[Disclosure: this is about as conflicted as my writing here gets, as I’m both the author and the subject of this story — but given that it’s a direct response to an attack from another local blog, I think that it’s justified. If you don’t, take it with as many grains of salt as you’d like! — GAD]
In the pages of the Republican fun factory OC Political, currently in our RSS feed from them, a local state legislative candidate has been criticized for “getting money from all the wrong places” — that is, for raising money from out 0f-district individuals rather from big special interests — and was slammed by the first comment as an inferior choice on the ballot to Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer.
If it was hard for you to guess — that candidate is me. I’m bad, I’m bad … and so is the graphic I’ve made of myself below (just to show that I can give myself the same sort of unsettling Photoshop treatment that I give to others!)
“I’m bad, I’m bad — All Rights Reserved for the graphic ’cause I’m bad, I’m bad….”
(All Rights So, So, So Reserved!)
Here’s the funny part, though. The commenter stated this
“The guy is a disgrace.
“I want a canidate [sic] who will fight. Bob Huff SUCKS.
“But, against Greg Diamond, I’d pick Hitler! (you can replace that with Jeffrey Dahmer if too contriversial) [sic].”
Yes. Well … indeed. What to say about that? I do have my detractors, that’s for sure. While I agree that Bob Huff … um … has substantial deficiencies as a candidate, I am fighting as best I can, kind sir, within the limits of running a solo law practice and my limited sum of donations. (I’ve been saving up for a San Diego fireworks display.)
That’s not the really funny part, though. The really funny part is by the story’s author, who styles himself as “The Republican Willie Brown,” and who criticizes me because a very large portion of my itemized donations have come from outside of California, and most of those in California have come from outside of my district.
It’s true. They have. That’s for three reasons.
(1) While I grew up in Huntington Beach, I lived out of state for 22 years, ending in late 2006, and many of my friends (mostly in the academic and legal communities) come from there.
(2) Many other people (who have given me the brunt of my donations) have known me for years from my writing on Daily Kos, and are contributing to me not because they want something from me but because they know me and think I’d be a good legislator.
(3) I’ve not focused that much on raising money locally (although I have raised some non-itemized small contributions.) Part of that is because, as a party reformer, I’ve been in some serious conflicts with the dominant “business Democrat” gang at DPOC (tied into Solorio, Correa, Daly, etc.) and I haven’t even asked them for money. While I get along reasonably well with those at DPOC, I’ve given them ample reason not to want to fund me and am happy with that result. I have suggested to people locally that whatever money they’d give to me might be of greater use by the extremely competitive candidates overlapping my district: Jay Chen, Alan Lowenthal, and Sharon Quirk-Silva. All three of them have good chances of being elected this year. I’m more of a longshot. While I welcome contributions, I’d prefer to collect them from people who know me from outside the district — where I’m not competing for funds with those races and where I won’t consequently owe anyone here anything but fair treatment. I’m sorry to say this, I suppose, but I don’t find that to be at all embarrassing.
Of course, there is another approach that one could take to fundraising — but that is one that I would consider embarrassing. It would involve prostituting myself to special interests who want financial and regulatory benefits at the public’s expense. For example, let’s take another look at this:
Look at that list. Huff’s third-highest individual donor was Majestic Realty, the company his wife works with on real estate schemes, including (though they’ve since denied it) the attempt to move the Angels from Anaheim to the City of Industry. (Remember the “NFL Stadium in Industry” redevelopment boondoggle from the same crew? Same guys.) Now that’s embarrassing! Big Insurance, Big Realty, Big Healthcare, Big Telecom, Big Energy, Big Pharma — this group is supposed to be more embarrassing than donations from hundreds of individuals?
I realize that this goes against conventional political wisdom, but I’m happy to have money from individuals outside of my district who know me and want nothing from me except honesty and hard work in Sacramento. I would be sad to go to Sacramento to be an errand boy for the rich who want to get richer and leave everyone else to the sharks — so if I am fortunate enough to be elected, I’m not going to do so. I’d find it too embarrassing. (And yes, I think that that’s a great qualification for office!)
