Update: SHORT version
[See below for our reasoning; and of course start at the bottom of your ballot and go UP!]
Proposition 1: NO! (see HERE)
LOCAL INITIATIVES:
- Huntington Beach Measures A, B, C – NO, NO, NO! (see HERE)
- Irvine Measure D – Yes.
- Westminster Measure E – you guys decide.
OC Supervisor (if it’s on your ballot)
- District 1: FRANCES MARQUEZ! Enthusiastically!
- District 3: Farrah Kahn. (Though it’s painful to say.)
Board of Education (if it’s on your ballot)
- Area 1: BEATRIZ MENDOZA!
- Area 3: NANCY WATKINS!
- Area 4: DAVID JOHNSON!
Orange USD: Recall Miner YES, Recall Ledesma YES!!!
JUDGES: Jacobson, Zimmer & Kern.
ASSEMBLY – it doesn’t matter how you vote in these top-2 primaries between 2 candidates. EXCEPT:
- In AD 59 let’s help out Sharon by boosting her weakest opponent, BETH CULVER. And
- In AD 73 let’s help out Cottie by boosting her most ridiculous opponent, SCOTTY PEOTTER!
STATE SENATE, district 34 (if it’s on your ballot)
- Vern says vote Josh or Alex; Greg says just vote Josh.
Representative in Congress – the Three Districts that Matter:
US Senator for California:
- Short-term race (remainder of DiFi term) – BARBARA LEE!
- Long-term race – KATIE PORTER.
For CENTRAL COMMITTEE suggestions click HERE.
PRESIDENT.
Doesn’t matter how you vote, in this Primary, in California. Instead, give whatever money you can to re-elect Biden and take back the Senate. And even better, plan to spend your October/November in Arizona campaigning for Joe Biden and Ruben Gallego!
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Original Piece
1. NOTE: “March” is in quotation marks because your ballots should be coming in the mail EARLY THIS WEEK you should ALREADY have your ballot. And so you’ll probably want to get your votes in soon, in February, so you don’t forget. Because, life, you know.
2. “Primary” is also in quotation marks because this is the first and ONLY vote for many important things – education, judges, the measures, and possibly both Supervisor races.
3. For the above reason, we are encouraging voters to start at the BOTTOM OF YOUR BALLOT – the measures, education, judges and supervisors – the races that most busy and normal people don’t get around to… and THEN “VOTE UPBALLOT.” President last! So here we go, down to the bottom…
Proposition 1
This state initiative, already passed by your legislature but requiring your okay because it’s so expensive, is nicknamed “Treatment Not Tents,” and authorizes a $6.4 BILLION bond to “build mental health treatment facilities for those with mental health and substance use challenges and providing housing for the homeless.” HERE are the arguments for and against.
First of all, how can we trust anyone who repeatedly claims that taking out a $6.4 BILLION BOND will “NOT RAISE TAXES?” The “NO” folks are correct that our children and grandchildren would be paying this off for decades. Just like Anaheim is still paying off the bond we took out to help Disney in the 90’s.
Joining conservatives and Republicans on the “No” side are folks who are already doing this work on mental illness and homelessness under 2004’s “Mental Health Services Act” (MHSA, funded by the “Millionaire Tax”) and they say this’ll interfere with what they’re already doing. Both the “Yes” and “No” arguments seem to be written by people with skin in the game, and the “Yes” side is signed by the Chamber of Commerce and “OC Cops” (police and sheriffs) – i.e., folks who never mind wasting public money as long as it benefits them.
The “NO” side decries supplanting LOCAL CONTROL with a huge state BUREAUCRACY – and we have yet to see humanity evolve to where bureaucracies don’t inevitably lead to a shitload of waste and unaccountability. The “Yes” side could point out that conservative localities like Orange County have been spectacularly FAILING the homeless and mentally ill, like in 2018 when Judge Carter caught the Board of Supervisors “chipmunking away” hundreds of millions of funds meant for those causes, and funding their pet projects with the interest. But that’s why we’ve been working so hard to get a better Board of Supervisors (which is why it’s so important to get Frances Marquez in there.)
I’m inclined to vote NO on a $6.4 billion bond, no matter how good the cause is, but you do you.
Update: the ACLU comes out against Prop 1.
Hi, this is Greg. Just poking up my head here to say that I agree with what Vern has written here, but I’m undecided about Prop 1: (Lots more research to do on it.) But I completely agree with his focus on the OC Board of Ed races and on Frances Marquez, who may be the bravest person in OC politics. And it’s SO INTERESTING that Cypress is now giving up on its opposition to District Elections — what an unexpectedly well timed vindication of Marquez! She’ll be a great supervisor. And of course on the next entry, you don’t want to do ANYTHING that the neo-Confederate (and that is not an exaggeration) bought-and-paid-for Huntington Beach Council majority wants you to do! Back to Vern!
Huntington Beach: A, B & C – NO, NO & NO!
Easy NO. I think most of us, even in Surf City, are against voter suppression and banning books and the gay pride flag. The conservative OC Register nails the HB Council majority for its “comic political theater” and its “MAGA virtue signaling” (love that phrase) as they once again move to flout state law and waste more millions in lawsuits just to get some time on FOX news and get their culture warrior rocks off. NO, NO, and again NO.
Irvine: Measure D – Yes.
Should the City of Beige catch up with the 21st century and have district elections like the rest of us civilized towns? Can’t see why not.
Westminster: Measure E, Sales Tax Hike (dubbed “Safety & Stabilization Measure”)
Didn’t Westminster already do this a few years ago? I understand that the real reason that town is always in fiscal crisis is that most businesses in Little Saigon don’t bother paying their taxes, and nothing can be done about that without people getting called racist. Well, I’m glad I don’t live in Westminster, and I wouldn’t presume to tell you guys if you should raise your own sales taxes or lose some cops.
Now, let’s take a step UP your ballot to…
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OC Supervisor
TWO of OC’s five Districts get to vote this month, and in THESE races, if one candidate gets over 50% the race is over and they’ve won; if none of them do, then it’s a primary and the top two go on to face each other in November.
