record and character. If the councilman continues to display his impetuousness, he could undermine his attempts to portray himself as a model of trust and leadership. The winning candidate may very well be the man who is best able to transcend his nature.

Gregory Rodriguez is a contributing editor of The Times and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.