Monday, September 13, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

JANE ANN MORRISON: Playing the name game: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice ...

Joe Bonaventure lives in a crowded neighborhood called Deceptionland, where he deceives voters and himself.

Lest you think I'm talking about Daddy Joe the judge, I am not.

I'm talking about Kid Joe, the wannabe Las Vegas justice of the peace who came out ahead of seven more experienced attorneys in Tuesday's primary by pretending to be his daddy, the most recognized District Court judge in Clark County.

Kid Joe, 28, has a mere two years of experience, including one year as a deputy district attorney, where he earned a reputation for being lazy.

Yet he insisted he came out on top based on his own accomplishments, not Daddy Joe's name and reputation.

But Kid Joe didn't go out of his way to distinguish himself from his father. He ran a TV ad that failed to show his face. His Web site at www.jbforjp.com lacks any photos of him. Nor is there any description of his "accomplishments" or experience that might confirm he's not the judge.

Kid Joe's campaign plan to cozen voters worked.

A survey of 10 voters at the Meadows mall on the last day of early voting provides the proof.

Six assured me they had just voted for the judge.

"I assumed it was the father, or I wouldn't have voted for him," said Sandra Love, the 10th voter interviewed.

She believes his avoidance of campaign materials showing his face was deceitful and said she won't be voting for him in November.

The field of eight has been narrowed to Kid Joe, who on election night drew a strong 44 percent, and Bernie Zadrowski, a deputy district attorney since 1997, who came in a distant second with 13 percent. They will compete in November. The rest of the votes were spread out over the other six candidates.

Kid Joe gave some laughable quotes on primary election night, telling Review-Journal reporter Brian Haynes: "I think that they saw that I'm really qualified for this job."

Bonaventure insisted confusion over his name was not an issue. "I don't think anyone was confused. I think a lot of them voted for me because of who my father is."

Based on the 10 early voters, nine preferring to remain anonymous, confusion was rampant.

Voter No. 1: "I didn't vote for Joe, but I knew the difference."

Voter No. 2: Knew Kid Joe. Didn't vote in that race.

Voters No. 3 and 4, a couple wheeling a child: "It's the judge," they agreed. Wrong.

Voter No. 5: "It's the judge." Told it wasn't, a woman said she wasn't upset because she knows the family.

Voters No. 6 and 7, two defense attorneys, knew him and voted against him because of his lack of experience.

Voter No. 8: Voted for "Joe Bonaventure" thinking it was the judge. He wasn't bothered by his mistake and said it's OK to vote for the son.

Voter No. 9: "I assumed it was the judge."

Daddy Joe's popularity comes from the power of televised murder trials.

Do the names Sandy Murphy, Rick Tabish, Jeremy Strohmeyer and Margaret Rudin ring bells? Daddy Joe Bonaventure was the judge in each and every one of those murder trials. He'll be front and center in October when the Ted Binion murder case is retried, just before the election.

Daddy Joe was assigned so many high-profile cases it sparked a probe in 2002. The conclusion: There was no manipulation of case assignments.

The power of Daddy Joe's reputation might have spilled over on the Clark County Commission race where Democratic incumbent Mary Kincaid-Chauncey came in third behind second-place finisher John Bonaventura, the judge's nephew.

Bonaventura was a one-term assemblyman known best for telling lobbyists that if they wanted to talk to him, they could come to Adele's, Carson City's most expensive bar and restaurant. At the end of the 1993 Legislature, he was dishonored as the worst freshman legislator, described as "absolutely worthless."

Yet with a bare-bones campaign in a five-way race, he came in behind Assemblyman Tom Collins.

Nephew John is out of the game, but Kid Joe is still in the running for justice of the peace.

Because games of deception work, voters need to look at the newspaper's election sections, which contain photos of candidates, and not just assume they know who Joe Bonaventure really is. Or really isn't.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.