While we won’t know the election results for the San Francisco Mayor race for a couple of weeks, one thing is for sure, Chicken John is not our new mayor. But we all knew that would be the case. What we don’t know yet is who won 2nd and 3rd place.
Only partial election results (absentee ballots) have been posted so far.
To celebrate this momentous loss, Chicken had his big Loser’s Ball party last night at 12 Galaxies, complete with a rotating spotlight and the trio of Doggie Diner dog heads out front. The main part of the event was a big show, complete with 15 piece orchestra and chorus.
At the end of the show (the earliest Chicken John event ever), after he lip synced a 15 minute recap of his campaign, Chicken took off his trademark glasses, threw his hat into the crowd, pulled off his fake mustache and then opened his shirt to reveal a Superman logo. Right at this moment, projected on the screen behind him, were the words “Chicken John For Supervisor”. That’s right, Chicken is now running for supervisor of District 9, which includes part of The Mission and Bernal Heights (the term for current supervisor Tom Ammiano ends January 2009).
Here Are A Few Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
- VentureBeat on Chicken John & His Run For Mayor
- Video: Help Chicken John Run For Mayor of San Francisco
- Chicken John Rinaldi Is Now A Candidate for Mayor of SF
- Chicken John Rinaldi For Mayor Poster by Kevin Evans
- Chicken John Is Running for Mayor of San Francisco
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I’m surprised that he only got the votes that he did. I know those aren’t final numbers but 400 is very small.
I love chicken john’s image and the race was very entertaining. He can still do some good as supervisor.
Adam: Those are only first choice votes. Most people would have voted for Chicken for second place. If Newsom get’s less than 50% of the vote in the first round after all the ballots are counted, then we should see Chicken’s numbers shine through. If Newsom get’s more than 50%, then we’ll never know.
We’ll never know. Very funny stuff though.
John “Avatar of the Blessings of Liberty” Hell
I think that Gavvie has made incredible progress now that he’s stopped drinking Fiji Water and switched to Hetch Hetchy flavor.
In imported crystal goblets, of course.
4 more years, 4 more years
John Rinaldi is solely responsible for turning me against public election financing. I used to think it was a good idea until I saw how close he came to getting matching funds for what was a self-described absurdist campaign.
Here’s the ridiculous part of all this: Chicken John will likely have spent more money per vote than Gavin Newsom.
Actually, I can still get public financing for up to 30 after the election. I have an appeal on the 30th of November. I now have campaign debt due to hiring lawyers to try to get the matching funds. Ironic, isn’t it?
My campaign shouldn’t turn you off of public financing. You have only really read stuff that was meant to inflame. My intentions are buried beneath hyperbole on top of hyperbole to harvest attention. I agree that wasting tax payers money is bad. I’m with you. I only wish that I could tell you that the system wasn’t so corrupt that to play by the current rules is impossible. Thus, my “absurdist” campaign. The really absurd part is actually the campaign idea in general. But I never really got that far. My intention was to make outragious claims to get attention then bring it home. No one is sorrier then men that the bringing it home part fell short. The calibration to Gavin was so intense that I failed to make some (any) of the points I really wanted to. So I feel ya with your distrust. But I’m not the bad guy here. I admit that I’ve made some mistakes, but my intention was to champion Rank Choice Voting and the Public Finance Program, not destroy them.
And that is still my intention. If you have intelligent opinions on what I should be doing now and why, I’m all ears. There is an on-going discussion. You and anyone else are welcome to join it. I’m easy to get a hold of….
chickenjohn@chickenjohn.com
I’m not doing this for attiention. I really was looking to leave SF. I thought it died. Then I decided to do something about making it fun again. Sure it’s showboating. I’ve actually crashed my showboat into my grandstand. But I’ve put way more smiles on faces then knits on brows. And I learned a lot. It was a great experience for me and everyone around me. Sorry it bummed you out. There is a possibility that if you look closer, you may get a different view. It could change your opinion one way or another. I don’t know if you wanna invest… I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.
chicken
If your intention was to champion public election financing, you’ve failed and done harm to the cause.
My vision of public financing is that it would aid legitimate, experienced candidates without financial resources or affluent constituents. I had hoped taxpayer funding would help level the playing field and help produce viable alternative candidates.
Instead, what Rinaldi’s campaign has shown me is how easy it is to abuse the public financing system. Taxpayer matching funds are within grasp of anyone, even if they have no experience, no constituency, and no intention of really competing.
