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Image of “Big Jawn” Moorlach digitally enhanced. Arguaibly, digitally ruined. Whichever.
For anyone who’s been worrying that endorsements from all of OC’s wrong Republicans would give Don Wagner an unreachable head start in the 37th State Senate District race — you can settle down now. It looks like we’ll still have a race to talk about. John Moorlach just won the endorsement of the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly (“CRA”) by almost ten points more than Tony Rackauckas beat me for OCDA last June. (Scroll down far enough in that link that you’ll see them endorsing Brett Barbre over me for Muni Water Board. Knaves! Imbeciles! But I digress….)
The CRA’s vote was 26-6, or 81.25%. As the ideological activist organization associated with the GOP — a bit like the Progressive Democrats of America or Democracy for America on my side of the aisle, but with much more clout in our fine county — beating his opponent by almost three touchdowns may have more of an effect than one might imagine. I’m not much of a Moorlach supporter — but I do want this to be a good race.
OK, to be honest, this is the late comedian Buddy Hackett, not Don Wagner, but OJB thinks that it’s close enough!
A candidate’s own war chest matters, of course — as do independent expenditures — but in a small race like this the endorsements of major organizations matter as well. The Republican Party is reportedly not going to endorse. The Democratic Party has no one to endorse, about which I will grumble another time. The Lincoln Club could, I suppose, endorse — and they might be more on board with former Supervisor and anti-spending ninja assassin Moorlach than comfortably ineffectual State Assemblyman Wagner, who is almost-but-not-quite pictured at right — but no parajito has murmured of their plans. AtlasPAC does not seem to acknowledge the existence of the election. That means that the only recognizable political organization that is likely to be coming out for either of the two men is the CRA. An endorsement without a counterweight can have unexpected power.
If Moorlach can get word of this endorsement out in print — admittedly, a big “if” given his disadvantage in campaign cash, but again there could be IEs — then that should be a clear sign for the sort of voters who think they should vote but need some guidance.
Some Republican voters may look to their local elected officials for that guidance — and Wagner (as one would expect of an elected legislator) has a big advantage there. Just look at who he has in his corner! He has Representatives Ed Royce and Mimi Walters — who though the end of 2014 “represented” this district from her mansion in Laguna Niguel, having given up the apartment she “resided in” in Irvine about a year ago; State Senators Bob Huff, Pat Bates, and Janet Nguyen; fellow Assembly Members Travis Allen, Young Kim, Bill Brough, and Ling Ling Chang, who apparently want him OUT of their chamber; County DA Tony Rackauckas and Sheriff Sandra Hutchins, incoming Supervisor Michelle Steel and more — pretty much the whole freak show, plus a passel of slavering development interests. He doesn’t list local officials — but, if the writings on the CunningBlog are any indication, Curt Pringle and his band of flying monkeys do seem to be tilting towards Wagner. (This may not just be to suck up to powerful electeds but also because he may be eyeing Wagner’s Assembly seat for Kris Murray.) If you want “more of the same” — that’s his motto!
It’s sort of interesting to see who’s NOT on the list. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Darrell Issa. Asmb. Matt Harper. Supervisors Todd Spitzer (who represents most of this district) and Shawn Nelson (who has openly endorsed Moorlach.) Moorlach’s other endorsers include Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, who reportedly has some sway with Republicans in the County (particularly Anaheim Hills, which is within the district) and Costa Mesa’s Eric Bever. In other words, Wagner has support among the “Go Along to Get Along” Republican electeds and lacks support among the “Does Not Play Along to Get Along With Horrifying Republicans” ones.
Where Moorlach likely has an advantage is in frenzied, foaming, pulsating activists — the sorts who have the energy that Wagner will have to purchase. It’s not just in the CRA; it’s also online. The OCTeaParty blog has a piece smacking Wagner for his supposed openness to an amnesty proposal — which, without researching it, I’m guessing is his essentially saying that he’ll just go along with GOP party leadership on whatever, something that Moorlach is less likely to do.
