There is that climactic scene in the movie where Napoleon Dynamite takes to the stage with a cassette tape, some herky-jerky dance moves and an odd but earnest belief that he's doing the right thing. At first, the high school audience is aghast. How dare someone who is so far out of the "in" crowd dare to dance at the assembly? But his sincerity is disarming and endearing. Instead of embarrassing himself or making the audience cringe, he proves something.

There's a saying that all of life is like high school, and that certainly came to mind Tuesday night during the televised debate between the top three candidates for Honolulu mayor.

The Hawai'i Theatre is certainly much nicer than any high school auditorium in this town, but it might as well have been a beat up gym for all the jeering and hollering in the audience.

And there was Panos Prevedouros, the Napoleon Dynamite of the evening, daring to say things no politician would ever say because he is not a politician.

Prevedouros was asked if he were elected mayor but the voters supported steel-on-steel rail, would he then back the project? His answer was no, he would educate the voters so they realized what a bad idea that was and he would hold another vote.

The correct response for a politician would have been, "I will go with the will of the people" even if they don't plan to do that. It just sounds better. But Prevedouros, ever the professor, said he would just have to work harder to teach people so they know better. Some in the audience laughed at that. He looked surprised that he might have been expected to say something he didn't believe in.

To withstand the rigors of a debate format where questions were hurled from multiple sources, including one's opponents, and answers timed using yellow and red lights; to hold your ground against two veteran politicians with years of experience answering, flipping and dodging questions; to come out the other end 90 minutes later smiling like it was sort of fun takes either a kind of true-heart bravery or the ego-less Zen of someone who has nothing to lose.

Prevedouros may not have won the debate, he may not win the mayor's office, but he won something Tuesday night. He went in the ring with the heavyweights and made it to the final bell. No one had to look away while he pathetically bled. He didn't bleed. He smiled and he even landed a couple of punches.

Does it make him the best candidate for mayor? Maybe not. But it makes him a hero to all outsiders and underdogs.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.