They run, we vote, then it's over

Today is — finally — Election Day in Los Angeles. Relatively few will vote, municipally speaking, but at least it was fun, right?

The network morning shows, banking on history being made, are already clamoring to put Antonio Villaraigosa on live nationally as soon as possible. Yesterday, I watched his entourage stir real excitement on the Venice Boardwalk, in front of Stroh's Gourmet on Abbot Kinney, in honking rush hour traffic at Wilshire and Veteran, under the tower with the nesting red-tailed hawks in Westwood Village. Not big crowds or overflowing passion, but even adjusting for crafty advance work, the receptions were warm with spikes of un-advanced enthusiam.

I also observed Mayor Jim Hahn stroll in to the Cheesecake Factory in Brentwood and create barely a ripple until the TV lights came on. Some diners promised their vote, but as he went table-to-table many just seemed polite. In what may have been the final hours of his long political career, Hahn's traveling pack consisted of his 12-year-old son Jackson, Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, Cheesecake exec Howard Gordon, press aides Jeff Millman and Yusef Robb, the LAPD detail, and once the cameras left, me. And I bailed before he rode off to events in the Valley and Hollywood in a hybrid SUV from Galpin Ford, unaccompanied by hoopla or friends.

In contrast, Villaraigosa's Westside pack included, at times, his wife Corina and her sister, ex-mayor Richard Riordan, ex-Controller Rick Tuttle, Councilman Jack Weiss, UFW legend Delores Huerta, chief of staff Jimmy Blackman, campaign manager Ace Smith and about a dozen of the most confident strategists, advisers and operatives I've seen in a while. You never know, their polls could be way off. But my prediction is Villaraigosa by seven to nine points. See you on the other side.