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(1) Col. Applegate Holds the Hill
Every candidate has his or her base. For Col. Doug Applegate, it’s a mix of grassroots populist activists and military families. For Mike Levin, it’s denizens of corporate boardrooms and members of the party establishment.
The CDP convention is dominated by party establishment figures, so the endorsement vote here was a battle where Applegate was playing defense. At stake: prestige and buzz, of course, but also a ban on members of party central committees from supporting the endorsee’s opponent and the party being able to channel as much money as it wished into the endorsee’s race, including identifying the winner as the one and only officially endorsed Democratic candidate, which holds sway with a lot of voters.
The question was whether Levin could reach the magic 60% threshold. He didn’t. Applegate held the hill; the delegates cannot even reverse the “no consensus” result on the convention floor tomorrow. Now the battle moves to much more favorable terrain for him — competing for the favor of garden-variety voters who don’t much care for party politics (or, often, for either party itself.)
Chumley spread the false rumor yesterday — because that is part of what at least his stripe of PR professional does — that Applegate was ready to fold his tent. It was a dumb gambit then and it looks even dumber (and more desperate) today. A better prediction might be that Levin, having failed to consolidate his base despite high-pressure tactics, will gracefully bow out of the race.
A better prediction than Chumley’s, yes — but that’s an atrociously low bar. Of course Levin won’t withdraw; his backers don’t do that sort of thing. The question is whether he’ll pitch in to help Applegate win in November, if he’s the only Dem to make the runoff, or whether he’ll sit on his hands (as he did in 2016) because his backers want no Democrat to win this seat except their kind of Democrat. Hopefully not — but I won’t make a prediction.
(2) Rouda Challenges Another Keirstead Win
Hans Keirstead beat Harley Rouda (and the better alternatives to both of them) handily at the pre-endorsement conference — and it happened again here today. (Less of a margin, though, as I understand it.) Rouda railed against party leaders last time — which is actually pretty funny, as he’s no grassroots populist — and as I write his operatives are trying to get enough signatures to take the matter to the floor. There are a lot of reasons to want to do this — allowing supporters of the doomed candidates I prefer to campaign for their own choices; making Hans answer for his apparent dallying with the dreadful Lenore — but in this year where we face so many possible R-on-R runoffs there’s a stronger argument for not overriding the decisions made by people in the district. A party endorsement isn’t always determinative; Rouda (and others) can try to work around it. And if it helps to drive others out of the race, it will have served a purpose. But mostly, for me, it comes down to not wanting to spit in the face of my fellow delegates in that district who have, for reasons I don’t entirely understand, reached a consensus that I probably not have joined.
(3) Min Squeaks By; Porter Tries to Reverse the Result
As I understand it, Dave Min got exactly 60% of the endorsement vote today. I’m no fan of Min’s, but neither am I fan of Porter’s, and none of the candidates I like more than either seem likely to have a shot. So, again, while I find Min far more dismal than Keirstead in CA-48, I’m inclined to defer to the people in the district and on the ground and not sign a challenge that strikes me as spitting in their faces.
If I liked Porter more, I would sign, but her vicious attack after the pre-endorsement conference lead me to the conclusion that, while she was Elizabeth Warren’s student, there were some critical lessons — involving discretion, grace, and class — that she failed to learn from her mentor.
[Adding results released Sunday morning]
(4) Feinstein Skunked by DeLeon, 54-37
In the endorsement vote for U.S. Senate, Kevin DeLeon fell only six points short of winning endorsement in the race outright, receiving 54 votes to Feinstein’s 37. The other 9% were distributed among leftist candidate Pat Harris and a vote not to endorse. This means that delegates are free to support whomever they want in the primary and the party will not be spending its own money on either candidate. Feinstein, who would be 90 at this point in the next cycle, is still considered the favorite for institutional and financial reasons, but this rebuff comes as a blow to her prestige — an embarrassment that the party’s leaders had actively tried to avoid.
(5) Nobody Likes Villaraigosa
Some pundits are going to say that they were not shocked by this, but I certainly was: Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finished a distant fourth in this endorsement race, with a humiliating 9%. He can’t claim to be a progressive being shunned by party leaders, given the success of two of his rivals, nor can he claim that it’s an anti-Latino thing, given the success of DeLeon. It’s an anti-Villaraigosa thing.
Presumed front runner Gavin Newsom underperformed expectations at 39%. The good news for him, though, is that reformers did not coalesce behind a single candidate, with 30% supporting cautious-spending progressive John Chiang and 20% supporting free-spending Progressive Delaine Eastin.
(6) Padilla and Lara Close Out Their Progressive Rivals
Incumbent Secretary of State Alex Padilla smothered his infinitely preferable — I can still say that, as the endorsement hasn’t yet been ratified — challenger, election security maven Ruben Major. Influential State Senator Ricardo Lara held off far superior (see above) challenger Dr. Asif Mahmood to get the nod for Insurance Commissioner.
(7) Dave Jones outperforms incumbent Xavier Becerra for AG
(8) Eleni Koulinakis Ties Sen. Ed Hernandez for Lt. Gov Nod, Despite Some Misplaced Progressive Scorn
Regarding Levin and Dan C : the only time I voted in the internal DEM politics was for CADEM delegates. At the suggestion of young candidates, calling themselves progressives, I voted for Levin. I should know by now to be skeptical of labels. I guess I wasn’t the only fooled. According to Dan C, Nannete Barragan and Jimmy Lopez, both Bernie supporters, endorsed this fellow.
