It is a week to go before the installment of new officers and to vote for a new Chair for the Democratic Party of Orange County.
Here are some of the contenders:
Current Chair Frank Barabaro has expressed interest in running again and is the frontrunner. He is strongest support comes from south county and Treasurer Gila Jones. Frank Barbaro is also close with Miguel Pulido and that wing of the party. There was a rumor of a coup a few months ago to install Joe Dunn as Chair with the help of Executive Director Melahat Rafiei, but Lou Correa and Jose Solorio put a stop to that. I understand that Frank and Melahat don’t get along so well but I wonder if Frank knows she had the knife out for him?
Frank in the words of a man from Chicago, “Is likeable enough” but is part of the old network of cronies and often talks about, “My Senate campaign in 1978,” and him and Executive Director Melahat Rafiei are constantly take credit for registering new Democrats in the county which they really did not have much to do with. Also, local candidates felt they got the shaft by the party as for the first time in 20 years there was no Truman Dinner. Much of their time was spent on raising money for the DCCC at a Pelosi event and for the presidential campaign. Whereas Democrats were on the march around the country, Democrats has a net loss of city council seats, in part to the DPOC’s poverty and lack of electoral saavy.
So who would run against Frank Barbaro?
Pat Kelly would like current Secretary and perennial candidate Florice Hoffman to move up to Chair someday but Florice doesn’t have the temerity to take on Frank so she will probably run for party vice chair.
There is a rumor that Steve Young would take on Frank. He is popular with the left wing of the Central Committee and has made inroads with labor. I haven’t heard if he is running or not but he would be a dark horse contender.
There is a missing persons bulletin out for Vice Chair Rima Nashashibi. She hasn’t been seen much of the year, so she is not very popular with the committee. While Frank and Melahat are pointing the stick at her for the lack of fund raising, they ought to point the stick at themselves first.
Lou Correa is loading up with staff and allies as new members on the Central Committee and as candidates for the state convention. Will he try to groom someone to run for Chair down the road?
Who do you think should be the new chair?
Shadow,
You seem to have an unhelathy fascination with me. You have some issues you need to seek help for regarding your obvious repressed sexuality and obsession with me. Please learn that no means no.
That being said, Melahat has always had it in for Frank. She has been trying to replace him for a long time. Im sure Frank knew that shortly after he hired her as AD.
Everyone knows that Rima cannot stand Melahat and they parted ways which is why Rima doesnt come around anymore. And the DPOC lost one of its most prolific fundraisers in Rima.
How did Lou and Jose put a stop to joe Dunn becomeing chair? That sounds like reaching to me.
Paul,
I agree. The Shadow does seem to be obsessed with taking shots at you. I wonder what the issue/malfunction is all about.
My question is if Melahat tried to undermine Frank why is she still there?
Frank Barbaro is more important to the DPOC than Melahat ever will be. If this is true she needs to go and go now.
Sorry Paul,
That was the only photo of Pat Kelly, I was able to dig up. Do you think he has buyer’s remorse?
Claudio,
Your history with Pat Kelly appears to be very bumpy. I am not familiar with the circumstances between you two. But you seem to have an obsessive compulsive nature that needs the help of a trained psychiatrist. I suggest you get the help you need and find peace. You will make yourslef sicker if you continue tilting at windmills in this fashion. And I doubt that your friends and fellow Jannies would appreciate you taking them to task in this anonymous cloak.
Also Paul,
this story wasn’t about you, unless you are running for Chair. Are you ?
You guys are pathetic! Has anyone else figured out that “OC Shadow” is really Marc Sussman? The Unemployable campaign consultant of the OC. He wants so badly to be liked that he’ll rip on anyone. Dude, move back to Wisconsin.
NO I am not running for Chair. But you have made a swipe at me in every single post you have written. Your obssession with Patrick Kelly and myslef is really carrying on a paranoid fantasy that will end up making you very sick if you dont seek help.
Shadow,
I think Steve Young would be a great replacement for Barbaro. I hope he goes for it!
Salmon Loaf,
I have never had the misfortune of eating a loaf of Salmon. I prefer my Salmon served on a Cedar plank, with teriyaki glaze.
As for the Shadow, rest assured that I am the only one who knows who this blogger is, and I am not spilling the frijoles.
Many of our readers have guessed as to who the Shadow is. Keep guessing! But I am NOT going to confirm any of these chismes. I will say however that the Shadow is NOT Misha Houser. And obviously the Shadow is NOT Paul Lucas or Pat Kelly.
I think the Shadow is Commie Girl, which would be nice because I always liked her writing. Its definitely not in the commie-girl-stream-of-consciousness style though. I miss that.
