It is all about you

Who wins is up to you, of course, and this is the point.

When you watch the debate tonight, look for you.

See if either candidate speaks meaningfully, genuinely and, yes, authoritatively, about what matters to you.

The debate should be — despite the analysis — and, ultimately, will be about whether either of these guys connects with you on a level that has anything to do with your day-to-day reality. Whether either of them will demonstrate a coherent understanding of the urgent need to safeguard the economy, the country, the planet and our democracy and the ways those things manifest themselves — your job, the cost of living, keeping your family safe and healthy, and so on.

In their debates, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan imbued the campaign with a distinctive style of hope. Bill Clinton convinced voters that he truly cared about making a better America for each of us. George H.W. Bush conveyed a confidence borne of experience. We can wrangle through all the other baggage each brought to their candidacies or their presidencies. But they used moments such as tonight’s to connect on the urgent matters that affect our daily lives.

You know what is important to you. No one needs to tell you what it is, including me.

So, look for those moments in tonight’s debate that speak to you, and be not bothered or distracted by the “expert analysis.”

In a recent and cogent essay, veteran pollster Frank Luntz said he is looking for a moment that will “crystallize the stakes of the race and the choice in November with a single memorable line that speaks to the feelings, instincts and perhaps even the fears of so many voters about America today.”

In other words, are they talking to you, and about you?

SEND MONEY: The Biden campaign keeps pestering me for $1 or $3 or $5 that apparently will make all the difference in the campaign. The rhetoric of the email pitches has taken a weird turn.

One from Biden said he was “not mad, just disappointed.”

Mom? Is that you?

LOCAL, LOCAL: The switch to district elections demonstrated it is easier for an insurgent (and often progressive) newcomer to take out a previously entrenched incumbent. Now, the question is whether the newcomer, now an incumbent, is just as vulnerable.

A couple of cities appear likely to put that question to the test, notably South San Francisco, where challengers are being recruited to take on incumbents James Coleman and Mark Nagales. The formidable Karyl Matsumoto is said to be behind the ouster effort.

The opening of the candidate filing period is still more than two weeks away, and it closes on Aug. 9. We will see who ends up running in South City and whether such challenges will turn up elsewhere.

Long-established incumbents are stepping aside in San Carlos and Burlingame, setting up a scramble in these two usually sedate cities. Ron Collins is retiring from the San Carlos City Council after 12 years; Emily Beach is leaving the Burlingame City Council to take a position as chief communications officer at SamTrans, which has proven to be a fruitful career path for at least one person I know.

And we all know Amourence Lee is not seeking reelection to the San Mateo City Council because she keeps telling us on social media. Leading to this gem: “Reflecting on my legacy of leadership, I have decided to step aside and support Charles Hansen for San Mateo City Council because I will not deprive our city of true leadership.”

In the race to replace Anna Eshoo in the 16th Congressional District, not nearly as interesting now that there are only two candidates, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo scooped up some key endorsements in San Mateo County, including Supervisor Ray Mueller, incoming Supervisor Jackie Speier and former state Sen. Jerry Hill. Liccardo also announced endorsements from Pacifica Mayor Sue Vaterlaus and Half Moon Bay Councilmembers Robert Brownstone, Debbie Ruddock and Harvey Rarback. Assemblymember Evan Low, Liccardo’s opponent, appears off to a slow start in the county. Speaking of which, the endorsement news release said, “Liccardo is the candidate who will fight for San Mateo.” Not quite. San Mateo County, maybe. The city of San Mateo is not in the district.

Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.