They’re still counting ballots, but it is unlikely Rinaldi will get more than 2000 votes citywide. If he raised $50K, that’s spending $25 per vote. Where did all that money go?
There is nothing sincere about a campaign that squanders that kind of money with such pathetic results, then wants working taxpayers to pay for it.
I voted for Chicken John as my second choice for mayor because I thought it was important to have a politician who runs on coffee grounds.
~AreWeReally?
Since there will be so few ( relatively ) votes, does anyone know how to find out what happens to the ones already cast? I mean, can I as a voter demand to see some, any? If so, and if a few of us did, we might see some of those second place votes, and would then know just how much of this chicken soup is noodle, and how much broth. Ahem. ….
Anyway, anyone know?
Damn! I was rooting for you man! From over here in the UK
~Sarge~
Juan—To be clear, I don’t believe in public financing of campaigns at all, I’m a libertarian. But I don’t understand why you think Rinaldi’s campaign in particular shows any problem with it. A set of rules were established: if you could prove a certain number of citizens of this city believed in your candidacy and campaign enough to give you money, in small amounts, then you qualified. Your opinions as to the seriously and validity of the candidate don’t matter a whit, except in asmuch as they inspire you to give or not give. A certain number of citizens, to the eyes of most non-biased observers the number and with the amounts established by the laws in SF, showed their support. What’s the problem? Do you think the amounts a candidate has to raise from citizens to qualify needs to be higher? Do you think some outside critic should decide that it doesn’t matter if x number of citizens gave y amount of cash, Rinaldi’s just not serious enough for YOU?
Actually, I received more money than all other candidates (except Newsom) combined. I have like 500 individual contributions. I do in fact have a very real constituency and had the funds been triggered, I would have taken them to their maximum $850,000. Of course, I would have flip floped and gotten very serious. But I knew they wouldn’t give them to me, that’s why I’ve been so flippant. You are watching a show. This show’s intention is that our system is broken. This mayoral race was a farce. It was predetermined. Thus, my candidacy.
I’m sorry you didn’t get it.
But saying that I don’t have a constituency is simply false. I do. You may not like that, but it’s true. I wish that I could be all things to all people. I’m more sorry than you that we didn’t have a better progressive opponant to Gavin earlier. I would have supported her/him. But we didn’t. So I did what I did. And for what I had to work with, I think I did OK. My next race will be more “normal”.
I hope I can count on either your support or your critique. In either case, you have my support in being activated and passionate that you want a better San Francisco. In this, we can likeily agree. Continue to speak your truth loudly and clearly. But your not going to harvest any respect, Juan Valdez, until you take responsibility for your words by putting your name next to them as we all have. You have nothing to fear .
chicken john
I must have missed something. Just what did Chicken John do that was so amusing? Other than co-opting the zombiethon, all he seemed to do was say “City of Arts and Innovation” whenever there was a free platform given him to do so.
And great party – six bucks to get into a bar. Just how were the contributions spent, other than on the one Guardian ad and on a lawyer?
The accounting is a matter of public record. The last filing is in like 2 weeks, I”ll post it on my site.
What did I do? I activated an entire community to pay attention to our local political apparatus. I started an interesting conversation and I had a great experience. So did dozens of people around me.
But it’s funny you say that I co-opted zombification. Actually, I likely just killed the whole thing!
It’s funny. There is a ton of critique on message boards, but tons of praise in my inbox. I don’t know which one is more relevant. I remind you that I did not act alone. There is like 20 people that were with me every move. So if you don’t like what happened, it’s not just you not likeing me. But you can’t please all teh people all the time. And if you even try, your a politician.
I spent hours today and yesterday trying to find a templet to help the birds that are choked with oil. And failed. There is no opportunity for voulenteers. But does that diminish trying? The mayor thing didn’t work as I wanted it to. But I don’t regret that either. There is no way to be evil here, this is just an exchange of ideas. There was less money through the account then in ANY other venture I have ever done including ones that didn’t even cost anything. So relax. No one is profiting off anything. There is no job to get. No cash to hide. Noone gave more than $100 or so. I collected like $30,000. As far as impact is concerned, there is little you can do with $30G that gets that kinda point out. Yea, your gonna say it didn’t work. Maybe you’re right. But I tried. This thing cost me in the end. I have no product, no book, no record to sell. $6 at the door and it all went to the band plus $250 for the club, $200 in decorations, $400 I paid to the Jascha to write and record those songs & a $50 parking ticket because I lied to someone and told them I’d drive their car home because they were drunk but they didn’t wanna get a ticket. So I took the keys and ate the ticket because I was too drunk to drive as well. It’s all a bitch, huh? One thing at a time, one foot in front of the other. I have no plan, it’s all just rolling. Hopefully something good will come out of it. But don’t think for a second that it’s outside my rights as an American to run for public office. In whatever way I see fit. As well as it being within your rights to critique me.