Paul,
“Paranoid” “Obssession” and “Fantasy” are a great choice of words to describe OC Shadow based on this and former posts. But c’mon, you are so off the mark. It is clearly Marc once again with his crazed rantings…he must have a lot of free time these days…Regarding the chair, what about Jordan Brandman? Smart, energetic, strategic and knows how to raise money.
Art Pedroza is the Shadow. This should be pretty obvious by now.
Jordan Brandman is a moron and a democratic traitor. He does whatever is convenient. And his work in Anaheim is not impressive in the least
The shadow whom ver it is. Is trying their best to sound just like Claudio and Misha. I dont know if either one of those two had a falling out with marc sussman or not. But I know that marc and melahat did.
Jordan Brandman a traitor? That’s ridculous. Mr. Brandman has been a consensous builder for the county and loyal to the Democratic Party. So, Sussman, unless you have specifics with your allegation about Jordan, then you need to shut the hell up.
And Paul/John, whatever your name is this week, you sound like a total freak. Move on dude. Get a job, get a life, etc. Your obsession with Claudio, Misha, Phil, Sussman is tragic. It shows what an unhappy person you are. Get over it already!
# 13,
Jordan is the opposite of everything you said. JOrdan would make a great chair. But unfortunately Jordan wouldnt have the time or patience to deal with the day to day craziness of the DPOC and I wouldnt blame him if he declined a nomination. Frank has been chair for a long time and has his faults and positive attribute as would be expected of any human being. I think that the advent of four vice chairs n the dpoc may be able to spread the labor around to deal with the intricacies and difficulties of the dpoc and leave the chair with more time to raise money.
Brandman wouldn’t endorse a Democratic candidate because he was a Democrat. Sorry, I think that sucks.
As for the Chair, I think Steve Young would be great, he’s amazing at getting Democrats motivated in the OC and that is what we need. Young just doesn’t seem to want to reach out to Republicans, that’s what we need to win Congressional seats.
Just my 2 cents.
#13 & 17 do you realize how crazy that sounds? I find it impossible to believe that Jordan is like that at all. He does appear to be a very straight arrow though so I could see him not endorsing someone but it wouldn’t have anything to do with them being a Democrat. Are you saying he helped a Republican beat a Democrat or that he just didn’t endorse? These are two very different allegations and ones you should quickly prove or, like #15 opined, shut the hell up about and apologize for.
Paul. You have alot of nerve acting as though you are qualified to speak on anything. Maybe being a traitor. You single handedly kept any democrat from being elected to the GG council. On purpose. The reason people have nothing good to say about you is there’s nothing good to say. The top reason for you to NOT run for office is you can not be trusted. That anyone endorsed you makes one wonder if they are either also stupid or also traitors.
I have a few things to say about the Dem party’s “fearless leader”. I would like to know why in a recent request to provide receipts to the central committee Ms. Rafiei never responded. Just what is Ms. Rafiei hiding? What has she been been charging to the party? Business lunches personal bills? The Orange County register reported that the 2007 Truman Dinner raised over $250,000. Then the budget was almost non existent during the election. Where did all of that money go? I would say if the Party has nothing to hide then let the central committee see where the money went. After all we are the governing board.
Further more I would like to know what the party did during the election. They obviously didn’t do much for the candidates, seeing as how there was a net loss of city counsel seats, and no new gains even with Obama almost winning the county.
Next, Truman dinner. It didn’t even take place in the correct calender year. the 2008 dinner was held in January 2009. Please explain how that was Ms. Rafiei’s only task to accomplish during the election and she couldn’t manage that.
Finally, the fact that she thinks that she could take down Frank Barbaro! The man has been with the party longer than I am able to remember. Maybe she should examine her personal work habits before trying to over throw a leader in the party.
Since we know who our Chairman will be, let’s focus on the real problem that is facing us: GETTING RID OF MELAHAT!!!
The DPOC did not register anywhere near as many voters if it could have if Melahat did not spend all of her time during the last election rubbing elbows with national candidates while we paid her salary. The credit for the recent newly registered Democrats goes to Barack Obama, not to Melahat. She thought it was beneath her to devote her time and energy to registering voters, so she spent her time and energy trying to advance her own career at our expense.
She cannot gain new ground for us in the OC because she is arrogant, backstabbing, dim witted, not ethical, and way overweight. Since she wants her up her profile, let her get a job with Goodyear.
So you say “The DPOC did not register anywhere near as many voters if it could have if Melahat did not spend all of her time during the last election rubbing elbows with national candidates while we paid her salary.”
I find this REALLY hard to believe. She is responsible for registering me and countless other people in OC. I would have been an average complacent American if not for her passion and dedication. I have never met anyone so sincere or dedicated to the Democratic party and to read things like this makes me wonder about your own real motives.