On the left is Frank Barbaro, Chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party. On the right is Scott Baugh, Chairman of the Orange County Republican Party. Isn’t this proof that both the Democrats and Republicans are conspiring to split the votes and steal the election in the 47th Congressional District?
I typically don’t like getting personal with other people in my blog posts, but The Orange County Register has just published a very interesting article about Cecilia Iglesias, who is running as an Independent candidate in the 47th Congressional District.
It reveals previously unknown facts that Frank Barbaro, Chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party, perhaps for some rather bizarre reason, has conveniently neglected to mention about Ms. Iglesias in any of the crazy ramblings he’s made about her:
Iglesias, 38, who goes by the nickname “Ceci,” shares an immigrant background with about half the people in her heavily Latino 47th District. Her family came by bus from El Salvador, fleeing civil war and settling in Santa Ana. She became a citizen in 1996 and immediately registered as a Democrat.She stayed a Democrat until 2004, when she switched to the Republican Party, registration records show. She was a registered Republican – and voted in Republican primaries – until last year, when she registered as a “Decline to State” voter.She filed to run for Congress as an Independent less than two months later.
So Ms. Iglesias was a registered voter in the Democratic Party between 1996 and 2004? Interesting, huh? And if she is involved in a Republican Party vote-splitting scheme as Mr. Barbaro and his miniscule army of Democratic Party hacks strongly suggests, was registering “Democratic” part of this infamous plot?
Right now, there is far more evidence–circumstantial and otherwise–to suggest Mr. Barbaro is deeply involved in a conspiracy to defame Ms. Iglesias and impugn her name. So far he’s offered not a shred of court-worthy evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she’s Van Tran’s proxy. And this guy is a lawyer?
I’m quite sure Mr. Barbaro knew before he started attacking Ms. Iglesias that she had been registered to vote “Democratic” at one time. I’ve been to the Registrar of Voters many times and have seen the computer records they maintain on me: they show every party affiliation I’ve been registered as on the same screen.
The Register later goes on to regurgitate Mr. Barbaro’s vitriol:
“If it smells like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” said Frank Barbaro, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County. “She’s in there just to take votes from Loretta.”
If people carefully scrutinize what Mr. Barbaro is saying, he’s basically suggesting that the Orange County Democratic Party owns your votes and that nobody else can have them but the lousy candidates they front. Offended? I am. What an arrogant buffoon Mr. Barbaro is.
The good news, however, is that The Register shows how contradictory and utterly ridiculous Mr. Barbaro’s statements are. If Ms. Iglesias is involved in some kind of vote-splitting scheme, it’s a Democratic Party one, because her presence in this race will probably hurt Mr. Tran, not Ms. Sanchez:
[P]olitical consultant Allan Hoffenblum said … third-party candidates siphon away votes from challengers like Tran, not incumbents like Sanchez.Iglesias “substitutes for ‘None of the Above,'” said Hoffenblum, who publishes the California Target Book on political campaigns. “What Van Tran needs is every vote of someone who doesn’t like the incumbent.”
And given the fact Ms. Iglesias can’t really hide the fact that her views on various matters are quite right-wing, wouldn’t it make sense that more Republicans might cast their ballots for her than Democrats? Doesn’t Mr. Barbaro realize his own comments are completely insane?
In reality, as Mr. Hoffenblum states, Ms. Iglesias is a “None of the Above” vote. An overwhelming majority of people who don’t typically support either Democratic or Republican Party candidates will cast their ballots for her solely as a protest vote against them.
I suspect eventually Mr. Barbaro’s remarks will eventually come back to greatly haunt the Orange County Democratic Party because he doesn’t seem to realize there is a fairly large El Salvadoran community in Santa Ana that is becoming politically mobilized.
It is not at all unreasonable to assume that people from this community are interested in challenging Ms. Sanchez for her seat especially if they feel she isn’t paying attention to their needs. One way they’ll start getting that attention is to run candidates against her.