District 1 (HB, Seal Beach, FV, Westminster, GG, Los Al, Cypress, La Palma)
Democrats and other folks of good will really have to come out in droves here for the impressive Cypress Councilwoman Frances Marquez, who is up against a handful of corrupt Viet Republicans all of whom hate each others’ guts, and are angling to take the place of disgraced, termed-out Andrew Do. This will probably be a primary, UNLESS Frances (or God forbid Janet Nguyen) breaks 50% – that’s how Supe races work.
So for God’s sake, District 1, get your ballots in for Frances, whose watchwords are accountability and transparency – concepts dearly needed on the BoS but anathema to Janet Nguyen, who already made a mess of this County for 8 years.
Greg: Yes, Marquez vs. Janet seems like the likeliest outcome here, but I think Viets know that most of them will get a better deal without Janet’s corruption! Better keep an eye on her visits to the local nursing homes for votes to pick up and drop off!
District 3 (Yorba Linda, some Orange & Irvine, Lake Forest, RSM, MV)
This is Democrat Farrah Khan vs. incumbent nutjob Don Wagner, and since there are only two candidates, this race will be over March 5. It’s painful to write, but the Board WILL be better WITHOUT Don Wagner. (Plus if Frances wins and Wagner is defeated, that would leave Doug Chaffee as the only remaining Republican on the Board of Supervisors.)
Greg: Farrah is a liar and a cheat and we’ll have to do what he can to stop her before she gets into Congress — but she’ll probably stop herself with a scandal or two or twelve that people will pay more attention to once she’s outside of Irvine’s horrific “no one to root for” local politics. It’s a sad commentary on OC that Farrah can be what and how she is … and still be preferable to Chaffee’s buddy Wagner. By the way, Vern likes to call Chaffee a Republican, but of course he isn’t: he’s a Democrat, a terrible and self-serving Democrat, and Democrats’ failure to denounce him speaks more loudly than any endorsement. He’s living proof that you shouldn’t vote for based on the label — but on the contents of the package.
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EDUCATION!!!
This is the first and ONLY vote for these races, and most folks don’t get down this far on their ballots, which is how we end up with the waste, corruption and craziness that make the headlines. Let’s not make that mistake again!
OC Board of Education
It’s time for Orange County’s sane, normal people – the ones who care about public education and fiscal responsibility and aren’t consumed with Culture War issues – to TAKE BACK THIS BOARD. (And yes it’s accurate to say “take back” – less than a decade ago, when there were still sane moderate Republicans in power, BEFORE Ken Williams became the de facto ringleader of the Board, this WAS a real Board of Education, working WITH the fine Superintendent Mijares instead of persecuting him.)
The incumbents on this Board are all backed by hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Charter School industry, and in return they approve ANY AND ALL charter schools that come before them, good or bad – because, ideologically, they aim to starve public education — or like schoolyard bullies, to trip up public schools and eat their lunch.
The northwestern THREE-FIFTHS of this County has a voice this month in taking back the Board of Education, by electing the “Trifecta of Sanity” who are taking on three incumbents. IF ANY OF THESE NAMES ARE ON YOUR BALLOT:
- Vote Beatriz Mendoza over incumbent Jorge Valdes;
- Vote David Johnson over incumbent Tim Shaw;
- and especially vote Dr. Nancy Watkins (who has a doctorate in education) over incumbent education saboteur Dr. Ken Williams (who has a doctorate in hair restoration, not joking.)
Again, this is one of your most important votes this month.
UPDATE: the debate, which the incumbents skipped. (You can hear their statements if you back up the video.)
Orange USD Recall – YES and YES!
If you live in Orange, Anaheim Hills, or some areas nearby, you probably know all about this recall, led by a coalition of outraged parents of all Parties. Since the 2022 election of Madison Miner (funded by the Charter School industry and pushed by a few megachurch pastors) this once decent and competent board has become another headline-making Culture War clown show, bleeding public education money on losing lawsuits and charter school giveaways.
They started outraging local parents right out of the gate by firing (with no notice, no cause, and no plan) the very popular and successful Superintendent Dr. Gunn Hansen (who was snatched right up by David Johnson’s Westminster School Board.) Fast forward through a LOT of bad stuff and wasted money to today – Fearing the success of this recall, these board members are now shoveling property and money to their favorite charter while they still can: The controversial OC Classical Academy, where Madison’s kids attend. (No, these zealots who are running our public schools don’t even send their kids to public school. It’s all an ideological war. AGAINST US.)
This recall is an ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP to the parents and sane folks of Orange USD TAKING BACK THEIR SCHOOL BOARD!
They GOTTA GO.
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JUDICIAL
Lucky you, you get to pick three judges this year, so you be the judge:
Superior Court Office No. 3
- DAN JACOBSON, attorney
- JASON BAEZ, deputy DA
Superior Court Office No. 16
- RICHARD ZIMMER, deputy DA
- BINH DANG, deputy public defender from LA
Superior Court Office No. 35
- WHITNEY BOKOSKY, deputy DA
- DANIEL J. KERN, attorney
The names in bold above are endorsed by the DPOC – Jacobson, Zimmer, Kern. We are generally sick of every judge starting off as a deputy DA, so we only wonder about the choice of Zimmer and maybe on principle would check out the public defender Binh Dang, whose website is here.
Greg: Dang’s website doesn’t much impress me, but it’s interesting to see that so many Prosecuting Attorneys think that he’d make a great judge. I was somewhat taken aback at John Moorlach being one of his endorsees, but not as much as when I saw that Zimmer is endorsed by close to the entire OC judicial establishment — AND BY the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (among many others) and the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC). The endorsements by DPOC and the the OC Labor Fed are betrayals of everything they pretend to stand for. Ironically, endorsement-wise, this is pretty much a Spitzer vs. Moorlach race … and there’s DPOC, sucking up to Spitzer! I can enjoy the irony.
