Whitacre takes on Baugh: Who do YOU think should lead the OC GOP?

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It’s a tough one.  And all my Republican bloggers seem to have taken the night off to go to some Hollywood lesbian dominatrix club so I’m left here to figure this one out all by my lonesome…

For one thing, Tim Whitacre is certainly the underdog here, and we do have a soft spot for that breed…

Tim used to be a blogger here on the OJ.  It’s true – you could look it up!  That was back when Art Pedroza was also a big-old GOP activist;  before the homophobia and anti-latino bias (as he perceived it) drove him away.  He and Tim parted ways the same time, and many anti-Whitacre posts and comments sprouted up on this blog over the ensuing years.  They have all recently vanished, mysteriously – and, I think, possibly to the detriment of OC history.

Tim’s two greatest claims to fame are the successful recall of controversial SA school trustee Nativo Lopez in 2003, and leading the mega-fail, immigrant-bashing Sheriff campaign of Bill Hunt this past year.  These two things taken together seem to point to an anti-latino picture, although he’s now denying he had anything to do with Bill’s salivating embrace of knuckledraggers Joe Arpaio and Barbara Coe.

But on the other hand, speaking of Bill Hunt, Tim always saw Sheriff Carona for the lawless corrupt bastard he was, while incumbent Scott Baugh backed Carona till the bitter end – bad call!  Also, Whitacre is a Marine: somewhat cool.  On the other hand though, he won’t let you forget that he’s a Marine, signing every little comment “Semper Fi” : somewhat weak.

Moxley gives us the lowdown on Scott Baugh:

Baugh–a graduate of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University and a glad-handing lobbyist who has cashed in on his undeniable political influence since leaving the state assembly a decade ago–first grabbed the chairmanship in 2004 after Tom Fuentes served in the role for 20 years. His admirers say he has done a decent job raising money and settling disputes between Republicans. He can certainly count on indefinite backing from establishment heavyweights like Michael J. Schroeder, Mark Bucher and Dana Rohrabacher.

But in recent years, there’s been mounting internal party dissatisfaction with what some consider Baugh’s cutthroat management style, his backing of disgraced Sheriff Mike Carona long after it was clear he was a crook, his refusal to obey party bylaws that call for regular audits of party finances, his close association to a relentless pedophile who targeted 7th and 8th grade boys and the local party’s dwindling voter registration numbers.

Last year Baugh issued the Baugh Jihad – no OC Republican candidates could henceforth accept support or contributions from public employee unions – a ballsy demand from such an old-time huckster who’d accept money from anywhere.  But he’s been enforcing this fatwah with an iron fist, making things tres difficult for many Republican pols who’ve grown used to loving mutual support from police and firefighters over the decades.  As a Dem, I ask for more popcorn and watch to see what comes next.

This for me is the kicker:  As Moxley says, no matter what, “Baugh enjoys the knee-jerk support of two partisan online fish wraps: Jon Fleischman‘s Flash Report and the Matt Cunningham-tied Red County. You can count on them to fillet Whitacre and champion Baugh in coming weeks.”  And sure enough, Jerbal is already out there calling Whitacre’s effort a “suicide bid” in which he “will be beaten like a drum by Baugh.” Doesn’t that just do it for you – Jerbal’s little violent fantasies against anyone who challenges his insider chums?  Well it does it for me.  WHITACRE, WHITACRE, WHITACRE!  SEMPER FI!!!



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About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.