And it is also presumptuous to think that all persons of Mexican or Central American ancestory are going to vote for Ms. Sanchez. The political leanings of peoples from these communities run anywhere from the left, center, and right–just like most of the United States.
Mr. Barbaro and his hacks are too ignorant to understand this community probably right now has the power to determine whether Ms. Sanchez or Mr. Tran gets elected. Unless they cough up evidence Ms. Iglesias is involved in a plot, Ms. Sanchez might already be a goner.
As I’ve previously written, Mr. Barbaro has damaged Ms. Sanchez’s re-election prospects more than anybody else. If the El Salvadoran community perceives these attacks on Ms. Iglesias as an attack against them, they may become the ultimate swing vote that ensures the 47th will be a solidly “Republican” seat for years to come.
And like I’ve also said before, Mr. Barbaro, his hacks, and most importantly, Ms. Sanchez herself, only have themselves to blame if Mr. Tran ends up winning the seat. Instead of sniffing around looking for scapegoats, methinks they should spend some time looking in the mirror.
For purposes of disclosure, Duane Roberts is the Green Party Candidate for U.S. Senate in California.
Good post. Democrat politicians have been treating po’ folks like their own plantation hands for decades.
P.S. Repuglicans in OC have been treating us like plantation hands for decades.
We don’t have a democratic party in Orange County…..and if we do….I’m at a loss as to what they actually do……This OC Democrat feels like he’s been fighting the losing fight for decades…….but I’m still fighting.
If Ms. Sanchez loses–or even wins–her seat by a tiny handful of votes, my bit of advice to people serving on the Orange County Democratic Party Central Committee is that their first order of business after the election is to immediately vote on a motion to remove Mr. Barbaro as Chairman.
Mr. Barbaro’s reckless attacks on Ms. Iglesias have not only drawn far more attention to her campaign than would have otherwise been the case, but might have alienated a bloc of voters in the 47th Congressional District that may be a crucial swing vote in future elections for that seat.
Not to say I give a damn about the Democrats. But I wouldn’t mind seeing an arrogant buffoon like Mr. Barbaro kicked in the ass by members of his own party since he’s done far more damage to Ms. Sanchez than Ms. Iglesias or even Mr. Tran himself could ever hope to inflict upon her.
Who do the Dems have out side of SA, GG, and Anaheim? Frank really needs to go outside these areas to be more of a force in OC. But he needs to focus on Janet N’s seat first.
Duane,
Great post! Saved me the trouble of writing the same thing.
The problem with the OC Dems is that even if they get rid of Frank they are still stuck with a bunch of ineffective, hypersensitive sellouts. They won’t win until they totally clean house.
And they really need to cut ties with the useless hacks at the Lib OC.
Thanks for the compliment, Art.
Regardless of what I feel about Ms. Iglesias’ political leanings, I’m always deeply offended when some arrogant buffoon like Mr. Barbaro tells me that I’m not supposed to cast my ballot for candidates other than the lousy ones the Democratic Party runs during every election cycle.
Given the angry mood of the electorate, I’m wondering how many people in the 47th Congressional District will vote for Ms. Iglesias just to piss off Mr. Barbaro and the Democratic Party hacks who are trying to smear her? I bet she’ll win a thousand or more votes on that basis alone.
Another thing I find dumb about Mr. Barbaro’s attacks on Ms. Iglesias is he’s basically shouting out to the world that Ms. Sanchez is weak. He’s literally telling the Republican Party that “My candidate is beatable! Beat her! Beat her!” I bet the GOP is pouring more resources into this race as a result.
Although I really don’t give a damn about the Republicans, I must admit they are clever. They’re keeping their mouth shut and are quietly circling around Ms. Sanchez like a pack a wolves getting ready to pounce. One thing I’ll give RPOC Chair Scott Baugh credit for is he isn’t a whiner like Mr. Barbaro.