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***POLITICIANS in Top-Two PRIMARIES!***
Assembly
Hard to feel too much urgency on Assembly races – not like Congress – when Democrats already have a supermajority in Sacramento (AND it’s been a few years since there were any Republicans worth supporting.) Add to that, some of these top-two primaries have only two candidates, so if you’re low on ink, maybe you could economize here? But let’s see what we have:
AD 59 (Brea, YL, Placentia, some Fullerton & Orange, Chino Hills)
- PHILLIP CHEN, longtime Republican incumbent, vs.
- DAVE OBRAND, Democrat challenger & deputy county counsel.
AD 64 (La Habra, the rest in LA county)
- BLANCA PACHECO, one-term Democrat incumbent, vs.
- RAUL ORTIZ JR, Republican pest control manager!
AD 67 (West Anaheim, Fullerton, BP, La Palma, Cypress, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens)
- SHARON QUIRK-SILVA, longtime Democrat incumbent and OJB friend, vs.
- BETH CULVER, retired Republican “entrepeneur,” AND
- JACOB WOO HO LEE, independent “pastor.” Betting we’ll lose the pastor March 5.
AD 68 (Santa Ana, eastern half of Anaheim flatlands, some GG)
- AVELINO VALENCIA, one-term Democrat incumbent, vs.
- MIKE TARDIF, retired Republican sheet-metal guy and cranky OJB friend.
AD 70 (Little Saigon – Westminster, GG & FV, Los Al, Stanton, Rossmoor & a little HB)
- TRI TA, one-term Republican incumbent, vs.
- JIMMY PHAM, Democratic city commissioner & attorney
AD 71 (MV, RSM, Coto/Ladera/etc, Temecula-ish)
- KATE SANCHEZ, one-term Republican incumbent, vs.
- GARY KEPHART, Democrat software engineer & OJB friend, AND
- BABAR KAHN, a businessman from the PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY!
AD 72 (HB, Seal Beach, Newport, Laguna Hills Woods & Beach, Lake Forest, Aliso V.)
- DIANE DIXON, one-term Republican incumbent, vs.
- DOM JONES, Democrat “TV Personality.”
AD 73 (Costa Mesa, Irvine & Tustin)
- COTTIE PETRIE-NORRIS, three-term Democrat incumbent, vs.
- SCOTTY PEOTTER, Republican Nutter, AND
- HENGAMEH ABRAHAM, educator and Vagabond of Parties.
[Only this race inspires comment. Cottie will be truly blessed with Scotty as an opponent once coastal Republicans reject the partisan nomad Ebrahim – Scotty HAS been an enthusiastic Republican his whole life, and was recently a Newport Councilman. And somehow I am on his e-mail list “The Straight Scott” which is really funny. He is one of those old-school holy-roller Republicans who blames sea-level rise on The Gay in America, and right now his obsession is that Irvine schools are tricking teenage boys into getting sex-change operations. COTTIE vs. SCOTTY – can’t wait! You lucky girl.]
Greg: Yeah, when the Top Two primary turns into de facto party nominations there’s not much need for commentary. I will note thought that Abraham does have a following and might get as much as 20-25%, which would largely come from Cottie’s column. So I expect that Peotter will get the plurality in the primary, will suck up lots of bad-government money as a result — and that that money will have been wasted when Cottie beats him by eight or so points in the runoff.
CA-74, South County. A rematch between:
- LAURIE DAVIES, two-term Republican incumbent, vs.
- CHRIS DUNCAN, Democrat Mayor of San Clemente & former federal prosecutor.
Laurie is especially awful, both MAGA lunatic and kleptocrat tool, and now a crusader against district elections which she blames (falsely) on her old nemesis, rare honest Republican Bill Brough. In ’22 Chris lost to her by 5 points; this Presidential year we hope he cleans her clock. But then of course this is only the primary so who cares. COMING THIS FALL…
“Bad Yogi” insurrectionist Alan Hostetter and not-Marjorie-Taylor-Greene.
Greg: I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED, that Vern, a man who shared my formative cartoon culture, did not think to label this image “Yogi and Boo-Boo”!
State Senate – only in one district
Only one State Senate District in the OC is up for election this year: the newly-drawn 37th which stretches down from Anaheim Hills & Orange, snatches up Irvine, Tustin & Costa Mesa, gulps down Newport & half of HB, and does a lot of damage in between. A lotta people are running for this prized seat:
- JOSH NEWMAN, Democrat incumbent (but not in this exact district) & OJB friend
- STEVEN CHOI, mumbling Republican former assemblyman beaten by Cottie in ’22
- ANTHONY KUO, former Irvine Councilman beaten by OJB friend Kathleen Treseder in ’22
- ALEX MOJAHER, progressive Democrat upstart & “civil service advocate”
- Democrats Gabrielle Ashbaugh, Stephanie Le, Leticia Correa, Jacob Niles Creer, & Jenny Suarez
- Republicans Guy Selleck & Crystal Miles.
Funny. When we first backed Josh Newman (successfully, against the DPOC) in 2016, he was the scrappy progressive underdog going against the establishment Party favorite Sukhee Kang. NOW Josh is the establishment Party favorite, and Alex is the scrappy progressive underdog going against him.
Josh has been one of our best senators, accessible and honest, and we USUALLY agree with his votes… and he deserves another four years. Alex should start next time with something smaller like council or school board. Of course, now I think of it, that’s exactly what the Party told Josh 8 years ago. Are we getting old? All right, vote for either Josh or Alex.
Nah, there’s no comparison to 2016. Josh’s primary opponent then didn’t have the stature that Josh had now. I know that this shows that I’m out of touch with the millennials, but Alex predicating his campaign on his superior intersectionality as an queer Iranian Muslim rankles me. I’m happy to see more LGBTQ, Iranians, and Muslims in political office and have often endorse each category with their personal characteristics being a nice plus factor — but subject status is no guarantee of good political performance. I give you Clarence Thomas, Bob Menendez, Lauren Boebert, etc. Know what is a useful sign of good political performance? An established record of it. If this ends up with a Choi vs. Kuo Top Two runoff — and it could! — Mojaher will be the reason why.