Conservative blogger Robyn Nordell has come out guns blazing for Moorlach on her “Conservative California Election Website” and warns her readers “Expect UNIONS to spend a massive amount of time, resources, and money to try to keep John Moorlach from winning this seat.” I’m really not sure that that’s true. Yes, unions do hate Moorlach for reasons good (he doesn’t like them either) and bad (he opposes boondoggles that can employ small numbers of unionized employees for limited period of time at great public cost and substantial strain on the social fabric — and yes, I am thinking of the 405 toll roads). But as with Hapless Matt Harper’s being chosen to go to Sacramento over favored Keith Curry, there’s a good argument to be made from the union perspective for just getting that guy the hell out of the county and making him the entire state’s problem. Unions have got enough to contend with right now without spending money to ensure the presence of a quietly contemptuous Don Wagner type in the Legislature. (If Wagner wants to clarify that he’s not contemptuous of unions, OJB will be happy to print it — and Moorlach will probably be happy to reprint it!)
Which was will Democrats go — if, indeed, Democrats vote in this election at all? On March 17, my guess is: neither.
Namazi has some decent technical credits (ranging up to Second Assistant Director and Art Director) on three films, none of which seem to have much of an audience. (Note: This will change if she is elected!) She has uploaded some work onto YouTube — I’m not sure which of the ones not clearly based in OC are her own work — one of which I found deeply affecting after watching it to the end. I think that many Democrats and Republicans will agree with me.
Ha-ha! OK, try this one, which I promise will not end on a similar tone.
OK. Don’t give up. One more. This one is more polished.
Hey, I liked that one! (Well, I also liked the first one.) This one has only 20 views so far, so lets see if we can make it go viral — or, failing that, at least get it to 25 or so.
I think that I can speak for all Democrats when I saw that this is the sort of sensibility we would like from a State Senator from this part of the County. In fact, judging from his chatty and piquant newsletters, had John Moorlach been born later, as an artistic female Persian emigrant rather than an accounting oriented Dutch emigrant, I could imagine him making movies much like this. (All right, maybe not much like it — but coming a lot closer than I can imagine Wagner doing.)
Seriously: if Namazi manages to get the word out that she is an artistic and slightly quirky Persian woman, I think that she pretty much has the Democratic (and perhaps the NPP) vote well-in-hand. The problem is that there may not be much of that there may not be much of that vote. But Democrats may want to consider this: a vote for Namazi is a vote against either Wagner or Moorlach getting 50% of the vote — and will therefore be a vote for two more months without Mimi Walters being replaced in the State Senate. And if that’s not enough, maybe we also have a decent shot at seeing a frustrated Don Wagner cry. Politically speaking, can things get much better than that?
If Robyn Nordell comes out guns blazing, does it make a sound?
I don’t know. There was no soundtrack, just visuals.
Okay, I’ll say it. Naz is a lot cuter than Buddy Hackett or John Moorlach (photoshopped or ortherwise).
No comment, lest it summon a Democratic Party officer to eat my liver.
john, “i hate pensions and government jobs” moorlach is simply looking for a job at the trough,,,,he cannot get job in the real world and cannot raise money in the political world…he loses, the chick goes back to working for dana and making marginally artistic movies that get rejected by all film festivals, and wagner wins
That would probably be the way to bet, given the cash-on-hand disparities, but “the way to bet” is boring.
Sure, Moorlach wants to stretch out his political career (and, I’d imagine, run for State Treasurer or something) — but such ambitions hardly distinguish him from other politicians. Namazi, by contrast, is unusual for the category, and not only because even without winking she apparently sent a Palinesque starburst through Zenger’s monitor and ricocheting around his living room.
(Original Rick Lowry quote on Palin here: http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2008/10/palins-little-starbursts/210760/).
“because even without winking she apparently sent a Palinesque starburst through Zenger’s monitor and ricocheting around his living room.”
My monitor is in my office, not my living room. What an odd thought.
I do agree that a bunch of sad, lonely Republican males were entranced by Palin’s dubious charms; much in the same way local Democrats are apparently mesmerized by the physical appeal of their own zaftig, middle-aged inamorata like Lo and Quirk.
Yeah, I remember Cunningham himself, the quintessential ungainly prude, waxing tumescent on the occasion of Sarah’s entrance onto the national stage in aught-8. I should find the link. He was usually Jubal back then…
If he was waxing, I don’t want to know about it.
do we know whether or not moorlach waxes
No, he dropped Jubal by then and had uncloseted himself in 2006/07 as I recall.
