Hey, as Republican Conservatives with a heroic history of supporting Ronald Reagan and George & Laura Bush…..there is every indication that we stand with our own principles and are not greatly influenced by political party labels. Those that might check our voting record over the years could easily attest to the fact that indeed….we can think “out of the political box”. That said; We now have vote twice for President Barack Obama! Do we abide by each and every decision of the President? The answer to that is: we agree much more with Obama than with McCain or Romney! The following Republicans for national office, we have never supported: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George Bush “The Elder”, John McCain and Mitt Romney. We also had problems with some very poor Democrats as well: LBJ, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and in many – many cases, JFK. As you can see, we are just Americans that tend to vote “for the candidate that best suits our belief system”.
Frank Barbaro is stepping down as the President of the Democratic Party in Orange County. Frank as always been a kind of “kiss your sister Democrat” fund raiser and minority leader in Orange County. We have no idea why Frank has suddenly determined that he wants to put the whole “Democratic Fund Raising” thing behind him. Frank has always had a very collegial relationship with Republicans in the OC – perhaps too cozy! Whatever the reason, it is rather an odd coincidence that the voting blocks in Orange County have shifted dramatically over the last 5 years. Ever since “the Fall of the Fiscal Wall” in 2008….”The 2010 Census”, Tom Fuentes stepping down from the Republican Party leadership in Orange County and “The Redistricting of Orange County” – their seems to be a very strong sweep to Democrats with a rather steep decline in the General Republican cache. Obviously the choices of McCain and Romney greatly contributed to that result. However, the recent November election certainly sent a strong message that Hispanics, Asians and Green Libertarians were quickly departing and not doing any cross over voting for Republicans in general.
Artist’s conception of Greg Diamond as DPOC Chair. Artist doesn’t want to hear you arguing with him about this. Refusing to run should be enough.
Greg Diamond ran for State Senate and accounted for himself with a very strong showing. Greg seemed to take a artful approach to running his campaign and certainly wasn’t ashamed of some serious self-deprecation in that regard. He called himself: A Very Bad Candidate! One of Greg’s major hot buttons in his campaign and over the period of time we have challenged him on this blog – was his constant appraisal that “the money in politics” is the great devil. There is little doubt that unless the “power brokers and local gentry” don’t support you, at least in Orange County – things may not go so well funding your campaign for elective office. Obviously, there are always some exceptions, some folks – with a force of personality or that are positioned to alter the political landscape through deeds, actions or circumstances – can “go to the mountain” without it. Republicans Bruce Whitaker in Fullerton and Sandy Genis in Costa Mesa both come to mind. So far, they seem to be responding to their constituencies and will probably be re-elected unless they foul their own nests – somewhere along the way. There is no reason viable Democratic candidates can’t do the same thing in coming elections.
Back to our man Greg Diamond. We believe Greg has shown a couple of very attractive attributes that may serve the Democratic Party of Orange County well in the future. First off, if Greg replaces Frank Barbaro this will be an immediate energized “shot in the arm” to the Democratic Party in Orange County. Greg knows the players. Greg knows what has not worked over the last 10 years for Democrats here in “The OC”. Greg would be a very strong voice to encourage viable, honest and ethical Hispanic, Asian and Caucasian Democratic Candidates. There is little doubt that “Power Brokers and Local Gentry” will soon attempt to corrupt Greg both in the short term and the long term. Is this the only downside? Probably not. Greg could make some bad choices. Greg could forget that making “The OC” the bastion of Progressive Working Class Values will carry a tremendous responsibility – Regionally, Statewide and perhaps even in a National sense. Maybe had Greg been running things……Bob Rush would have gotten more financial support in his race against Alan Monsoor!
So, did Greg ask us to write this opinion? No, Rick Reiff did…..by appearing on the “SoCalPBS” tonight with Mike Capaldi, Mark Petracca and Former Irvine Councilman Chris Mears along with moderator Ed Arnold of course! Watching “Reiff and Capaldi” apologizing for the huge Republican Defeat and “their faux support of the outreach of Scott Baugh” to the Latino Community, making a strategic move on the Hispanic 100 – was not attractive. Orange County politics will never change if we keep approving this type of behavior. No the County of Orange needs a serious “Sea Change” of attitude and priorities. Greg Diamond would do a great job for the Democratic Party in Orange County and with a great flair. Greg Diamond would learn that it does indeed take a lot of money to get elected – but more than that: its takes a fair and ethical set of values with a grand vision of a better future for all of us.