I don’t think that I’ve posted my fundraising link here before, but under the circumstances I suppose that I might as well today. That link is right here. Knock yourselves out — even if you are from my district! (If you’re a major insurance company, though, you shouldn’t feel obligated.)
Can’t these guys ever come up with better comparisons than Hitler. Why not worse than Neville Chamberlain or Quasimodo? Worse than General Custer?
Just once, I’d like to be compared to Ming the Merciless! Just once!
@ Greg D:
Here you go:
“You are no Ming the Merciless” (the FICTIONAL main villain in Flash Gordon), and “You will never be an evil”, self-interested Ming the Merciless!”
Your very strong REAL LIFE Ethics and consistent Advocacy on behalf of our community is beyond reproach . . .
“how dare you sir, think that you could ever compare to Ming the Merciless . . . the voters in your Senate District should punish you by resoundingly voting you into public office, to wage a relentless and thankless task of fighting the moneyed self-interests of your opponent”.
Paco Barragán
A good start, but I need more!
Counselor, I knew Ming the Merciless.
Counselor, I worked with Ming the Merciless.
Counselor, Ming the Merciless was a friend of mine.
Counselor, you’re no Ming the Merciless.
OK, now I need less.
Counselor, where’s the Ming?
Where’s Rancho Santiago College Board candidate Thomas Gordon? Doesn’t he blog there? What about Dan or Chris from the LibOC?
When Claudia made comparisons to Hitler they all lost their minds…I would at minimum expect Gordon to chastise the commenter for being so insensitive especially given that Greg Diamond is Jewish.
Such hypocrites!
@ Sean M:
big difference:
Claudia Alvarez, a PUBLIC OFFICIAL, uttered her words, with considerable foresight, from the dais of the Santa Ana City Council chambers, and she is also a Deputy DA, whose actions and words must not incite hatred or divisions between ethnic groups or the citizens of Santa Ana.
As tasteless and callous as the “commenters” comments are, they are protected free speech of a PRIVATE CITIZEN.
There is no hypocracy there.
Paco Barragán
Paco,
I am not saying that the person does not have free speech to say that. What I am saying is that if Mr. Gordon was truly offended by Ms. Alvarez then he should be equally offended that a commenter on HIS blog used a Hitler analogy in regards to a Jewish person.
As a candidate for public office I would expect him to take a stand and call out this person for their insensitivity. I mean afterall you folks think Art Pedroza should be held responsible for the comments of folks on HIS blog.
It is simply a case of selective outrage.
And it’s not like Claudia said she’d “prefer Hitler to Irv Chase” either.
On the other hand, we are making kind of a big deal over the scribblings of some lame-ass anonymous commenter.
Vern,
I agree with you…However not one person on that blog took the person to task for making the comment. Their silence speaks volumes.
Actually, it’s the comparison of our campaign contributors that bothers me more. That came from one of their writers — who really thinks that it’s worse for me to have my friend Lynne from Colorado and Lisa from Illinois and whatever American Abroad is in Switzerland send me donations than to go grovel to the insurance industry and implicitly promise them God-knows-what in (semi)-exchange.
Oh, wait: we do know what they got from Huff — unanimous GOP opposition to all of the insurance reforms proposed by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, for starters. That’s what happens when you get your money from what some Republicans consider to be “the right places.” I hope to steer clear of those “right places”!
What I like is their completely ignoring the money that Huff has taken from the “evil” public employee unions. Why are they not focusing on that?
That constantly rail against Democrats for getting support from such groups.
I wonder if they still remember – it was one whole year ago after all – Huff being named “Legislator of the Year” by “the very liberal COuncil of California Cities” — and specifically being nicknamed “The Quarterback For Re-development.” How more RINO can you get? And then his lobbyist wife… how did that go again, Greg?
Let’s just say that her history of business dealings is Majestic. Really, Realty, Majestic.
The “big deal” is about OC Political both attracting it and not responding to it. It’s really FFFFscrewed up of them.
Are you going to condemn comments on NewSantaAna that suggest Andrew Galvin is a drunk or that David Benavides cheated on his wife and multiple attacks on Gordon for being a white supremacist. Sean is a hypocrite.