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“Representative in Congress”
OKAY. Back to important races. THE NATION TURNS ITS LONELY EYES TO O.C., because if we don’t make/keep THREE OF OUR KEY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS Democratic, the chances are very slim of The People taking back the majority from the Republican Clown Car nationally, and ever doing ANYTHING:
- to slow down climate change,
- to protect democracy in America,
- to restore women’s rights,
- to rein in the national plague of gun violence,
- to finally fix our broken immigration system,
- and to work for peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution in Israel/Palestine.
Yes, all THAT comes down to THREE O.C. DISTRICTS. (The three others we’re not worried about: LOU CORREA will win CD 46, MIKE LEVIN will win CD 49, and LINDA SANCHEZ will once again win CD 38.)
But this month, in each of the three IN-PLAY districts, voters have to decide TWO things – 1. which Democrat would be the best Congressperson, AND 2. which Democrat has the best chance of beating their Republican opponent in November? Maybe we’re crazy, but we think the best ones also have the best chances winning. And so we present:
Allyson Damikolas can beat Young Kim in CA-40!
To meet Allyson is to be impressed, swept off one’s feet; to meet the other Democrat in the race, JOE KERR, is the textbook definition of getting “underwhelmed.” I’ve been hearing that from a lotta people in District 40. I wanted to give ol’ Joe a shot back when he was running for Supervisor in the north County in 2018, claiming to have moved up here despite EVERYBODY saying “The guy has a mansion in Coto de Caza.” I wanted to give him a shot because he seemed better than Doug Chaffee or Tim Shaw. I wanted to give him a chance, this fellow who starts every sentence with “As a former firefighter” – maybe he really had moved! He said, “Sure, you can interview me at my new place, we’ll have a beer!” A day before our appointment he called and said “You know what? Let’s meet at a Placentia fire station instead – I am a former firefighter you know! We can have a beer!” I didn’t bother. Since then he’s run for several other offices and lost. The more conservative and corrupt unions all love him.
And now Gavin “French Laundry” Newsom sticks his thumb on the scale, endorsing Joe, and the OC is not impressed. Gavin thinks of Orange County as a dumping ground, and wanted to force the Poseidon desalination boondoggle down our throats – Poseidon that woulda been a billion-dollar taxpayer ripoff, a disaster for the environment, and was lobbied for by his French Laundry friends and crooked labor leaders. So, to help make Poseidon happen, Gavin put Joe Kerr on an important “Water Quality board” just to help Kris Murray push it through – Joe wouldn’t listen to any arguments against it and I had his phone number, but he was following orders. The Coastal Commission wisely said no to Poseidon, and we should say no to a politician like Joe Kerr, fire hero or no. And…
“ALLL-YSON, you know Young Kim is killing us,
Oh, ALLL-YSON – your aim is true!”
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Derek Tran can beat Michelle Steel in CD-45!
Of our OC Republican lawmakers, Michelle Steel is the worst. All around. We’ve documented that plenty. And in the majority-Asian 45th district, three bold Democrats are vying to take her on. There’s some social media influencer named Cheyenne Hunt, and you don’t hear much about her. Then there’s Kim Bernice Nguyen-Penaloza, with whom I’ve had lots of problems in the past, but the state and county Democratic parties endorsed her, and I figured if she’s the Democrat who can beat Steel, we’ll just have to put up with her conservative politics, love affair with law enforcement, and general nastiness.
But people in District 45 have been telling me that they don’t see or hear anything from Kim, and Politico has recently dubbed her the “BIGGEST UNDERACHIEVER” in fundraising, pulling in only $75k this whole last quarter. We know she’s just had a baby (and congrats) but is she really going to quietly lose to Michelle Steel?
Fortunately, and late in the game, enters one DEREK TRAN, an army veteran and attorney who’s proven a staggering fundraiser – in fact he pulled in over $500k during the quarter that Kim got $75k. Well, what does Derek stand for? Jay Chen, whom we revere, looked long and hard at both Kim and Derek before endorsing Derek. Me I ran into Derek this weekend at the Black History Parade, and I JUST WROTE A NICE PIECE ABOUT HIM HERE! But yeah, this looks like the guy who can finally rid us of lying race-baiter Steel and her evil husband. And help us get back the House!
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… and Joanna Weiss can beat Scott Baugh in CD-47!
The moment white-board entertainer Katie Porter won her razor-thin, expensive, hard-fought 2022 victory against valueless kleptocrat Republican Scott Baugh, she announced she was moving on up to the Senate, and anointed thin-skinned establishment corporatist Dave Min as the guy who could keep the seat for Democrats. And Baugh licked his chops. (Not only Min, Katie also gave her blessing to establishment corporatists Joe Kerr and Kim Nguyen, in both a betrayal of her purported progressive-populist values and an evident deal for mutual-endorsement log-rolling – anything to propel Katie into the upper chamber!)
We already didn’t like Dave’s politics – his subservience to special interests like the prison guard union, and his hostility to Latino advocates who tried to lobby him for rent control. We already preferred this charismatic progressive activist Joanna Weiss – even if she’s not the totally perfect candidate herself (who is?) with her residence issue and her husband’s law firm making some of its money from the Catholic Church.
And then Dave went and sealed his fate with his DUI (you would think.) I know a lotta Irvine Democrats just LOVE them some Dave Min, but if he makes the top-two primary and the race becomes Baugh vs. Min, you-all are going to hear NOTHING for 8 months but “DUI Dave.” (As someone who had his share of DUIs, I can promise you this.) And you-all may as well get used to saying “Congressman Baugh,” and Vern saying “I told you so.” (And no, “Carpetbagger Weiss” or “Catholic-defender-spouse Joanna” will not pack the same wallop with coastal independents as “DUI Dave.”)
So think long and hard, coastal voters, before you go with Dave. The Orange Juice Blog is hoping for a Baugh-Weiss race which will be much more competitive.
Oh, nearly forgot. I’d been meaning to post this video. It is very newsworthy.
Greg: At this point, I’m supposed to step in and drive home some thoughts that Vern left out, but Vern hoovered up all the good points to be made and licked the plate clean. I’m left with only one thought to add: I CHALLENGE SCOTT BAUGH TO MAKE HIS OWN SURFING VIDEO!
