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It wasn't the psychokinetic influence of the tree sitter in People's Park that put Kriss Worthington over the top. Or was it? 

In post election interviews Worthington says he prevailed, and by a sizable majority of votes, because his constituents were too intelligent to fall for his opponents' rhetoric. 

Worthington trumped George Beier by nearly 500 votes. 

But they weren't so smart four years ago when George Beier came within 200 votes of unseating the incumbent. 

Have district 7 voters grown brain cells since the last election? Was it the water? 

Reports in the Daily Cal suggest that there was a low student turnout. This would nullify any importance their endorsement of George Beier might have had. 

There was also a glitch in 5,076 student voter registrations which may have affected the students’ ability to vote by mail, according to the student paper. 

A sudden spurt in IQ in Dist. 7, problems with the student vote tallies, 

psychokinesis, Halloween, or the World Series...whatever: we think psychokinesis is at least as strong an explanation as the foregoing. And it's so Berkeley. 

Just hear me out. 

Tree sitter Midnight Matt, 53, was not pleased with District 7 challenger George Beier's park proposals when he mounted a giant redwood at the northeast edge of the park 48 hours before the election to protest a feared park takeover, which Matt attributed to candidate Beier. 

Without even a radio for company, Mr. Matt had plenty of time to think, perchance to influence. 

Beier's proposals—diversify and improve the park to attract more visitors and students— seemed responsive to a spate of Daily Californian articles reporting an up-tick in violent incidents in the park recently. 

Beier also told the student daily that he would "change existing South Side ordinances," which some interpreted as code for passing a no-sitting ordinance. Berkeley presently restricts lying on streets and walkways. 

The Daily Californian rewarded him with their endorsement. 

The endorsement of Beier's crack-down talk may signal an end to a decades old informal coalition of students, activists, and street people.  

But Worthington won without the student daily's backing. 

Beier's proposals may have cost him the election in his third challenge. They drove Midnight Matt 14 feet up a redwood. 

The race was close; the candidates stepped up last moment get-out-the vote efforts. Worthington dodged a Tea-Party tinged attack on incumbents with some fancy footwork and a last-minute poke in Beier's eye. 

The poke in Beier's eye came at the last scheduled Dist. 7 debate at Berkeley's City Club, Oct 22 where Worthington called Beier's park plans "provocative," noting, as well , possible harm to surrounding neighbors. 

Throughout the campaign, Worthington found himself between the rock and hard place of problems in the park and on Telegraph. And for much of the campaign, he seemed stymied. All he could do was point to past accomplishments, while calls for change stormed. 

Anyone counting Rosales' use of the word change would have died of exhaustion. 

In a show of steely resolve, Worthington held to his commitment to protecting the rights of street people in the face of calls for blood.  

While Kriss hammered away at his past accomplishments, Beier and Rosales hammered away at change. Worthington supporters were wringing their necks. Hand wringing is too tame for Berkeleyans. 

Only Midnight Matt could divine what prompted District 7 voters to resist change and buck national political trends. Nine-hundred-thirty district voters drank the tea. 

Longtime residents of District 7 are a hardy lot. Some remember the 60's riots that spilled into the neighborhoods. Others recall the siege of Henry's Pub which turned South Side into a police state complete with barricades and howling helicopters. Or the curfews following the Rodney King Verdicts. Or hundreds of subsequent riots and provocations. 

You don't live in District 7 to smell the flowers and flash the peace sign. 

When the smoke had cleared, the hardy folks of District 7 voted for more of the same. Dangerous or not. 

Ted Friedman has contributed several articles on the District 7 council race. He has lived in the district 30 years.