But yes, guns, ammo, blasting animals off the face of the earth and the wink. he was hooked alright. Waxing tumescent, indeed.
Gentle ribbing of you, sir. Wording — “starburst” and all — taken directly from Lowry’s piece, quoted at the link.
But thanks for the inspiration! The world does desperately need a new musical band composed of middle-aged women and called “The Zaftig Inamorata.”
An all girl band or trannie?
Does it matter to you?
Not really. I hope they do string quartets.
*”The Kick is up……….and it’s good!”…..Moorlach wins!
In Pedrozaville — where, somewhat disturbingly, Art is pretty much on the right track with this one — our sometime contributor Aaron Park is busily explaining to readers that they SHOULD NOT WORRY about the candidates’ positions on immigration, because he promises that DON WAGNER WILL BE TO THE RIGHT JENGHIS KHAN on the issue (putting aside the fact that Jenghis Khan was sort of “immigration threat” that really WOULD deserve real concern, unlike what we face now.)
Anyway, it prompted me to refine some of the ideas that I had presented above. Enjoy — or suffer, it that’s your pleasure.
I’ll try to keep y’all updated.
It’s all very convoluted. I should go see what Aaron’s writing. I thought he was the king of CRA, but he’s shilling for the non-CRA-endorsed Wagner?
Wagner and immigration: I know Don’s great sin, to Mexican-haters, was adding his signature to a letter asking for comprehensive reform. I dunno what he was thinking with that, but I’ve long thought of him as a Mexican-hater. He, Diane Harkey and Allan Mansoor were the three OC assemblymen standing with Tim Donnelly just four years ago when he demanded Arizona papers-please legislation in Sacramento: http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2011/04/oc-legislator-follies-harkey-high-speed-rail-doomed-minuteman-legislation-and-mansoor-comatose/
And the previous year, when I heard Don give a speech at a particularly anti-immigrant Tea Party, he was so transported by his xenophobia that he invented a new word: “ENCROSION” – the “Mexican encrosion of our borders” – presumably a pormanteau of erosion and encroachment: http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/07/verns-report-from-the-tea-party/
PS just got a third unsolicitied e-mail from the Wagner campaign, after threatening them that I’d report them as spam; this time I did.
When GENGHIS KHAN is mentioned I think of this song:
Can anyone name something Moorlach accompished while serving on the Board of Supervisors, or Wagner in the Assembly? I am looking for outcomes, not simply taking a stance on an issue or handing out proclamatkions and certificates. Results, not process. Too much to ask?
That’s the question I’ve been asking all over the place. It seems to me he’s been noticeably accomplishment free since 1994.
Moorlach, that is.
So far as I can tell Wagner is just another second tier drone in the Republican Smash ‘N Grab Club.
At least Naz has helped produce a few films….
*Yes OBNO……try a few: He got Corona dusted. He created the Citizens Committee on the Sheriff’s office. He got Hutchins nominated and voted in. He pissed on Bernardino or whatever his name is that runs the Employee Union. He worked with Bill Campbell on numerous issues. He overspent on upgrading the Orange County Board of Supervisors 5th Floor, He really pissed off Nick a second and third time. He got Sunset Beach Annexed by HB. He failed miserably against the Golf Cart folks of Leisure World, Los Alamitos – but fought endlessly, not believing us. No, and those a just the tip of the iceberg…..his oversight on the JWA was great and eternal. His hands off policy on Costa Mesa was a hoot. His stand-offish approach to Anaheim was great. His low key messaging on the Kelly Thomas and Fullerton gone errant……was also priceless. His defense of Chris Street and then his sudden change of heart was a stroke of genius. Letting Rick Francis go to Costa Mesa was a great moment of kindness and good judgment. Other than that: As in Life of Brian:
“So what have the Romans done for us?”
*We forgot the OCTA and re-buy of the 91 Toll Roads from Private Industry, then the 73 when the pavement starting shredding and whole TCA phenom of stupidity……..but he did the best he could……when all the payoff money was for using 1960 dash sensors…..when they should have just used a Smart Phone App when they closed the cash only booths…….but that is a whole other story.
“Yeah….what have the Romans done for us……actually?”
Funny, some people see most of those items as losers.
