Rick Caruso not running for Mayor

Rick Caruso has announced that he will not be running for Mayor of Los Angeles. At least not in 2009. Good call. This is really not a good time for someone who supported Bush to be running for political office, particularly against a strong incumbent.

Don't run, Rick!

Rick Caruso, developer of The Grove, is considering running for Mayor of LA. In the midst of this incredibly interesting time in national politics, this caught my attention. I don't think it's a good idea. He would be running as a Republican against Antonio Villaraigosa. A Republican consultant asks the key question:

"Is the disappointment with Villaraigosa so widespread?"

My short answer would be "No," and my long answer be "No, and certainly not enough to vote for a Republican." Antonio is doing a solid job. He may not be the transformational Mayor we all want and sort of expect from him, but he hasn't made any major mistakes. The only blemish is the affair he had, but even that was relatively minor. He took responsibility for it, and it faded fairly quickly.

I'm not opposed to Caruso running for Mayor eventually. I like the idea of maintaining some ideological diversity in a city as big as LA. But given the disarray of the GOP and the disillusionment with Republicans on the part of the electorate, I think he would have a much better shot if he waits until Villaraigosa leaves office. Antonio will be term-limited out in 2013, but might leave before then if he gets picked to run something in an Obama administration or if he runs for Governor and wins (which is the strongest possibility).

What I like about Villaraigosa is that he's incredibly energetic, he's very optimistic and gung-ho, he's a consummate professional, and he's not afraid to take strong stands. He unequivocally opposes Proposition 8. He hires good people. Under an Obama administration, I think he could really flourish as Mayor of LA.

I don't know much about Caruso's positions, but from his public persona, I think he might - emphasis on might - make a good mayor of LA. He seems fairly innovative, he's a good manager, and he clearly sees opportunities where others don't. And he believes in delivering value for his customers, a good sign of a good capitalist. But I think his best bet is to wait until he current occupant has moved on.

Steve Lopez goes to the Americana

Steve Lopez, the LA Times' local color columnist, visited Rick Caruso's new shopping center, the Americana at Brand, and didn't hate it. Caruso is famous for developing The Grove, which he claims attracts more visitors per year than Disneyland. I wouldn't doubt it. The place is usually packed. The Grove is straight across Third Street from me, less than five miles. It's great. I love it. It's easily the only mall that I ever go to without really needing a reason. It's next door to the old Farmer's Market, which doesn't actually have much great food shopping, but has wonderful restaurants. But if you need good produce, Whole Foods is across the street.

Lopez, who is something of an old-fashioned liberal (in a good way), resists the southern California urge to splurge, so he isn't a huge fan of this kind of temple to consumerism. I'm a little more comfortable with it, but I'm also not the kind of person who shops just to shop. What I like about The Grove is that it's actually a very efficient model of shopping. It has an eight-level parking garage, which is obviously an efficient use of space. And, because it's usually packed, the stores hold lots of people and move merchandise quickly, both of which contribute to the efficiency of the whole enterprise. And the movie theatre is new and well-done, which I like. And the whole thing is outside, which is generally good for people. The people-watching is great.