Anon,
You have accurately stated the importance of the 1st District Supervisor position. We have seen Janet perpetually support and endorse republican carpetbaggers for local elections. These people do not know the local issues because they do not live in the city they are supposed to represent. Here in Garden Grove we have carpetbagging Council Member Andrew Do because of her. Apparently, he has fallen from favor with her as he no longer works for her as her Chief of Staff, yet we are stuck with him.
Barbaro is a moron of the highest degree.
Do you still taking questions……. Mexican?
Q: I always wonder what comes first…….
The beard and than socialist?
OR
The socialist and than beard?
I am thinking Loretta squeeks by on this one. Van Tran is just a little too slippery.
HOWEVER, I aggree with they commentary here about the DPOC. They are ultimately to blame if she loses. They are largely a group of innefectives. The fact that they could’nt get anybody (READ: JOE DUNN) to go after Dirty Garry Miller, The whole Melenhut abortion, then recruiting a leader who does’nt even live in OC (sound familiar)!!
I have seen more posts on their cheerleading sites about lawsuits and basketball than I have about Meg Whitman. In order for the party to gain any traction, they need to purge and start over, ideally with people who actually live in Orange County!
A pretty sad choice, no matter how you slice it.
What I find amazing about Cecilia Iglesias is that she is an independent thinker and is not being manipulated but these two malicious machines. She has a love and passion for the community….Our “Founding Fathers” never wanted any political parties because they felt that by creating political parties, it would divide the country.
I see Cecilia as following this motto that our “Founding Fathers” once proclaimed. We the citizens of District 47 should do the same. Let’s NOT vote for someone who is looking for their self-interest. Loretta has done nothing, but only gets herself rich. Van Tran is a career politician and is looking to misrepresent our district.
Cecilia Iglesias is a Founder and CEO of her own Non-Profit organization and has taught parents American Sign Language in order for them to be able to communicate with their Deaf children. Cecilia has done this for free…and wants to do more for our community.
I say Cecilia will best represent us…..I will pray that our District awakes and will vote for the best candidate and that will be Cecilia Iglesias!!
kenlaysnotdead is right on. Ultimately the party and candidate are the one to blame. Let’s look at DPOC leaderships posts if they lose. Seriously, how can a Van Tran be a within striking distance of Sanchez and J. Nguyen be Supervisor of the 1st district (fact is that they couldn’t get anybody to go against her)? Where is the good news?
Interesting post.
A couple of thoughts as far as I know the only Blog the OC Dems endorse or have any control over is the one attached to thier County website.
Yes the DPOC could use some better leadership, Barbaro has done a decent job but he cannot do it alone. Bringing in an experianced leader from Long Beach was a good start. To many Dems in the OC are so used to losing, bringing someone in who expects to win perhaps will help change the thinking.
bluedog,
The DPOC should have done something about the libelous stalkers at the Lib OC a long time ago. I hold Barbaro responsible for allowing that farce to continue.
This post is one of the reasons I read this blog. A no apologies, no holds barred analysis. Sanchez and the “leadership” of the DPOC have done plenty to shoot themselves in the foot this election year. Their saving grace may be a win by Phu Nguyen, possibly Bill Hedrick over the Earl of Earmarks, Ken Calvert and a win for Prop 19 if the DPOC leadership as a whole would grow a set and endorse Prop 19 rather than inviting a aspergillus conspiracy theorist/drug warrior princess to speak before their members and fire up the old “reefer madness” scare tactics. This blog seems to have done more for getting the word out about these two worthy candidates than the DPOC and their pathetic apologist websites masquarading as serious political blogs. This includes an anonymous one that is run by a so called duo of faux Democrats that love to criticize Santa Ana politics even though both of these “fierce advocates” live in Irvine and Long Beach respectively.
GF,
Very true. I hope Phu and Hedrick win. They would be a breath of fresh air and are both better qualified than Sanchez and Tran.
Hoping = less likely to happen.