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U.S. Senator for California
I’m not gonna list the DOZENS of characters running for this seat, or bother with the headache that it’s two races (whoever you think you should be the next Senator, you’ll have to just mark ’em twice.) There are only FOUR serious candidates:
- Dem-establishment-crowned anti-Trump TV celebrity ADAM SCHIFF, corporatist centrist & Zionist
- Republican baseball star and empty vessel STEVE GARVEY
- Ambitious white-board entertainer and purported populist KATIE PORTER
- Brave anti-war progressive & 13-term Congresswoman BARBARA LEE.
Greg: NO NO NO! There are FIVE serious candidates, and the fifth is ERIC EARLY — the freaking Senatorial NOMINEE last go-round! — and we should not sell short either — or the possibility of an Garvey-Early Top Two runoff! And by “we shouldn’t sell it short” just because it’s not going to happen, I mean that Katie should stop complaining about Adam Schiff prematurely moving into generally election mode (which is the right thing strategically to do) and instead start dismissing Garvey as the equivalent of a batboy and start building up EARLY as the one to beat — because the more primary votes EARLY gets, the fewer GARVEY gets and the more likely PORTER is to get nominated. Why isn’t she doing that? She seems to have a strong sense of entitlement to the position, because she’s JUST THAT GOOD!, which is simply hubristic. She’s better a POLICY than Schiff, but she’s nowhere nearly as good at POLITICS. The funny thing is that Katie did have a counterintuitive winning move here once Barbara Lee got into the race: she could have conceded the spot to Lee (who would not be in the Senate for long) and ingratiated herself with the African-American community and the Left generally by boosting Lee and tearing down Schiff. That would have won her loyalty for 2030, when I’ll bet Lee would retire. But no, Katie is so great, in Katie’s considered opinion, that KATIE should not HAVE to EAIT until age 56 to get into the U.S. Senate, because she deserves it NOW! Katie seriously needs to work on her political skills: she’s got the ambition and derision parts down, but she needs work on the false modesty and warmth that gets people ahead. Schiff, despite his Burbank-area corrections, is not even that great of a candidate — I had a lot higher opinion of him before I saw Jamie Raskin in action, taking the 2nd impeachment further with almost no time to prepare than Schiff was able to do with the first impeachment, where despite plenty of prep time he was not able to war game his way past scumbag Alan Dershowitz — and someone like Eric Swalwell could have beaten him. But Katie seems shocked that the Progressive Change Campaign Coalition can’t get her through. But again, Katie START BOOSTING ERIC EARLY AS THE REAL ENEMY AND MAYBE YOU’VE GOT A CHANCE!
Only two of these candidates will proceed to the November election, and one of ’em will definitely be Schiff, the favorite of the Democrat establishment from Pelosi on down, and who’s been polling way the highest.
It is a sticky wicket. Barbara Lee is the best and the bravest, and deserves this seat after her decades of service in Congress, after all the death threats she weathered for standing up against the Bush-Cheney wars, and as the only candidate who cares about Palestinians’ rights. And California deserves a Senator who opposes most wars, who advocates for Palestinians, and who is courageous enough to stand up to Israel when they go too far.
And I’m voting for Barbara Lee, because sometimes you just gotta VOTE YOUR VALUES. But here’s the thing – Barbara is currently polling in fourth, and voting for her instead of Katie COULD risk useless Garvey coming in second. And a Schiff-Garvey race in November will be no race at all – may as well coronate Adam right now. While a Schiff-Porter race… well at least we’d have the choice of someone who PURPORTS to be a populist and progressive.
So you do you. But this could be a reason to wait till closer to March 5 and keep an eye on the polls. Damn it. Katie, what have you wrought?
Greg: I’ve decided to vote for Barbara Lee in the “short term” race for the unexpired term of Dianne Feinstein. I think Lee just flat-out deserves it and she’ll have my support. But “showing the flag” for the Left in the short term election does not mean that I think that I have to do so for the full-term election. I’ll be watching the poll numbers as well — and getting a sense of how I really feel by reacting to them. I’d say I’m a little more likely to support Katie than Lee for the full-term at present, but I’d feel a lot better about her if she could achieve the sort of empathy with voters that hundreds of female U.S. politicians have been able to do in the past fifty years since we had almost none of them in Congress. She needs an acting coach — one also wise enough to advise her to not believe her own press clippings, especially when she’s the one who wrote them.
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(County Central Committee Members for Parties)
***sigh*** If you’re lucky enough to be a member of a Party (Democrat or Republican at least) you have a chance to pick who you want to be on your Party’s Central Committee. Maybe if we have time we’ll make a separate post for that. I see a lot of insiders listed, and a lot of shady characters from both Parties. My money’s on all the insiders staying insiders. In my district (AD 68) I think I’ll vote for Jessie Lopez and the guy who calls himself a “janitor” (Cenorino Gomez Sarabia), no offense to the insiders some of whom are my friends…
OK, CENTRAL COMMITTEE POST CLICK HERE!
US President
Here your vote means the least, especially in the primary – California is Biden’s, and Trump will get the Republican delegates.
If you want to save the world from Trump as we all do, the best thing you can do is give money (if you have it) to trustworthy groups trying to re-elect Biden and strengthen the Senate for Democrats. Or, better, plan to spend your October in a swing state like Nevada or Arizona, working on the ground to put a stake into the Ochre Abomination and all he represents. That is all. Vern out.
I assume your comment about winning OC’s current Board of Supes races “leaving Doug Chaffee as the only Republican” was tongue-in-cheek. Or has kinda-sorta-Dem Doug officially switched parties? Wikipedia still shows him as a Democrat.
It was sort of bitterly tongue-in-cheek if there’s such a thing. He has formed a close alliance with Republicans Wagner and Do on the Board, against real Democrats Foley and Sarmiento; generally votes as a Republican; consistently resists transparency and accountability; and in fact when he was first running for Supervisor in 2018, took a long, deliberative time deciding which Party to identify as.