Working with Bill Campbell!?! The biggest sanctimonious grifter I’ve seen.
But what, pray tell is the “Citizens Committee on the Sheriff’s Office?” Never heard of that one, although I know he championed the utterly worthless Office of Independent review, a lapdog that licked the hands of the Sheriff and the AOCDS.
Would it be appropriate to ask where “Truck drivin’ Mike” lives and votes. The dude is all over the place…..makes you wonder……
Looks like Chimpanzee shut down another office.
Try the 2/1 hot dogs here. Best deal in central OC.
I believe that the real TDM posts only here under that name — and that some miscreant has stolen his fictional identity to use elsewhere. (TDM, let me know if I’m wrong.)
i only post here because, while i usually disagree with you and vern, i do like and respect you. you are both intelligent and articulate, but mostly wrong. if somebody is using my handle, i have a couple of farakan boys that will have to pay that person a visit
I believe that the individual posting elsewhere as TDM may think that the real TDM is me – my guess is SM.
“Looks like Chimpanzee shut down another office.”
That’s a rather intriguing sentence, Mr. Swinging Door. What does it mean?
newport, behind a couple of gates
but my enterprises, and thus my reach, extends county wide
Wagner’s support looks like residual influence from Tom Fuentes. Remember to ask him about how he feels about the American Library Association (those busybody liberals).
Winships – well, that translates into a lot of flailing about by Moorlach mixed in with some mis-steps, but end results? Don’t see any there. By the way, you left out his championing of the county lawsuit to overturn the Sheriff’s Deputies enhanced retirement benefits. I think some see that as a valiant effort, others as a grandstanding and predictable waste of millions of taxpayers dollars. As for Wagner, I am beginning to wonder if he is an empty suit. Since I live in the 37th Senate District I am contemplating joining the majority of the voters – by not voting. Not impressed with the choices. I understand Will Rogers once said “the reason the best candidate never wins an election is that the best candidate never runs!”. Seems to fit.
*Some things are Under Reported OBNO….like the fact that Moorlach supported Hutchins on here broading of Concealed Carry Licenses. Or the fact that the Sheriff’s DNA Dept became autonomous. Or that the OCSD has expanded greatly during Hutchins rule and we haven’t heard much about the over crowding at Theo Lacy. Lot’s of things go on in a county of this size. Moorlach aimed and hit some of the bigger targets and cannot be faulted for playing political dodge ball much.
Don is a great team partisan player, but we are not sure that his membership to Principles Over Politics…..might have expired sometime ago.
Wagner is a right wing loon, an extremist who caters to the reliable wingnuts in Orange County who care for his ilk. A doorknob would be more relevant.
Persian=Islam. Period. Enough said. No muslims!
I’ll let this one stand for now (unless it turns out to be a fake of some kind) as a reminder of what we’re up against here in OC, and the US generally.
dear Brittany,
Please look into Zoroaster and understand that your religion wouldn’t have been possible without Persia
But… but…..
There’s a Dem running as a write-in:
http://www.theliberaloc.com/2015/02/16/democrat-louise-stewardson-launches-write-in-bid-for-sd-37/
(snicker)
A good progressive Democrat who has fought long and hard for single-payer healthcare and against unnecessary wars. Laugh at the Democratic Party, but not at Louise Stewardson.
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2015/02/sd-37-newz-dem-louise-stewardson-launches-write-in-campaign-moorlach-snags-register-mcclintock-and-the-cynthmonster/
The only thing more hopeless than a Green in a partisan race is a write-in in nearly any race. (though I’ve actually known a write-in Green in a partisan race)
The only thing that might change that would be a king hell advertising budget. Is that in the cards?
It is not in the cards. Well, except for whatever Vern puts on the sidebar here for free.
*Sadly, our dear Lou got outed in the Recall and failed to garner the necessary 44 votes for victory. Yeah, that’s OK…..Lou will land on his feet, probably with some Governor appointed jobs..our bet. Meanwhile, this Wagner-Moorlach race is funny stuff. Can you believe that Dana is backing Wagner? Wagner has ramped up his campaign efforts and is busy sending out Absentee requests. Moorlach has garnered some endorsements but we will have to see how many boots on the ground he can put together before the 17th of March.