Blogger and activist Pat Flannery made an interesting slip here in his horse race discussion about the mayoral campaign and undecided voters (emphasis mine):
Has Steve Francis done enough to educate that 15% of San Diegans that a powerful cadre of developers want Sanders elected so he can to give away as much as possible to them? McMillan (NTC), Moores (Petco Park), Manchester (Navy Broadway), Pardee (San Ysidro), Sunroad (Kearny Mesa, Kensington) never have enough.
Hmmm. “A powerful cadre of developers want Sanders elected.” That could be true. But it is ironic that Flannery includes Doug Manchester in this list of developers.
Mr. Manchester is actually a supporter of Francis. He’s a die-hard devotee of the Republican-turned “independent” who wouldn’t let his notorious distaste for the hotel workers union or other labor groups get in the way of his support for Francis.
Why does this matter? I just have found this little phenomenon to be particularly intriguing. Flannery represents a vehement slice of neighborhood activists perpetually dismayed by the state of City Hall. But one thing they’ve been most upset about is Manchester and his plans for the Navy Broadway Complex. This includes Katheryn Rhodes, a particularly passionate activist who is serving a major role in City Attorney Mike Aguirre’s re-election campaign. She’s working as hard as she can for Francis.
Perhaps it’s just indicative of his appeal that Francis can unite Manchester and Flannery — or just another indication of how weird this race has become.