SAN DIEGO — In a season of cynicism, San Diego voters are picking a new mayor, and the issue of honesty in high office has pushed aside the concerns about crime and urban sprawl that have dominated previous mayoral campaigns.
On the strength of a squeaky-clean image, Superior Court Judge Dick Murphy appears to be running dead even with, or possibly even a few points ahead of, county Supervisor Ron Roberts, according to polling done for local radio and television stations.
Seven months ago, based on the primary election, the odds against a Murphy victory seemed long. In the March primary, which included seven major candidates, Roberts placed first with 26% of the vote and Murphy second with 15%.
Although cynicism about politics has a firm grip on American culture, this year's negativity in San Diego seems to be at a new high--even for a city where two of the last five mayors have been indicted.
The reason, say many: Voters have become deeply alienated by the controversies over the Padre ballpark project and by the ticket deal between the city and the Chargers that has cost the city more than $5 million this season.
"They have a feeling that all politics is about deal-making between big-money interests and a bunch of Chamber of Commerce-picked politicians," said Frank Baber, a professor of political science at the University of San Diego. "They know their involvement is not wanted and they resent it."
From the beginning, the Roberts-Murphy race, featuring two Republicans who got their starts in politics in the 1970s as appointees of then-Mayor Pete Wilson, was seen as the mayoral equivalent of the hare and tortoise.
Roberts has more experience, more campaign money, and, until recently, more big-name endorsements--all the ingredients that usually spell success in San Diego politics. For three years, since losing a mayoral primary in 1992, Roberts has been preparing for a second attempt.
But Murphy has something Roberts seemingly cannot touch: an aura of incorruptibility and independence after being above the political fray for 15 years as a judge.
Murphy is also scoring points with a low-key, squarer-than-square personality against the more combative, assertive Roberts.
When a local newspaper reporter asked each candidate to name his favorite "adult" beverage, Roberts said Myers rum and tonic. Murphy said milk.
