The Times OC edition has an interesting article today about the OC GOP’s courting of the Vietnamese vote in the 34th State Senate District. Here it is for your perusal:
CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS
GOP courted Little Saigon
Strategists thought the Vietnamese vote could win Daucher the 34th Senate District seat.
The race is still undecided, but she has a slim lead.
By Mai Tran
Times Staff Writer
November 12, 2006
If Lynn Daucher clings to her narrow lead and wins back a state Senate seat for the Republican Party, the Orange County woman may owe it to a group of Vietnamese American leaders and consultants.
The group, known in inner circles as “Team Tran” because of its association with Assemblyman Van Tran, wrote letters to voters and engaged in a furious campaign on Vietnamese radio and television stations on Daucher’s behalf.
The belief was that Daucher, who speaks no Vietnamese and had not previously been closely associated with that community, could win the contest if she locked up the Vietnamese vote. The 34th state Senate District includes part of Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese American community in the nation.
One of the keys, consultants said, was to persuade Daucher to let them compose campaign pieces in Vietnamese, as opposed to the campaign literature poorly translated from English on which they believed Daucher’s opponent would rely.
A close contest from the start
it is sad to see another example of how a candidate can be “packaged” within four months to fool voters.
This reminds me a parallet tactic used in the last presidential race to years ago. Republicans rallied against the gay marriage and raised this as a wedge issue. For evangelicals this helped simplify a voting decisions for the presidential election. This tactic allowed Republicans to use ministers to reach a population who is likely to follow their leader and vote as a pack.
This is a cheesy, but effective tactic fools hardworking people who perhpas have less time and energy to ponder more complex (and relevant) issues like public education, health care costs, transparency in government. If we truly want a democracy there needs to be a more open dialogue about these issues so voters are making informed decisions at the ballot.
Also, this lends policy makers to not enter an honest dialogue with the public regarding resolving these larger issues.
Anonymous:
Why do Democrats like yourself always talk down to working class voters? You can’t keep treating them like they are idiots and expect them to keep voting for you.
Anon #2:
Stop projecting your problems on us! This year, voters throughout the country kicked the GOP out of Congress because they are sick of the culture wars, and want real action in ussues such as raising the minimum wage. This year, Democrats talked with voters on serious issues such as the minimum wage, making health care more affordable, and making college more affordable for working families.
The GOP, on the other hand, simply pulled off stupid election-year stunts by trying to reignite the culture wars. They tried to push the ridiculous marriage amendment, did a lot of grandstanding on the flag-burning amendment, and pushed through worthless resolutions “supporting the troops” while the troops are dying with inadequate body armor… Oh, and while trying to fend off a civil war that was begun by this Administration in a failed attempt to assert its geopolitical muscle in the Middle East.
Yeah, and it’s “us Democrats” who are talking down to working class voters…
Yeah, right!