Yasha Kharrati, an eighth-grader at Muirlands Middle School in La Jolla, had been up since 6 a.m. But he still paid rapt attention Tuesday night to most of the Democratic presidental debate.
As well he might. The 13-year-old’s ultimate goal is sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court, his father said.
Also joining perhaps 150 Democrats watching the CNN debate at an Old Town restaurant was Ali Black, a 32-year-old English teacher at Coronado Middle School.
“I actually wanted to be the first female president of the United States — unless Hillary beats me to it,” Black recalled of her dream since the 1990s.
A UC San Diego graduate who has been teaching for 10 years, Black helped staff a Hillary Clinton table in a packed and sweaty room at the Alamo Mexican Cafe.
She was among several ambitious partisans watching the presidential hopefuls live from Las Vegas.
State Sen. Marty Block, facing a re-election challenge from Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, led a cheer before the debate. He wasn’t sure of his preference but quipped: “Martin O’Malley has a chance if I endorse him.”
Daniel Smiechowski, seeking to replace John Lee Evans on the San Diego Unified school board, watched a huge pulldown screen. And Encinitas Deputy Mayor Catherine Blakespear joked with Gary Gartner, the public relations man prominent for his spirited defense of Supervisor Dave Roberts.
Oh, and a candidate for U.S. Senate dropped by.
Loretta Sanchez, the 10-term Orange County congresswoman running to succeed Sen. Barbara Boxer, arrived about halfway into the party. She said she’d been in San Diego all day, meeting with groups, party delegates and finally donors at a Dobson’s fundraiser downtown.
After the debate, Sanchez addressed the mixed-age audience for about 5 minutes, noting her endorsements from Reps. Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas. She talked about her record on the environment and labor and women’s issues.
Did any of the White House hopefuls change minds in Old Town?
“I’ve gone around talking to people, and I said: What do you think? … Who’s winning?” Sanchez told Times of San Diego. “If you’re a Hillary person, you’re a Hillary person. If you’re a Bernie person, you’re a Bernie person.”
But she didn’t see many O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee or James Webb people in the crowd, she said.
“As the night wore on, more people are sticking with Hillary,” she said.
And what kind of people is Sanchez?
She called herself a “good friend of the [Clinton] family,” who endorsed Hillary in the 2008 election. But she also hosted Sanders at her home several years ago when he was raising money for his Senate re-election.
“I manage to be friends with all of them,” Sanchez said. “We’re fortunate to have many people who are good candidates.”
As the five were introduced, the mostly white Alamo crowd gave polite applause to O’Malley, Chafee and Webb. Clinton triggered the biggest cheers, with Sanders second in volume and energy.
The pattern continued the rest of the night — with occasional laughter and even hisses and boos (for Chafee conceding his “reckless act” of voting to dismantle the Glass–Steagall Act).
Bruce Nellson might have come the farthest. He’s from Fairfax, Virginia — a member of the Northern Virginia Community College board who was a Hillary Clinton delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. (His wife, Cathy, was a Bill Clinton delegate in 1996, he said.)
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Nellson was in town for the national convention of the Association of Community College Trustees at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. (He learned of the debate-watch party after emailing a Hillary for America official.)
“I’d like to think that Hillary stands out from her competition tonight,” he said as waiters passed behind him, carrying dinner trays on Taco Tuesday. “She’ll probably change a few minds. I think some of the junior challengers will fall away after the debate.”
That might include former Sen. Webb of Virginia, whom he took credit for helping elect.
How about Webb for vice president?
“I think Jim Webb would make an excellent secretary of defense,” Nellson replied.
Blakespear of Encinitas, an estate-planning attorney, cheered the “good job” Clinton did on being “likable” and “solid on policy.” She also hailed the “civility” of the Democrats, a “stark contrast to the GOP debate.”
The amity between Clinton and Sanders (who said “enough of the emails”) impressed Yasha, the youngest debate-watcher at Alamo.
“You know how Hillary and Bernie shook hands after the whole email thing? That really boosted both of their polls,” he said. “It’s really nice to see the candidates get on the stage and keep their cool and make friends.”
Yasha is the U.S.-born son of electrical engineer Hamid Kharrati and his Mesa College teacher wife, Sue — who came to America from Iran as children almost four decades ago.
“He listens to all sides and makes his own decisions,” mom said of son.
Yasha has started a Politics Club at Muirlands (“We’ve only had one meeting so far”), but he plans current events discussions and mock votes.
No doubt he knows politics. His dad says Yasha will be the youngest speaker at Ignite San Diego, an Oct. 22 event at the downtown Central Library. He’ll give a 5-minute talk and slide show on bipartisanship, focusing on former House Speaker Bob Michel.
Did the Kharratis bring their son to the debate as an educational experience?
On the contrary, mom said: “He brought us.”
And who does Yasha back for president?
“Right now, I’m supporting Joe Biden if he’s running,” the teen said. “But if he’s not — Hillary Clinton.”
