L.A. mayoral candidates debate at temple- original video; Kevin James professes greater objectivity

The five leading Los Angeles mayoral candidates appeared at a "debate" organized by Civic Care at Cong. Beth Jacob in Beverly Hills on Thursday, 3 January.  Civic Care is an organization which educates Jewish voters in the greater L.A. community.

Councilman Eric Garcetti, Controller Wendy Greuel, former assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin James, executive Emanuel Pleitez, and Councilwoman Jan Perry each answered questions presented by David Suissa of the Jewish Journal about their positions on individual issues- and how they are better suited to serve Los Angeles as mayor.

Candidates at 1/3/13 L.A. mayoral debate (l-r) Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, Kevin James, Emanuel Pleitez, Jan Perry

Reporter, Hillel Aron, clarifies in L.A. Weekly:  Kevin James' Mayoral Dreams Get Legs: 

"Two finalists will emerge in the March 5 primary from among the four leading candidates, and the math says those two must win at least 25 percent of the vote to shut out the rest of the big field and get on the ballot for the May runoff. Yet only about 20 percent of registered voters in L.A. are Republican. Even if James got most of them, he wouldn't get all. He needs lots of independents and Democrats — a very difficult thing for a newbie to pull off.



But James is moving up in the world, from no shot to dark horse. While his standout debating style has been leaving the politically experienced but often deadly dull top candidates Perry, Garcetti and Greuel in the dust, mayoral debates — ignored by most voters — don't elect anyone. ...

As 2013 begins, James faces a new problem with the media: Journalists will focus on where the top mayoral fundraisers get their fat campaign war chests. Already, media have reported that Greuel and Garcetti are beholden, moneywise, to city government employee unions who wield outsized influence on the City Council's positions."