Is this a forum where one may give vent to personal grievances? If so, I have some venting to do myself.
You have to run for office first. Or I guess you could wait for the Open Thread, this evening if we expect to have done fewer than four stories and after midnight if we’ve hit four. (We like to space things out a little.)
I took the bait and clicked.
My sense was the “commenter”, not the blog, was disgusted wth the canidates for the race.
Greg Humbly admit’s above he is doing the best he can, with limited time and resources. So why run?
Let’s be clear Greg Diamond is an intelligent, articulate (sometimes too much so), seasoned individual. He is generally politically savy in his thoughts (or so we are led to believe), So why mess this thing up?
No alternative? OK we get it.
Prove a point? What point? Huff win’s with no damage
Build name Recognition? The most logical guess. Makes good sense.
I wonder why he didn’t focus his riches elsewhere, Thats for me to wonder, but he has all but conceded a “LOSER” roll in the election. And unless I am wrong, “hope is not a plan”.
As for the Dictator comment and the serial killer analogy, I guess I wasn’t the one who “took the bait”.
Like every other district, we need good, strong community leaders, not beholden to Insurance companies and Public unions. GOOD PEOPLE. Not activists.
Ballot statements just came out today. That’s just one reason I’ve run. Great time and place to send a message.
There’s more to say, but you’ll have to wait for it. Bottom line, I’m very happy with my decision to run.
Why not activists? I think that you meant to criticize ideologues — and corrupt sellouts.
No I meant “activists” . Just like I wrote.
Why “GOP Flack”? I think that “GOP Hack” would have been a more appropriate word choice. You are the person catching the flack from the hack. Not that I agree with that sentiment – just an observation.
You’re right, that would have been better. Still, at this point I’ll leave it as is. (I considered the argument essentially a PR-type attack piece.)
You and Joe Moreno have a bit in common – you are both “placeholders.” There seem to be quite a few of you placeholders in OC – perennial placeholders like Steve Young and Robert Hammond come to mind (although RH finally got elected to something). You all should get together and form a placeholders club. Who are some other not-so famous OC placeholders?
It’s my first run for office. I’m not yet eligible for membership. (And I’m running for more reasons than just so that someone runs. As for Steve — well, what if he wins?)
Hitler???? Seriously, these people need to come up with some better name calling. It just shows how unimaginative these types are.
You have my vote Greg!
What is astonishing to me is that anyone is still giving that site an ounce of their time and attention. I have quit, I will never even read their crap again much less comment. I am taking down my link to them from my site as well (not that they get a whole lot of traffic from me but it will make me feel better.)
While I admire that the Republican Chris and Chris want to create a vehicle for writers to say as they please without fear of censorship, and they have created anonymous accounts where writers may post their views without revealing their true identities, I would hope that those accounts would be used for sensitive information being revealed by those who may lose their livelihoods by sharing information that needs to be shared for the public good. Instead it has become a haven for cowards to post hate-filled gossip, with no visible link to genuine edification.
I get it, I too got sucked in and began trying to respond to their anonymous hit pieces, in the deluded belief the writer may actually have been seeking the truth rather than simply looking to fling mud from behind a rock. I find my time and energy to have been wasted, and at my house time is in even more precious supply than money. It is not a mistake I will make again in the future.
I will not give them another moment of my time and attention, and Mr. Diamond, I recommend you do the same. While our politics are polar opposites, you are clearly a good man intent on doing the right thing, and that is worthy of support, no matter what part of the country your donors may come from. I am sorry that they just don’t get it. By that I mean I a, sorry for them, that their minds cannot conceive of someone doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do.
Good luck.
Thanks, Cynthia. I don’t entirely mind ridiculous and spurious attacks on me, of course: it gives me something to write about.
It really is a shame, because for the brunt of this year that was quite a good site.
As I’m learning, if you take a stand on something, or run for something or just have an opinion on something, you can expect to get lamblasted in the worst way, I’m not quite sure the correct way to handle that but I have been told by those with more experiance in the waylays, to keep going regardless and ignore it. Easier said then done for a person like me who isn’t used to it, but probably good advice.