Ticker Charleston has been watching Encinitas politics since 2014. He recently noted a tradition of wackos running for mayor every four years. Charleston says the candidates have one thing in common: they’re delusional.
Self-proclaimed peace activist and freelance journalist Alex Fidel, then 23, ran for mayor in 2014.
“Alex Fidel’s candidacy had entertainment value,” said Charleston, “but it was unrealistic and impractical. According to Fidel, cannabis and hemp were a panacea. Anybody who challenged Fidel’s platform with even a simple question was instantly attacked with a rampage of accusations of doing evil. Fidel was pure and everybody else was the devil incarnate.”
John Paul Elliott, then 71, aka “the guy with the dog,” ran for mayor in 2018. He was a real estate broker with metaphysical experience.
“Elliott and his dog were inseparable,” said Charleston. “They appeared together at mayoral candidates’ debates. Candidate Blakespear kept a straight face as she fielded questions and petted the trembling dog. The dog had an eerie resemblance to Toto, Dorothy’s pooch in The Wizard of Oz. In a shirt and tie, Elliott looked like a plausible candidate but, like Fidel, what he proposed wasn’t realistic. A city’s problems can’t be solved with simplistic panaceas.”
Jeff Morris, 54, is running for mayor in 2022. He cites experience in finance and marketing. Morris founded Encinitas Watchdogs and came to prominence documenting homelessness in Encinitas.
“Morris condemns the City Council for incompetence and corruption,” said Charleston, “but he’s short on specifics. He recently had his facts wrong regarding who represents Encinitas in SANDAG. It’s great that he loves surfing and the ocean, but how far that will take him in the race for mayor remains to be seen.”
Fortunately, there’s no Electoral College in Encinitas elections. Unlike presidential contests, the chance of a wacko winning is extremely low. Whichever candidate gets the most votes in Encinitas wins.
