Down the stretch they come

Despite his obvious handicaps, Davis is the favorite, ahead by four lengths with a half-mile to go. Simon is trying to move to the outside to make a charge, but he keeps stumbling and has too little left at the quarter-mile pole.

But, from the back of the pack, a jockey wearing the color green is poised to make a run on a game, if undersized, horse. The odds are long, and he really doesn’t have a chance, but he is fun to watch and support—a $2 show bet, perhaps.

The outsider, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, will add interesting viewpoints to the race for governor … if Californians get a chance to hear them. Many of you are being denied the opportunity to hear him debate because Davis prefers to, um, run on his record. The front-running governor took over control of the debate process, as he has most things, and is mostly lying low. No need to give Camejo room to run; too many people could bet on him.

The real losers in this race, of course, are you and democracy. The winners are the Republicans and Democrats, the duopoly that runs everything and runs the competition out of town.

But we love an underdog. That’s why you’ll read the views of Camejo as though he did debate (“Mr. Camejo, the floor is yours,”). He is a principal rival for the most important office in the state, and his views may stimulate discussion of the issues, which is vital.

Does he have a realistic chance to win? It’s not a smart bet, but he’s in the race and deserves our attention.