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He lives in a motor home, dropped out of high school and has not held a real job in four years.
Candidate for welfare?
No - Eric Bidwell is the youngest candidate running for mayor of San Diego at age 25.
Bidwell is hoping you will vote for him and "Vote Revolution" in the June 3 primary election.
From the clean-cut storefront of his website, www.revolutionarymayor.com, his stoic-faced headshot is flanked with links to social media affiliations, like MySpace and Twitter, along with his invitation to the monthly Revolutionaries' Potluck.
The potluck began nearly two years prior, while Bidwell was seeking out local groups in politics and activism. He found that most of the groups in this genre were overly partisan or sectarian for his taste, so he decided to start a group that was more open to a variety of ideas and viewpoints.
At the April potluck, Bidwell sat with three others and talked about his decision to run for Mayor. He started out by saying what it means to "vote revolution."
"It's a pretty categorical change from the status quo, as opposed to some mild tweaks and changes," he said.
Bidwell's campaign focuses on issues within the City that some of the other candidates are also addressing, including the development of a sustainable water supply, improvement of public transportation and the repair and maintenance of roads. When asked what was revolutionary about addressing standard city issues, Bidwell replied, "Depends on how it's done. Some ideas, like recycled water, require a big thought change in the public."
Bidwell does not see his lifestyle as an impediment for understanding the perspective of San Diego residents.
"Steve Francis being a millionaire doesn't preclude him from understanding the public," said Bidwell. "I have a lot of insight into the lower class and the struggles going on there. There might be some benefit in where I'm coming from."
Bidwell describes San Diego residents generally as being, "…typical Americans." He sees them as people that are more concerned with the normal day-to-day issues of life in Southern California.
It is the frustration of these "typical" Americans that Bidwell is counting on to support him in the June 3 primary elections. He hopes that people will see him as a new option for mayor, as opposed to simply, "…voting for the lesser of two evils."
Rodney Johnson, one of those present at the potluck, seemed to fall into that category. "The political system is broken," he said, adding that he is interested in Bidwell's ideas.
Rachel MacCratich, Bidwell's companion, said of his running, "I think it's great. I think it's brave and I admire that." When asked if she thought Bidwell would be successful in the end, she said, "So far he's already been successful, because he's gotten so much exposure."
Exposure is something Bidwell is not lacking, despite his limited resources. He's already appeared in San Diego CityBeat, the Voice of San Diego, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He also utilizes internet communities to spread the word about his campaign.
Dan Tentler, a freelance systems engineer of 10 years, sees Internet exposure as Bidwell's ticket to success. He compared Bidwell's uniqueness and appeal to viral videos that gain popularity with the public and the media, such as the "Leave Britney alone" video from YouTube last year. When these ideas spark interest and begin circulating, the interest they generate multiplies exponentially, along with the number of followers. He called this concept "critical mass," and said that it could stir up young voters if used effectively.
"He could be running as Mr. Clown Mayor on a little bike with big floppy shoes and a rainbow wig. It wouldn't matter what his platform is if he gained critical mass," said Tentler.
Bidwell seems to be aware of this potential to some extent, though he sees the Internet as more than just a cheap marketing tool. He talked about the potential for creating a website for the City that is more interactive and community-oriented than what is currently in place. "Contemporary technology is integral for community information management," he said.
The internet has also played an important part in Bidwell's past, and so far he has two websites promoting his revolutionary stance: www.revolutionarymayor.com and therevolution.us, formerly linked as berevolutionary.com. Under the "Blog" tab on the revolution.us site, he admits to dropping out of high school. When asked about his regard for higher education, he sites his preference for self-education via the Internet.
"I don't think higher education is the best method of learning," he said. "It takes a lot of learning and a lot of going through life before you know what you want to do."
Dr. C. Kalani Beyer, Dean of the School of Education at National University, agreed that a college degree is not always required in order for one to be successful, but that most of those who make it are typically craftsmen. In terms of whether or not self-education was superior to traditional education, he said, "There is no evidence to support that claim."
Bidwell's lack of work experience seemed of more concern to Beyer than his lack of education.
"Education provides feedback. Self-education means you learn from doing something in which you work with people who give you feedback. Without a job and no college education, it sounds like he doesn't have any of those experiences to draw from," he said.
Bidwell says that the process of running for mayor is a learning experience in itself. "I'm not sure there are classes that teach that," he said. Since he started, he has had his first public speaking engagements, and has begun to gain more insight into local political processes. He is currently tossing around the idea of running for presidency in 2020, when he is old enough to do so.
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