Below is a sad but true statement of the importance of San Francisco politics from SFGate.com, San Franciscans ready to pick next mayor, OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Suburbanites see city as political funhouse

A telling quote from the story:

"For the rest of the Bay Area, San Francisco's election has been an engaging spectator sport -- fun to watch, even an opportunity to root.

But the race for mayor is an event that many of the region's residents and governmental leaders say will have minimal impact beyond the city's borders.

"San Francisco provides us with entertainment, but other than that, it's not terribly relevant," said Contra Costa County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier, owner of TR's Bar & Grill in Concord.

The city is increasingly isolated as its politics have become more insular and moved further to the left.

"San Francisco is not the heart of the Bay Area, politically," said Larry Tramutola, whose Oakland political consulting firm has done work at the local level in every county in the Bay Area.

The city is increasingly isolated as its politics have become more insular and moved further to the left.

"San Francisco is not the heart of the Bay Area, politically," said Larry Tramutola, whose Oakland political consulting firm has done work at the local level in every county in the Bay Area."

The city has voted itself into irrelevancy.