Good Luck Greg….we are pulling for you! Do not let us down! Go for it dude! Both parties need you engage in this process!
Ha!
Respect your elders, sonny. (Don’t agree with them, just don’t mock them.)
Uhhhhmm … thanks, but no. Jeff LeTourneau and Henry Vandermier are running for DPOC Chair. The position will be in good hands. Frank will continue to perform his magic in other institutional capacities where he won’t have to deal with insurgents on the Board. This is better for everyone.
I am willing to chair Orange County’s Republican Party, though, and attempt to return it to its 1861-era values. Feel welcome to give them my e-mail address if they’re interested.
Step up and be counted…Dr. Diamond. You have the affidavy’s to do the job! “Cease the day….mon frar…”
For the record, I did not know this was coming. The wily ‘Ships snick this in in the middle of the night.
I’ve decided that I will accept your challenge to the letter. I will indeed replace Frank Barbaro as chair, along with 58 or so other voters, on January 28, 2013. I’ll — that is, we — will replace him with one of the people named above. I hope to be working with one or both of them on the Executive Board, though.
They should be so lucky to have you as Chairperson, Greg. The Dems need someone willing to tell them what they need to hear. Its not a club for Heaven’s sake, its a political party and they need to take themselves seriously.
Seriously, I have great respect for the two announced candidates, although I also have a preference. (People know my preference, but I’ll write about it later.) They both take the party seriously — but a political party with any chance of governing is also going to be a coalition, and it won’t be a coalition composed purely of angels.
It’s easy to shun people if you don’t care to govern, but someone’s going to govern and it’s worth keeping some of those aspirants away from the levers of power. In order to do that, we not only need better parties and better leadership — we need a better electorate, both more informed and more active. My work with Occupy is aimed at the latter goal; my work with the party towards the former. I don’t expect people from one perspective to value the other equally as much — but I do hope for mutual respect even while recognizing the “splinter in the other’s eye.”
greg diamond v scott baugh…two gregarious, corpus gentlemen…forget elections, lets just have a cage match between these two, winner takes the county
Folding chairs at dawn? Or … do we rap freestyle?
*Don’t forget to wrap your paws…before going into the cage Dr. D.!!!
Sure why not he could bore everybody to tears in the process.
Diamond will more than bore a person to tears – more likely to insanity and possible self immolation.
Well, in your case I’m apparently already halfway there. Can people make sure that skally stays away from combustible fuels?
Skallywag be nice.
Glad to hear change is in the making for the Dems in OC. New leadership will improve participation and involvement. I am certain Greg Diamond will continue to constructively contribute for the betterment of all.
Funny! Not a single word from any of you about Greg’s relationship to Occupy.
Goes to show just how much any of you truly know about Greg’s Political Dissonance!
He is suffering from a very special form of ongoing, ever recurring PTSD.
It is all for good. It has enhanced his personal political Character over any superficial Charm.
I wrote my reply to Inge mentioning my Occupy participation before reading this.
I see the two as parts of the same process: creating a better electorate and creating a leadership prepared to be responsive to a better electorate. There’s no real dissonance at a deep level. At a surface level — well, yes.
Don’t knock my superficial charm. I have to dress down just to keep it under control.
of course not they dont want him to know he supports all those kooks
“they dont want him to know he supports all those kooks”
Who do you mean by “they,” “him,” and “he”? It doesn’t make sense as written unless you’re suggesting that Democrats want to impede my self-awareness.
I presume that “those” is intended to mean “Occupy OC.” We may have some kooks — as well as sane-but-irascible sorts like Double Eye — but even our “kooks” are generally more sane than OC’s GOP Congressmen.
The DPOC knows of my affiliation with Occupy; I’ve spoken at meetings about it several times. The reaction is mixed — but I’d say that a majority really appreciates Occupy turning the national conversation away from entitlement cuts and towards economic justice from fall 2011 forward. We may well have secured Obama’s re-election by doing so, because left on his own — well, you can ready today’s papers.
I Know how that feels Greg.
Politically and Socially over-qualified.
Politically perhaps. Socially — never! (For me, anyway.)