http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...2102EST0181.DTL(12-02) 18:02 PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --
Former Vice President Al Gore, whose presidential ambitions suffered when a Green Party candidate siphoned liberal votes, weighed into San Francisco's turbulent mayoral election Tuesday by endorsing another moderate Democrat who also faces a challenge from the left.
Gore, whose defeat in the 2000 presidential election has been attributed in part to support taken by the Green Party's Ralph Nader, endorsed Gavin Newsom, a city supervisor fighting his way through a stiffer-than-expected run-off against Green Party contender Matt Gonzalez.
"I'm here because I'm pA*ionately in favor of Gavin Newsom. I want to see him become the next mayor of San Francisco," Gore told an audience at what was ostensibly a public policy forum but quickly turned into a full-fledged campaign rally with cheers and signs.
Gore said he felt comfortable endorsing Newsom because the candidate's studied style of leadership mirrors his own. A batch of 21 Newsom campaign policy briefs on such municipal issues as economic development, health care and parks "reminds me of my experience of eight years in the White House," the former vice president said.
"You have a great city here and for it to remain a great city you need to constantly refresh it with new ideas," said Gore, who also attended a fund-raising reception for campaign donors. "That is the democratic spirit that is motivating Gavin's campaign."
Gore made no mention of Gonzalez and the similarity between his left-leaning challenge of Newsom and Nader's race against Gore.
The words of support came at an opportune time for the Newsom campaign, which has been working to shore up the candidate's support among Democratic voters while fending off criticism from his Green Party rival that he is too conservative to run one of America's most liberal cities.
Newsom's opponent in the Dec. 9 runoff, Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, has spent the last days of the campaign telling voters that Newsom is politically closer to a Republican than a Democrat because he is being supported by land developers and large corporations.
Picking up on that theme, a Gonzalez supporter stood outside the downtown theater where Gore was making his endorsement with an enlarged copy of a campaign disclosure statement showing Newsom donated $500 to the city's Republican Party in October 2000 to get his name on a GOP election mailer.
"I greatly respect Al Gore, and I hope he comes to San Francisco in the future to speak to the community instead of to attend a fund-raiser for someone who supports the Republican Party," said Matthew Taylor, 29, who lives in Berkeley.
Ross Mirkarimi, a Gonzalez campaign spokesman, suggested that Gore's endorsement was misplaced, saying that Gonzalez has a stronger record than Newsom on the environment, one of Gore's major concerns.
"I don't think Mr. Gore had a chance to evaluate both candidates, but I do think the Newsom campaign is scared and desperate and that's why they are trying to import all these high-level Democratic consultants and why they imported Al Gore," Mirkarimi said. "What's next, the Pope?"
Newsom and Gore spent nearly an hour together onstage discussing Gore's efforts to bring efficiency and new models of government to Washington while he was vice president and how they might be adapted to a city.
The discussion was part of an ongoing series of talks with authors, activists and other city leaders that Newsom has used to draw attention to his campaign. Although Gore and Newsom did not know each other before, the former vice president agreed to take part in the event while he was in San Francisco on other business, said Jim Ross, Newsom's campaign manager.
"It's extraordinary," Ross beamed after cameras caught Gore and Newsom joining hands in a victory sign. "As much as the Gonzalez campaign wants to spin, Gavin Newsom just got photographed and will be seen on the news with the vice president. ... The value of that is unestimable."
Newsom secured 42 percent, or 87,196 votes in last month's general election, emerging as the top vote-getter but failing to secure the majority needed to avert a runoff. Gonzalez came in second with 20 percent, or 40,714.
Recent polls, however, have shown the margin separating the two candidates at less than 10 percentage points.