I should say, though, that a lot of my Anaheim friends appreciate what he and his staff do in the community, especially when he had Al Jabbar as Chief of Staff.
Arguably, putting on Democratic clothes in the primary and shedding them immediately for the general election is worse than being a Republican.
That’s the theory, anyway. It’s hard to put in practice. But if we can get a decent Democratic majority without him, then absolutely recall him.
This election we should vote for anyone who supports a Ceasefire and oppose anyone who supports genocide.
What’s Joanna Weiss’ stance?
-Joe Biden for President
-Katie Porter for U.S.Senate
-Lou Correa for U.S. Congress
-Sharon Quirk Silva State Assembly.
-Yes of Proposition 1
-OC Board of Ed. David Johnson
– OC Judge, Anyone Who is ‘NOT’ a deputy district attorney ( which means you have the endorsement of the sheriff and district attorney, I think that’s wrong.)
Bea Mendoza (I wish I lived in her District)
Senator Josh Newman (I wish I still lived in his District)
I Wish I Could Vote for Farrah Khan
I’ll ask Joanna about that, Rashad.
Some entertaining reading. Farrahkhan’s 460 statement for her supervisor campaign for 2023.
Among other things, it memorializes among other things:
1. how much she relies on identity politics rather than a broad spectrum of the local electorate for her support,
2. she appears to have had a falling out with party operative Naz Hamid (was this over DPOC’s handling of the ceasefire resolution that went nowhere),
3. Chubby ChemicaLIEweski donated to this lying, racist who has a proclivity for stabbing those closest to her in the back,
4. she has resumed accepting money from known Turkish nationalist genocide denier Ergun Kirlikovali after previously disassociating from him and claiming to donate his donations to the Genocide Education Project, and
5. Her whole supervisor campaign may just be a crass money grab.
https://netfile.com/connect2/api/public/image/210022222
See, that was useful! I don’t think the donations are a money grab (except for the position’s salary). I think she has ambitions beyond even ADA’s (who has to stop at the U.S. Senate.)
Not a chance. Pakistan born.
I don’t know Weiss’s position. On the one hand supporting a ceasefire and opposing genocide are easy positions to take — as literally nothing we could do — up to and including blowing up the Knesset — is going to stop Israeli leadership from continuing its current path. Netanyahu — the “smarter Trump” we’ve dreaded and one of Trump’s most consequential supporters — knows that he has already broken all civilized norms and so he might as well continue doing it, as part of the “might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb reasoning. He knows that his fellow sociopath Trump will never punish him substantially, and that’s why he’s declaring war on us dovish Jews, partly in the hopes that increasing hostility to Jews in general will radicalize us to support Israel. Netanyahu himself would say that he supports a ceasefire (once Hamas is destroyed) and opposes genocide (because it’s Hamas who wants a genocide of Jews and he doesn’t want to kill any more Palestinians than is necessary to destroy Hamas.) But I reject that as much as you do.
What I care about is (1) someone who will support UN sanctions on Israel for its crimes and massacres (and I say “crimes” because they argue that it’s “technically not genocide” for the reason noted above and “technically not a war crime” — because the law against disproportionality and targeting civilians is murky (especially in cases where human shields are in use) and the legitimate target is standing behind the civilians) and (2) someone who will demand that we will establish borders of a safe, secure, and self-sufficient Palestinian state as part of the solution to this conflict. Amazingly, Biden has done that — the first time any American President has done that since Jimmy Carter (and mostly that was after he left office) — and even more amazingly, he’s not getting credit for that from the left or the Muslim/Arab community. (His even bringing it up has alienated even moderate Jews; his not being willing to roll things back to 1946, 1947, or 1948 lines alienates Muslims.)
Could Weiss even conceivably give an answer short of that sort of rollback that you’d find satisfactory? Or does “opposing genocide” mean reversing the Nakba entirely?
My guess is that Weiss has a position similar to that of Bernie Sanders, as do I. “Ceasefire” has multiple forms: Yes, Israel should completely stop its horrific attacks — but soon there will be little left to attack beyond rubble, and already simply stopping and walking away will not be nearly enough. That’s why he’s also now trying to chase Palestinians out of the West Bank as well: might as well break all the rules at once and negotiate a comprehensive settlement.
Should Israel negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Hamas? No, not unconditionally. There’s going to have to be a regional solution — and those who planned and perpetrated the October 7 attacks should have to pay dearly. Netanyahu and Itamar and the gang should also have to pay for their crimes — but it’s not clear how or even if we can make that happen. Cutting off all funds to Israel is appealing, but Netanyahu could probably get what money he needs from Saudi Arabia — maybe for the price of some tactical nukes that automatically shut off if they’re headed for Israeli airspace. Our funding is not that much of a contributor to what Netanyahu has been doing while chasing Palestinians out of North Gaza, then South, then pretty much everywhere. These bombings are relatively low-tech and inexpensive butchery, just like flooding the tunnels with sea water will be. It’s our diplomatic cover that has mattered more.
Here’s what bothers me. By your standard, a sociopathic liar like Donald Trump could theoretically get your vote. Would you really not stand against the guy who imposed the Muslim ban (and who will do it again, and who will give way to some successor who will do it (and worse) again until the Republican Party rids itself from its neo-Confederate and Neo-Nazi roots? What I want in this district is someone who will get elected and stand against Trumpism in all of its poisonous manifestations — and if that means some soft-pedaling for now, so be it. (It’s not like campaign promises are binding anyway.) Biden didn’t campaign in 2020 on supporting a legitimate and recognized Palestinian state — but here he is proposing it! I don’t like making “my way or the highway” demands, because Trump is literally a sociopathic threat to everything that anyone left of Lindsay Graham holds dear. The problem at hand is that yes, Palestinians may win the battle for world opinion, especially among the young (who will inevitably get more conservative as they age), but Netanyahu is winning the battle to literally take over everything from the River to the Sea himself. THAT is what has to be stopped. Who do you trust to stand in his way?
Weiss’s two duties are (1) to be a generally decent and moral human being and (2) to keep Trump and Anti-Jesus-Evangelical-Christians ally Scott Baugh out of Congress. However she gets the second point done within the limitations of the first one — which Baugh lacks! — is fine with me.