But in the end, hit and run’s on Scott’s site are easy for you. I just ran for fucking mayor. I’m exausted. I trust that you will be generous with your time and resources in the future when I ask for comments and advice on what to do next year in regards to the Supervisor seat that is comming vacant next year in district 9. I would appreciate any and all intelligent and moderatly gentile suggestions or critique that could be put in a postitive way so that I might better continue on this path. If this isn’t going the way you’d like it to go, I encourage you to give feedback. We have a weekly dinner at my house. I cook. You come and listen and I defer. All of it.
Braintrust dinners start again in January. See ya then.
chicken
“moderatly gentile suggestions”?
Goyim Power!
“moderatly gentile suggestions�
or spelling suggestion. I did’t go to school, it’s amazing I can keep up as well as I do. When you point it out to me, it’s obvious. But I never catch it on my own. It’s a skill, not a craft. I’m much better then I was. All that time you were in school I was learning to fix cars. When the lights go out and the bombs are falling, I’ll forgive your making fun of me that I couldn’t spell and let you into the shelter. Maybe.
I’m sorry that you felt my sincere questions were a “hit and run” and I appreciate your answers. So a community of 20 or people that were previously politically inactive became aware of the political process: that’s fine, but it doesn’t excite me and I doubt it excites others who were already aware of the political process. Thusly the poor overall result .
20 people? Dude. There were 475 donations. Probably half of which were first time donations. I would say that if I activated 20 people it’s a waste of time. I think I activated 1,000. OK< so lets say 500. OK. 200. Worth it. Just sayin’.
Lets see how many 2nd place votes I get. Then lets judge. I’m trying to do good works here. Critique is fine, i can take it. I need it. I’m not without fault. But I need more of a helping hand then another dismissal. It’s not gonna work. I’m not going anywhere. You should attempt to help me aim my energy and support, instead of dismiss it. It is unquestionable that I have energy and support. You may be shocked to know how much. But in any case I forever asking for help, not EVER telling anyone what to do. I didn’t even tell anyone to vote for me. Hell, i didn’t even vote for me. I voted for Gavin. Because that’s the kind of world I want to live in.
What kinda world do you want to live in? Be that world.
chicken
You state: “I activated an entire community to pay attention to our local political apparatus.” A statement that vague requires some sort of elaboration, don’t you think?.
You later state: “There is like 20 people that were with me every move.” I apologize if that was not supposed to be an explanation of your community, but if it wasn’t then it’s unclear just what it’s supposed to mean.
Terms like “community” are easy to throw around but essentially meaningless: that’s why real politicians use such terminology so often. I’m still curious about what was actually done. Just because a certain percentage of SF residents contributed to your campaign or tossed a protest/lulz vote your way doesn’t mean that they were previously inattentive to the political process.
I wish you luck in future endeavors, but it still seems to me that a joke/protest/performance art/and whatever else your campaign was called by various media should be funny or thought-provoking. At any rate, it should do something. If you indeed decide to reposition yourself as a genuine politician, I’m afraid that expectations will be even higher.
Postscript: As for “helping you,” I’m not a reactionary. Just because I don’t like various aspects of what San Francisco seems to be turning into doesn’t mean that I’m going to jump on the first bandwagon that seems (n.b.) to provide some sort of opposition. For some (such as the Bay Guardian), that was apparently enough to warrant support. For others, it is enough that you belong to whatever arts community it is to which you belong (as you and I know, contrary to what the mainstream media made out in its usual dumbing-down and simplifying, there is no such thing as a single “arts community”).
For most people, myself included, a person, movement, whatever, needs to demonstrate through words or (preferably) deeds that support is warranted. My skepticism has not been allayed by empty-sounding homilies. If this simple statement of fact seems like an attack to you, I would suggest that promoting yourself as a public figure was a mistake. FYou should promoting yourself as a politician is almost certain to make you the target of genuine attacks (not merely skeptical but sincere inquiries) from many quarters.
Please pardon the typo in the last sentence of the previous post: it should be “You should be aware that promoting yourself as a politician” etc.