By Christopher Tidmore, ctidmore@louisianaweekly.com

      Eight years ago, the author, on his then-morning radio show, began dialing--live on the air--the candidates that had qualified to run for Mayor of New Orleans the day before.  The first call went to a man with a strange name, Manny Chevrolet Bruno.

      "Hello," a haggard voice said, half asleep at 7:15 in the morning.

      "Hi, this is Christopher Tidmore, and you're on the radio.  We're calling to ask why you are running for Mayor."

      "Ah, man," he laughed, "I haven't even had my first cigarette."

       So launched the political career of Manny Chevrolet Bruno, or as he billed himself "a troubled man for troubled times".   

       Driving around in a zebra stripped convertible, he became the most talked about minor candidate for Mayor in years, and in the process, through his humor, actually delivered social commentary that impacted the election at large.

     Four years later, billing himself as a "troubled man, more troubled than every before" in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he observed at one debate when asked about potholes, "Yeah, potholes in New Orleans are huge.  i saw a family of four living in them the other day."

     Ironically, the statement relaunched the debate on potholes that had diminished in the wake of all the post-Hurricane controversies.  The other candidates began echoing the joke, and Ray Nagin ultimately bought the massive machine to fill in the worst of the pothole-offenders.

     Not since Randy Fertel ran for Mayor in a Gorillia suit to argue for a primate exhibit at the Audubon Zoo has a minor "joke" candidate had such an impact.   Bruno has become something of an institution, eagerly welcomed into debates by reporters wanting to liven up the dull affairs.  

     Most recently, his comments had such humorous resonance that John Georges, who followed him in the order of the questions, seemed overshadowed.  The former Gubernatorial candidate himself joked, "It's a hard act to follow.

    Take, for example, Bruno's advice on how to deal with blight, which he adds, "I'm against Blight!"

     "I said it in 2006 and I'll say it again—the only way to redevelop these abandoned properties and blighted neighborhoods is the Amish."

     "I mean these people can raise a barn in a day.  Without electricity or

anything.  You think they can't fix a house?"

     The joke underlies a fundamental truth.   In five years, the Nagin Administration has done little to fix the nearly third of New Orleans properties that are blighted or abandoned.   The comparison with rural, anti-tech farmers emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.

      Take Bruno's response to the question, Why would you want to become Mayor of New Orleans?  He replied, "Because I love to travel."

       His qualifications are "I'm not a career politician and not a rich businessman. I'm just someone who cares," or as he puts it when asked his top three three campaign planks "a. crime, b. education, c. what the hell's a plank?"

      He added, "Let me just say, on the issue of crime, I'M AGAINST CRIME."

      On where he stands on another vote on the master plan, before its final approval, he answered, "I can't stand this. I'd rather sit on it for a while."

     As to the master plan suggestion to eliminate the overpass over N. Claiborne cutting the Treme and St. Roch neighborhoods in Half, he gave the shortest answer of any of the candidates, "Never gonna happen". 

     As to the debate over the new LSU Hospital in mid-city or repairing Big Charity, he questioned, "Have you ever been in Charity hospital? It was a landfill in the making. The concept behind Charity was good but they need new buildings and fast because I don't feel so good a lot."

      Echoing Jerry Jacobs, when asked about some concrete areas where regional interparish cooperation is politically possible, and would you support joint efforts in what areas, he answered, "First of all, I support anything with a "joint". Can't we all just get along?"

      In fact, Bruno said that Jacobs was the candidate he "most wanted to hang out with".  Jacobs runs on a platform of marijuana legalization in Orleans Parish.  So does Bruno.  "Legalize marijuana. Tax the hell out of it. Use the revenue to help rebuild our city.")

       Bruno is blunt on the issue of opposing tax increases and supporting a state law requiring a public vote before mileages could be rolled forward after being rolled back.

       On the question of a new city hall, he said, "I think we need a new city hall but my idea is to move city hall to the abandoned six flags park."  As crazy as it sounds, so far it is the best proposed notion for the property.  

      His argument for Republican voters, and their endorsing committees is simply, "I will always be the 'other' candidate", and to support him.

      As to whether it matters if the next Mayor of New Orleans is Black or White, Manny Chevrolet Bruno raps, "It's not a black thing. It's not a white thing. It's a do the right thing."

      As to any other thoughts or comments that he would like to make on your potential candidacy, he added once more, "I really like to travel".

      And then said, "Once upon a time there was a troubled man for troubled times who wanted to better his life for his wife and kid. Then he found a place where everyone was troubled. The place was New Orleans. Stuck in the 19th century Manny decided to turn all his focus on helping the city get into the 21st century. So he thought about the Amish and how much he loved to travel. The mayor's job seemed like a good fit. And in 2010 his dream came true. He was the mayor of New Orleans and everyone lived happily ever after. The end."

Christopher Tidmore hosts Louisiana Roundtable on WSLA 1560 AM New Orleans and KKAY 1590 AM Baton Rouge from 3-4 PM Weekdays, online at www.wslaradio.com