My criticism of Kim Nguyen’s campaign has inspired some really VICIOUS LIES about me and my wife, from anonymous trolls, duly printed by The Liberal OC. Really libelous. All I’m saying here.
Update – Chaffee appears to be hosting a fundraiser for his Trumpublican colleague and pal Don Wagner.
Blimey! Can you post a link to show this? I have some people I want to
make fun ofnotify!Found it! I guess it happened the other day.
What a “BIG TENT” rogue gallery! I guess Nick is there with his VALOR because he’s so excited about the Vet’s Cemetery. Apart from that, as far as I can see, all Republicans and Chaffee.
PS Dave Garofalo LOL! And there’s candidate Baugh getting a boost too.
Michael Carroll is on the list??!?? Trouble in Paradise?
One would think that the DPOC would censure him over this. But no: it’s honey for the furthest right “Dems” and vinegar for the leftists and reformers. The greatest sin of all is: impertinence!
The DPOC never really liked or trusted Chaffee – remember Sunny Park got endorsed easy in ’22.
But when he was the one Dem candidate against Tim Shaw (2018), I remember them getting mad at me THAT YEAR TOO, for talking shit about Doug and eventually endorsing the conservative-but-honest Shaw.
That’s a Who’s Who of bad players and County lobbyists.
And they’re kicking off the fundraiser with a Prayer, even before the Pledge of Allegiance. And what’s Nick Berardino doing there? Oops.
How is Joanna more progressive than Mine if she gets the AIPAC endorsement and money? Months into an active genocide that’s gotta be a deal breaker.
I’ll have to look into that, that’s depressing if true. I doubt Min would take a brave stand for Palestinians. Has he? Will he?
Sleepy Joe goes to Dearborn.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/02/07/politics/biden-team-arab-american-muslim-michigan-meeting/index.html
More on sleepy joe’s weekday in Dearborn.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-biden-aide-tells-us-arab-leaders-there-is-no-confidence-in-israeli-government/amp/
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-dearborn-mayor-message-biden-change-course-gaza-or-lose-election
Tim Shaw honest? Really?
To my knowledge. In my experience. And compared to Chaffee, easily.
I’ll always remember him killing the Disney Streetcar, on OCTA. And he never pretended he didn’t love him some Charter Schools. You have an example of him not being honest at least?
I DO NOT WANT HIM ON A SCHOOL BOARD THOUGH.
For your consumption.
https://jewishinsider.com/2024/02/democratic-primary-california-aipac-dave-min-katie-porter-joanna-weiss/
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/07/testy-race-for-47th-congressional-district-highlights-dave-mins-drunken-driving/amp/
Thanks Eric. That first piece is especially enlightening. AIPAC’s PAC – and from now on I’ll just say AIPAC – is publicly only attacking Dave on his DUI, but their motivation (whether they want Baugh or Weiss) is probably that he has lightly criticized Israel, blaming Bibi for his failures allowing Oct 7 to happen and criticizing West Bank settlements. Good for Dave on those two points. Bummed out by the AIPAC attack, he complains, “I didn’t say anything that was outside of the Democratic mainstream,” he didn’t call for a ceasefire, and he had assured them that he didn’t “expect to be involved in foreign policy.”
Sounds like Min is a tiny bit better than Weiss or Baugh on the Middle East. None of them are Barbara Lee though.
I think that the previous J Street endorsement, mentioned in the article is a big part of it. This sounds insane, but it’s similar to DPOC attacking someone because we endorsed them once and they want candidates to be terrified of our support. It’s the old “secondary boycott” strategy often used by unions.
The larger reason for attacking Min like this is simple: he’s an incumbent.
AIPAC isn’t going to scare the shit out of other incumbents by coming out of nowhere to sucker-punch Weiss. That would just seem weird and random. But coming out of nowhere to sucker-punch Min — that’s an attention-getter! And, weirdly enough, the multiculti DPOC endorsement is also part of what makes Min a better target for them, because it sends a message to (ahem) “liberal” Democrats that they’d best not fuck around with AIPAC, in a similar vein that the Mexican drug cartels send to law enforcement.
This does push me in the direction of being willing to support Min in the runoff if he makes it. What I’d like to see is for Weiss AND Min to come together and reject pro-Baugh attacks by AIPAC on Min’s DUI or on Weiss’s use of her husband’s money, because either of them are better than the shitheads from AIPAC. They could even say “there is no daylight between us when it comes to condemning the excesses of Nettanyahu in Gaza.” That would warm my heart considerably! It might also greatly improve their standing with young voters in November.
Even more on Sleepy Joe in Dearborn.
https://armenianweekly.com/2024/02/20/why-im-voting-uncommitted-in-michigans-democratic-primary/
Reconcile. Panhandles to Zionists in lalaland.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-02-20/biden-arrives-los-angeles-fundraiser-at-israel-supporters-home-could-draw-protests
I’ve never heard that — but AIPAC could be playing both sides (or even have decided that Weiss is likely enough to win to lead them to want to exert ownership over her.
In this case, the cleaned-up version of Jesse Unruh’s maxim would apply: you have to be able to take contributors’ money and then vote against them, if that’s what’s right.
AIPAC is not listed on her “endorsements” page. Maybe it wouldn’t be. https://www.joannaweissforcongress.com/endorsements/
One of her most prominent endorsers, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, called for a ceasefire in January.
https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-lofgren-urges-israel-hamas-all-involved-parties-continue-pursuing-terms
Sara Jacobs same thing. https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-more-us-jewish-democrats-join-growing-calls-for-a-gaza-ceasefire/
Looks like AIPAC is actually spending money ATTACKING DAVE MIN. “Why?” I want to know? Has Dave come out for a ceasefire? That would actually impress me and maybe even make me change my mind, except I still don’t see him beating Baugh.
https://twitter.com/JacobRubashkin/status/1754567865921863935
“United Democracy Project, the AIPAC-affiliated Super PAC, is booking TV ads in CA-47 ($260k on cable so far per @AdImpact_Pol). Yesterday they reported direct mail spend targeting Democrat Dave Min, who faces Joanna Weiss (D) and Scott Baugh (R) in the open seat primary.”
