L.A. CITY ELECTIONS : Endorsements Flow With Political Tide

Assessing the value of political endorsements in Los Angeles can be as perplexing as tracking the latest fad on Melrose Avenue. What was hot yesterday, may not be today. Worse yet, what is “in” on one side of town, may be “out” everywhere else.

Things are no different this election season, as voters from the barrios of East Los Angeles to the horse ranches of the San Fernando Valley try to sort through claims and counterclaims by candidates in eight City Council contests to be held Tuesday.

“At this point, the only one, big, sure endorsement for everyone would be Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf,” said political consultant Joe Cerrell. “I would even take Mrs. Norman Schwarzkopf.”

The Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters are respected endorsements on the Westside, while in South-Central Los Angeles the backing of influential church leaders can make or break a candidate. Candidates say Mayor Tom Bradley’s seal of approval wields influence in the city’s black neighborhoods, while newly elected county Supervisor Gloria Molina is the hottest name in Latino circles.

Political observers say it should come as no surprise that Los Angeles, with its many personalities, suffers bouts of schizophrenia at election time. An endorsement that plays well in the cocinas of El Sereno may mean nothing in the cafes of Brentwood.

“The smart candidates will use endorsements selectively, use them in a targeted fashion to a targeted constituency,” said Richard Lichtenstein, president of Marathon Communications, which is running Councilman Richard Alatorre’s reelection campaign. “There are people out there who don’t like some of the people who endorse candidates. It is one of the reasons you must understand the district, the opposition, the issues and the constituencies before using endorsements.”

Take Police Chief Daryl F. Gates. The chief does not formally back candidates, but his implicit endorsement often comes through public appearances, press conferences and so-called photo opportunities with candidates.

For weeks Westside Councilwoman Ruth Galanter hoped to join Gates in signing a letter in support of a bond measure on Tuesday’s ballot that would provide funds for upgrading the 911 emergency system.

Crime is always a hot topic in council races. It is of particular interest to Galanter, who was stabbed by an intruder in her home just weeks before she was elected to the council in 1987.

Galanter’s campaign reasoned that appearing in a political mailer with the city’s top cop would add luster to the councilwoman’s crime-fighting credentials.

But that all changed when the March 3 beating of Rodney G. King vaulted Gates into the center of a nationwide furor over police brutality. Supporters of the bond measure abruptly dropped Gates as their lead spokesman, and Galanter’s campaign abandoned the idea of sharing a letter with the chief.

“Four weeks ago it was a great endorsement,” said Steven Glazer, a political consultant running Galanter’s reelection campaign. “Today it is not.”

Half a city away in the far reaches of the San Fernando Valley, however, Councilman Hal Bernson sees things differently. He is battling to keep his job in the largely conservative 12th District, where telephone calls from constituents run 9 to 1 in favor of Gates.

Bernson has offered no apologies for his unwavering support of the embattled chief, and has gone so far as to appear with him at a recent pro-Gates rally at the Police Academy. Although Bernson’s campaign has not promoted his Gates connection, the councilman certainly has not tried to hide it.

“It all comes down to the individual situation,” said Cerrell, who is running Bernson’s campaign. “You wouldn’t want Daryl Gates in South-Central Los Angeles, but if (Councilman John) Ferraro had a contest, he might be able to use Daryl Gates.”

For years, the creme de la creme of endorsements in Los Angeles came from Bradley’s third-floor office at City Hall. Deputy Mayor Mark Fabiani says his boss’s backing is still the most sought-after commodity in city elections, but others insist Bradley’s influence has waned.

With the mayor’s finances under scrutiny and the city’s increasingly fragmented political landscape, many candidates and consultants say the age of the mega-endorsement in local contests is over.

Bradley backed two losers in council elections four years ago--including Galanter’s opponent, former council President Pat Russell--and endorsed state Sen. Art Torres in his losing bid for county supervisor in February. This time around, Bradley has held his endorsements to a handful, backing school board member Rita Walters in the 9th District but remaining neutral in Galanter’s race and the wide-open contest for retiring Councilman Robert Farrell’s 8th District seat.

“When you really look at the situation today, there is no overwhelming politician like Tom Bradley once was in the city,” said political consultant Rick Taylor, who is running campaigns for candidates in the 8th and 12th districts. “There isn’t a politician out there that has got that drawing power, that kind of magic.”

Pat Bond, who charted Molina’s campaign for county supervisor, said the void is due in part to a growing distrust among voters of so-called insider politicians. Molina’s campaign was able to capitalize on that distrust by turning Torres’ numerous endorsements against him and portraying him as an Establishment candidate.

“Endorsements meant more five years ago,” Bond said. “People weren’t as moody. I think people are suspicious now. There is a general anti-politician feeling out there.”

Some candidates in Tuesday’s election have attempted to use that sentiment to their advantage by highlighting neighborhood endorsements instead of mainstream political ones. Kerman Maddox, a candidate in the 8th District, said he has collected the support of more than 60 block clubs in South-Central Los Angeles, an accomplishment his campaign insists is far more significant than rallying the support of well-known politicians.

Tavis Smiley, a former Bradley aide running against Galanter in the 6th District, said he did not seek the mayor’s endorsement because he feared it would become an issue in the campaign and would distract voters.

“The absence of a dominating endorsement figure in this race has allowed us to focus on the issues that are important,” said Smiley. “I would hate to be in a race where I couldn’t get my message out because everyone was talking about Tom Bradley’s endorsement.”

But Mark Ridley-Thomas, an endorsement-rich candidate in the 8th District race, said candidates who eschew big-name endorsements probably have been denied them and are trying to put a happy face on a sad situation. Ridley-Thomas said his endorsements have translated into money, campaign volunteers and instant credibility.

“I agree there is widespread distrust aimed at current officeholders . . . but incumbents still wield incredible influence and power,” said Ridley-Thomas, who has been endorsed by incumbent Farrell and a host of other prominent politicians. “Incumbents have a decisive advantage and should they choose to support a particular candidate . . . that person has a distinct advantage as well.”

Again, others point out, it all depends in Los Angeles. Councilman Nate Holden not only defeated Bradley’s hand-picked candidate four years ago in the district where the mayor served as councilman, but two years later he went on to challenge Bradley for mayor. Bradley has chosen to remain neutral in the 10th District race this time around.