This hasn’t been my brightest election season.
I’ve been blogging and active in the local political scene for four years. In that time, I’ve had my share of embarrassing moments, I’ve done a few things that I’m not proud of, vouched for a few people that I shouldn’t have (that’s you Cunningham), and I’ve likely alienated more potential voters than I’ve attracted.
I’ve also had my share of success—all having to do with working with good people. While I certainly would redo the last four years differently, I wouldn’t change who I’ve worked with or challenge what we were working for. My causes may not have been perfect, but they were meaningful.
As I look back, the lesson I’ve learned isn’t new or profound. It is as simple as it is difficult to practice.
Do good. Be good.
2016’s electoral season, unfortunately, has not been about doing good. It’s been about who lied, who stole, who cheated, and who used the word underpants. It’s been unkind in the ugliest way and I am embarrassed to be part of the process that made it so.
Tomorrow when I wake up, it’ll all be over. Many of us will need to deal with more than just a hangover.
We’ll need to deal with reality. Lots of hardworking candidates who want to do good in this world will ask themselves if it was all worth it. They’ll either dust themselves off to try and to do good again or they’ll find themselves considering something darker.
Millions of Trump supporters will need to square with an election that wasn’t rigged, that was fair, and that was absolutely of their own making. They’ll either decide to do good and move on or decide to burn the whole thing down.
Ling-Ling Chang will need to ask herself if paying those consultants to label a new father a pervert was really worth it. She’ll either decide to do good and apologize (and I mean sincerely apologize,) or she’ll pretend the whole thing never happened and just hire the exact same people for her next campaign.
Jordan Brandman will have to consider if standing for nothing is really nobler than fighting for something. He’ll either decide to do good, get his hands dirty, and actually work to help his neighbors; or he’ll take another shortcut and go find his next cushy political appointment from an apparently unlimited bank of patrons.
Barry Levinson will question who will hire Fullerton’s next police chief. He’ll need to decide if he’s more effective at doing good for his family’s future by working with others, or he’ll decide continuing personal vendettas on his quest for satisfaction better suits his needs.
Finally, I will wake up tomorrow and wonder if what I’m doing is actually worth it.
One hundred and fourteen years ago, Susan B. Anthony woke up in a jail cell asking the exact same question. Today, my wife and millions like her wore white and voted.
It was. I think it will be. I will do good. I will be good.
Bad Guys Win Everywhere, news at eleven.
There isn’t enough beer in the state for this one.
Best meme of the morning after;
Britain: Brexit was the stupidest, most self-destructive act that a country could undertake.
U.S.: Hold my drink.
Totally wished I thought of that.
Brilliant!
Nothing can be finer than seeing Donna’s candidacy block Mark Lopez, Anaheim mayor 4th majority vote, from winning a seat. You did good…Vern, you did good!
I disagree. Lopez wasn’t going to get Donna’s Democratic voters because of his ties to Shaun Nelson. Faessel probably WOULD have gotten them because of support for him from Democratic electeds like Daly. Donna’s being in the race kept it closer.
This is fucking embarrassing
You do like to make up stuff.
Donna’s voters aren’t going to jump over to Fassel because Dally tells them to otherwise they would have jumped over before. Donna’s loyal latino voters would go to the next Latino candidate, Mark Lopez.
“Made it closer” ha ha
That’s one theory, Luis: that they were just looking for a Latino name. The other theory is that Donna’s voters were overwhelmingly Democrats and left-leaning independents, who would then — in the absence of a party endorsement — look for guidance from their local Democratic officials, who overwhelmingly support Faessel (and Disney) over Lopez.
I don’t think that your argument is stupid, I just think that it’s less compelling than the one I offer. I think that YOU’RE stupid for acting like your theory is the only plausible one, but that doesn’t matter much because you’re too chickenshit to sign your name to your opinions.
So you are saying that Mark’s connection to his boss is more of a turnoff to progressive thinking latino voters than Fassell connection to Pringle.
And my arguing a point that is less pluasible.
I think if there was a election for the biggest political turnoff, besides visual turnoff, in the OC, you would win hands down from political people across the aisle. That’s because you are the chickenshit who talks brhind a keyboard but in person is a morbidly obese babbling long -winded pOS.
I’m not exactly sure why I’m allowing your pseudonymous, moronic, insulting self to continue this conversation — it may stop suddenly at any time, because not knowing your true identity I have to presume that you’re someone who wants to create trouble for me but doesn’t have the testicular fortitude to make it happen — but let’s play along.
Democrats in general tend to think quite badly of Shaun Nelson. I actually don’t hate him; we differ on politics, but I don’t consider a bad guy (in a county full of them.) Nevertheless, it is what it is. And Lopez wears his relationship to Nelson on his sleeve, so mentioning it is a very easy way to discredit him with Democrats. Most Democrats nowadays don’t even know who Curt Pringle is; of those who do some hate him and some love him (like Jordan and his ilk) and some in between, but basically few of them would perceive a strong connection between Faessel and Pringle.
I hate to tell you this, but not only am I not morbidly obese — some guy on Lib OC said that I was 330 pounds, which is simply weird — but I’m also not really bothered by your not finding me a visual turn-on. I am amused by the notion of Republicans taking a vote on it, though. (I mean, have you ever seen Dan Chmielewski?)
Anyway, thanks for your perspective, and don’t be surprised if some of your stupider comments never appear at all.
*Lucille Kring….wins!
Sandy Genis….wins!
Christina Shea…wins!
John Moorlach..wins!
*Lou Correa….wins!
Miguel Pulido…wins!
Sharon Quirk Silva…..wins!
Michelle Martinez………….ooopzies!
Orange County is now officially a Blue County for the first time since 1948!
The Ghost of turncoat Earl Warren smiles down along with Big Daddy Jess Unruh, Jerry Brown’s daddy……and of course RINO Tom Kuechel. We still miss Senator’s Hiyakawa and George Murphy! The classic struggles between Wilson Riles and Max Rafferty…….oh those were the days…..1964 and Ronnie Reagan our Governor…….when it was truly the launch of Reagan Country!
Two weeks later, mostly right.