I attended the debate yesterday afternoon at the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley that featured all 4 of the major candidates for San Diego Mayor.  It was well worth the cost of the lunch, as my fellow real estate colleagues, all 550 of them in that large conference room, witnessed the final debate before the June 5 primary. Nathan Fletcher resonated with the crowd and he received the loudest cheers and applause. His independence from either party in this non-partisan office race seems to be the right call this time around. Filner is too goofy, with too many jokes, and while I personally like humor, it seemed out of place up on that stage. Dumanis does not have a chance in this race, but her feistiness was actually refreshing. DeMaio appeared to be zipped tight into a Max Headroom-fashioned blue suit, and just seemed so uncomfortable and rambled out the same, memorized, motorized messages that we have been hearing from him for months.  To watch for yourself, the debate will air this Saturday, June 2, at 7 pm on local news Channel 10.  While the debate offered a format to express ideas succinctly, I think the more telling approach to their respective campaigns and commitment was participation in the Memorial Day parade in Kensington this past Monday. It’s a neighborhood event, 40+ years and running, that heads down Marlborough to Adams Avenue and lasts a little over an hour. Filner and Dumanis rode in cars and waved to the crowds, DeMaio was absent but he had a contingent walking the parade. Fletcher, he walked the route and shook hands with as many as he could reach. I was with a group of about 30 folks on the corner of Middlesex and there was widespread disappointment when we all realized that Fletcher was on the other side of the street, and as the parade moved forward he would not be able to circle back to shake our hands. And I think the people of San Diego like Fletcher because he brings an energy and motivation as well as independent thinking to a political process that has grown shopworn. San Diego is a lively, happy city, and we need leadership that understands that vibe and will be a positive advocate for our future. Nathan Fletcher gets my vote for Mayor of San Diego.