If you really want to get to know the mayoral candidates, Advocate has made it easy. Favorite restaurants, hobbies and a plan B if they are not voted into office … we have the answers in our special election video series.
I have enjoyed watching the series for a few reasons: 1) I didn’t have to produce them myself (thanks Emily Toman), 2) I learn new things about the candidates and 3) I find the candidates likable and entertaining, and they both have a good sense of humor.
I was immediately visually amused by the difference in size — Kunkle is a trim former cop and an athlete, but he looks absolutely jockey-like next to the towering Rawlings, whom our video producers apparently couldn’t even fit underneath the Advocatemag.com logo.
It’s a striking difference — Kunkle is J.J. Barea and Rawlings is Shaq, if Shaq were a white guy from up north.
Since we keep getting them together, I propose we have some sort of competition between the two. Obviously a boxing match would be unfair (vast weight class discrepancy), as would a footrace (Kunkle is an avid runner), but perhaps a Revenge of the Nerds-esque competition? Javelin throw, belching contest, variety show — what do you say, guys?
Or maybe we could host a candidate doughnut-eating contest like Voodoo Donuts did during Portland’s 2008 mayoral race. That would be fairly stacked, I assume, because although Rawlings has more space for doughnut storage, Kunkle was a police officer for many years, thus (I apologize in advance for this) a lot of doughnut-consumption. What? Too soon?
Serious voice: I respect the police and totally do not believe they spend their days at the doughnut shop.