Venezia: Reading tea leaves as election day nears

As the election season starts to wind up, and mail-in ballots hit mailboxes, it’s time for voters to make their choices.

Having interviewed candidates running for council seats in both cities, the 74th Assembly District and the 2nd Supervisorial District, and hosted four Feet to the Fire Forums, I’ve had an interesting perspective.

Will Newport’s mayor, Rush Hill, prevail over newcomer Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, who recently had quadruple bypass heart surgery (and is said to be recovering nicely)?

And will voters look at Duffield’s illness as an indication he wasn’t up for the rigors of campaigning and won’t be ready for the stresses of a councilman?

Hill performed strongly at Feet to the Fire, while Duffield refused to attend along with candidates Scott Peotter and Kevin Muldoon, each of whom is running as a slate represented by political consultant Dave Ellis.

Ellis is selling his three candidates as a “team,” but will voters embrace this group consciousness or opt for more independent-thinking candidates like Mike Toerge, Tim Brown and Roy Englebrecht?

And what about Measure Y? Brown and Hill all agreed at Feet to the Fire that Measure Y would increase traffic on Jamboree Road, MacArthur Boulevard and Coast Highway, but still think the measure is a good idea.

Englebrecht, on the other hand, is the only candidate firmly against Y.

Will voters buy Y?

Will Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer be reelected simply because the slate of candidates is so vast that he could slip by with enough votes?

Or will he prove he really does resonate with voters?

Some in that city say they want change, but if that’s really true then why retread Righeimer or candidates Katrina Foley and Jay Humphrey, both former members of the council? They each served, so is it time for new thinking for tomorrow?

If change is truly on the horizon for Costa Mesa, then wouldn’t candidates like Chris Bunyan and Tony Capitelli be its future?

And I’d be surprised if Costa Mesans voted to become a charter city by passing Measure O. The idea failed with voters before, and I think will go down in flames again.

The 74th Assembly District race is also interesting. Newport Mayor Keith Curry versus Huntington Beach Mayor Matt Harper. This has been a particularly contentious race.

Curry clearly did far better than Harper at Feet to the Fire and will most likely outspend his opponent.

But races are not always about money. Harper has some steam behind him as a popular mayor in a more populous city. His political pals in Costa Mesa are pulling for him too.

And who will be our next supervisor?

Michelle Steel, vice chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, certainly has the momentum, money and the political clout, though she didn’t perform well at Feet to the Fire.

Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) will be hard-pressed to beat her. But he’s won before as an underdog, though clearly this is one of his toughest races.

How will the political season end?

A lot depends on how much time the average voter spends cutting through the smokescreen of the political game to determine who best deserves the vote.

Being an educated consumer is vital here.

Most people today wouldn’t buy a dishwasher without doing a bit of online research, yet I’ve known folks who have voted based on nothing more than recognizing someone’s name.

Voting on a local level affects what happens right outside your front door.

Voters should be looking at candidates’ websites and reading between the lines.

Does the site outline issues you’re interested in? If so, where does the candidate stand on them?

Google the names, read articles and get to know their history and what they’re about. The beauty of the Internet is that the good, the bad and the ugly remain online.

Go to your city’s website and look up the candidate’s campaign-disclosure forms. Maybe too many developers are donating to a particular candidate for your liking, or you may recognize friends and neighbors supporting. Call and ask why.

If you haven’t been to a candidate forum, watch at least one online. NBTV and CMTV are airing past forums on television and YouTube. All previous Feet to the Fire Forums can be found at feet2thefireforum.com.

Don’t waste time reading campaign mailers.

They’re put out by political consultants and special-interest political action committees hiding behind catchy names like “the Neighborhood Preservation Coalition” or “Strong Orange County Neighborhoods.”

Who the heck are these people?

These groups all have their own agendas, and I’ll bet they certainly don’t have our best interests in mind.

Driving through Costa Mesa and Newport, I’ve noticed an obvious lack of candidate signs in residents’ yards.

I hope this isn’t an indication of public apathy, because now is the time everyone really needs to pay attention.

BARBARA VENEZIA, whose column appears Fridays, lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.