No, it's not about marijuana.
DeMaio is using Frye to advance his own agenda and Frye is willing to be used because she sees him as a fellow outsider and she needs friends.
Frye is an activist, not a politician, and activists don’t like nuance. You’re with them or against them. Don't ever question their devotion. Because of the time they’ve put in and the amount of heart behind their issues only they know what’s best.
And the rookie mistake that activists make when they become elected officials is how easy they believe their own PR. How could it be otherwise? Your staff has proved they will support you no matter what. Your supporters look like they’d follow you off a cliff. How can you do wrong?
As such, she will always be an outsider fighting the system, even though she is a part of the same system. Her supporters identify with her “outsider shaking up the system” image and believe her when she says that no one else would dare fight corruption at City Hall except her. And outsiders don’t compromise. In fact, they see solutions where no one else does because they aren’t tainted by the status quo mindset.
The problem is that, as a legislator, she needs to govern and not just say no. It is always easier to be righteous than responsible which is why she hasn’t bothered to support and work to get reforms and progressive legislation through the city council. It’s easier to hold a press conference stating that the powers that be can’t be trusted instead of trying to do something about them.
The anti-Prop C campaign she spearheaded was convenient for DeMaio. Frye needs friends and he offered to help. The benefit is psychological for Frye and real for DeMaio. Frye can paint herself as the outsider willing to cross party lines and tutor this young radical into working with her on an agenda that she’s had six years to push.
Unless she never had one to begin with, which would explain these town halls.
For DeMaio, he can push his radical agenda by using Frye to whitewash the worst aspects of it (how bad can it be if Frye supports it?) and leverage her name to establish a base for mayor in 2012. Frye was burned by the Prop C and Francis losses and needs redemption. I guess she feels the enemy of my enemy is my friend. DeMaio is no Sanders supporter so let’s build a new Gang of Five and go to war with the mayor rather than actually doing something to improve the lives of the people.
Frye supporters have told me that she’s only using DeMaio to get elected President of the Council and then she’ll let him go, but he’s smarter than that.
It’s too early to tell if this “reform agenda” has any substance other than jawboning but it doesn’t look too promising from the get go. I just hope Donna wakes up soon.
If so, check out the video and pictures of Progressive San Diego's post election event below.