I guess that the until recently undisclosed Dan C and Levin business relationship has not been an issue. I discovered this relationship in a fairly easy manner, clicking in a link forwarded to me in which a relative of Dan C listed some of his business history, which included Levin. Dan C went nuclear, claiming that I was using some weird cyberspace techniques to snoop into his business practices.
Nice report, thanks. Congratulations to Applegate and De Leon!
So… Dave Jones got a majority but not 60%?
Never mind, I looked it up – 56%. That’s good news.
That pig the Irvine Troll keeps allowing his boyfriend Chris Epting and his crew to keep posting the fake news that Ive sent letters out to central committee members electeds and donors under a pseudonym.
This fake news about a non existent letter keeps being allowed to be published on his digital slander mill. The troll has no sense of decency and is trucking with a guy who is a serial stalker and harrasser of women.
This guy Epting has now gone as far as to cost the ocean view school district over 100k in a harassing public record request seeking the employment application of each and every teacher in the district.
This is a form of economic sabotage and terrorism that the Irvine Troll endorses via his relationship with a serial stalker and harrasser of women. I think the Me Too Campaign should look at this and act accordingly.
Funny: anonymous coward calls me a “pussy.” Gentlemen don’t talk that way, nor would a butt boil like you if writing under your own name.
I would not open any attachment that I knew that you had sent me, but if you are really offering to send this supposed video to someone who could verify it — confirm that or not — then I’ll send you some people who might.
By the way, why haven’t you submitted this supposed video of Victor to the Huntington Beach police? Is it because it doesn’t exist, or because there’s a video of someone doing something, but it’s not of Victor doing this?
Remember these are the same exact people who claimed to have a photo of Donna’s late son Joey with a gun; bragged about it all over Liberal OC; and it turned out to be Jay-Z with Beyonce.
Didn’t embarrass them, didn’t slow them down. Just got ’em more sick and evil.
Has the “video” been given to law enforcement? That is the most urgent.
Or are these men actually passing around an alleged recording of a sexual assault but not reporting it?
If so why would they circulate evidence of a violent crime but not turn the evidence that they have in their possession over to the proper authorities?
Is that with holding of evidence also considered a crime?
Why is anyone besides a sex crime detective or prosecutor watching recorded evidence of a woman that they believe is being sexually brutalized?
How is that aiding the victim or the court? It seems exploitative and an obstruction to justice.
Is this how substantiation of an alleged criminal sexual assault on a woman in Huntington Beach should be handled? Whether a neighbor, sister, mother, daughter, wife, friend or stranger no one attacked in any city should be subjected to any further victimization. They deserve an ethical, respectful, compassionate, dignified and circumspect investigation and carriage of justice by trained professionals.
It’s supposedly on the site run by Chuck Johnson. I highly doubt that it is anything like what they say it is, but I don’t go there, I don’t link there, I generally don’t even name the place. Until and unless Chumley decides to erase history, though, you can find the info you need in comments at his site. But if you go past Chunley’s to that HB site, don’t use any device that you want to keep clean of malicious code.
The same people have no problem costing the ocean view school district 100 k in costs to redact employment applications of every single teacher in the district so they can continue their serial stalker activities.
Yeah, I guess I need to write a story about that, as sick as I am of these people. Doing that to a school district, just out of petty revenge, has got to be a sort of terrorism.
Uhm, A. It’s a perfectly legal public information request that doesn’t cost (GASP!) hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even the super admitted that was a lie. And my original reason for the request has been posted.
B. The request has been rescinded.
Carry on.
A. Nobody here said (GASP!) hundreds of thousands of dollars. Paul said 100K which sounds believable. And your reason was “posted” where? Facebook? Your blog? Anyway…
B. Good. Then I’m guessing your “reason” was not all that compelling.
Carry on.
Could you guys move this to the open thread (or make one if we don’t have one)? We’ve gotten pretty far afield from the Applegate race here.
It’s done.
What is/was the reason to request the employment application of every teacher at ovsd? Other than the obvious one that the guy is a serial stalker and harrasser of a woman? I think the Me Too Campaign should take a look at this case. Word is that the guy got fired from the LA Times for this obsession he has with Gina Clayton. This is the jind of behavior that is always reflected on post mortem of female victims of delusional stalkers, or all the red flags that are talked about of that Cruz kid in Parkland Florida. No wonder the Irvine Troll hangs out with these guys.
1) Applegate is a clear front runner and Levin is a carpetbagger. That is clear.
2) Harley is a DINO. Clear.
3) Min can win given the demographics in mimiville. Get over your whiny self.
4) Feinstein will blow her entire campaign chest and lose to De Leon. Demographics again.
5) Villaraigosa is a sick man. “House of Rage?” Will only win votes of heavy metal latinos.
6-7-8) Locked for Dems.
The biggest problem is two Dems in the final in many statewide races, depleting the cash that should be spent on other races. OC has two of the finest in this regard, losers Lowretta Sanchez and porno film connoisseur Julio “I never lost my milkteeth” Perez.
Wild card- Greg goes rogue, establishes Republican blog, Republicans spend months trying to get to the end of his posts, miss election due to confusion.
Thanks for your contribution to the discussion, cowardly anonymous assholish saboteur. Don’t bother replying.