The Democrat insider who sent me that (and who agrees with Greg & Bernie Sanders on Gaza) doesn’t know anything about Min or Weiss speaking on this issue, and theorizes that AIPAC is trying to help Baugh, thinking that JOANNA will be easier for him to beat – go figure!
This insider also thinks that those of us who care about Palestine should be supporting Katie instead of Barbara – but as I remember Katie took FOREVER to call for a ceasefire (as though she was determining what would help her most politically) while Barbara was always there.
That’s exactly the analysis that I was going to provide. AIPAC is entirely in Baugh’s corner and they want to rough up Min — out of ignorance, in my opinion — so they can face Weiss, whom they will probably tar as a self-hating Jew (if she is indeed Jewish.) It may be just to protect themselves against charges of Anti-Asian racism in the general election.
Your insider’s analysis is also why I’m getting more and more committed to voting for Barbara for the short term and Katie for the full term. Losing in the short term election would be humbling if not humiliating for her — and frankly she could use the perspective. (She needs to watch Robert Reich’s videos for a master’s class in how one can be really smart using a whiteboard and yet not come off as arrogant and off-putting. I doubt that she’s ever even focus-grouped the broader public’s reactions to her whiteboard appearances (and her thirst for ever-more pots into which she can stick her thumbs), because all of the feedback she gets is positive from her friends and negative from her enemies. There’s more than just friends and enemies out there!
I just received a mailer from United Democracy Project bashing Min and supporting Weiss. Both “Dems” are centrist conservative, do not rock the boat Politicians. https://couragescore.org/representative/dave-min/ Min has earned a D score from the Courage Campaign, essentially for taking weak stances and NOT VOTING on tough progressive pieces of legislation, and Weiss has run a milquetoast OH LOOK AT ME SUCCESSFUL LAWYER SUBURBAN WOMAN VOTE FOR ME Y’ALL stance, oh by the way I live outside the district in San Juan Capistrano and all my children attend bougie private schools, and I am putting in $1million of my own wealth into winning a congressional seat.
My support and vote is leaning towards Terry Crandall.
A “milquetoast OH LOOK AT ME SUCCESSFUL LAWYER SUBURBAN WOMAN VOTE FOR ME Y’ALL stance.”
It’s your right to essentially abstain on the Min-Weiss race. If it makes you feel better to support someone who has absolutely no chance of winning in November, that’s fine. But trying to cover up your sexist piggery in a fake class warrior stance doesn’t cover up the smell of bacon.
You want to lose with a nobody because it keeps you feeling pure. Ok. Just don’t expect to get credit for that when this is a winnable race and Weiss’s supposed crime is … having money? Karl Marx would punch you in the windpipe for being that juvenile.
Weiss is literally running an Anti-Min campaign ONLY. Nothing on Immigration. Nothing on Economics. NOTHING on Healthcare. NOTHING on Climate Crisis.
Her ONLY issue is Women’s Rights. (OH LOOK AT ME SUCCESSFUL LAWYER SUBURBAN WOMAN VOTE FOR ME Y’ALL)
No thanks.
No matter how far left you think you are, you will never be further left than Luis Huang.
And I’m fine with that. You’re our counterweight to Pamela Wykoff.
But: I don’t set my moral compass by the Courage Campaign’s endorsements. I usually agree, but among other things they give zero weight to the need for someone to get into and stay in office. I get that you, as young and intersectional, love you some Mohajer. He’s a candidate custom built for the Courage campaign. But: he would not beat Steven Choi in this district. Worse, he probably would not beat Anthony Kuo! He needs to get a history of office accomplishment behind him so that he can win more than voters under 30.
Well this comment sure didn’t age well….
Let’s just say, Vern, that the Tim Shaw I remember was always palling around with Democrats, pretending he was their friend. Not exactly the most honest way to portray yourself as a conservative.
I have to disagree. People in both parties do this, for one thing. And usually congeniality is celebrated.
But if you’re going to single out a politician for this: Lou Correa is much more of an example than Shaw.
Huh. Sounds like me with my conservative pals. I think I may even have palled around with Tim.
He’s just a nice guy. BUT WE DON’T NEED A RELIGIOUS-CONSERVATIVE CHARTER SCHOOL LOVER WHO VOTES LOCKSTEP WITH KEN WILLIAMS ON ANY SCHOOL BOARD.
A politician, in other words. What’s the matter? Aren’t you likable to folks?
I’ve always been skeptical of Joe Kerr, and it doesn’t help that he has a name that sounds like one of Batman’s adversaries. His prior campaign for Orange County Supervisor may well be the one we can thank for getting us Supervisor Doug Chaffee instead of Supervisor Cynthia Aguirre.
Thanks for the reminder of that turning point. How different things would be.
One possible correction on the OCBE candidate ZOOM debate. It appears that the incumbents are not going to participate. They rather plan to submit written statements and ignore the public interest in this matter. Evidently, they are confident that the support of megachurch flockers (I refuse to call them pastors.) and endless funds from the Charter Schools PAC will be sufficient to maintain them in their seats on the Board. The event will still be worth watching; perhaps it will be even more substantive!
I’m willing to show up and pretend to be Ken Williams! I do a mean impression of him — if only because any accurate impression of him involves being mean
Hear our great Board of Education candidates Watkins, Mendoza & Johnson. The three incumbents skipped the debate but sent in statements which you can hear if you back the video up.
https://youtu.be/dHGXaboOz54?t=860
That’s pretty lame. They couldn’t be bothered to answer verbally?
Flockers. That’s a novel twist on fleecers.
Wasn’t Baugh anti American Israel lobby?? Or maybe he changes position based on expediency. I can’t remember but this looks like pandering to me.
https://twitter.com/ScottBaughCA47/status/1729703609355420058
“The relationship between the U.S. and Israel is a relationship that must be maintained at all costs. A compromised Israel is a compromised U.S. You can read more about my position here:
https://baughforcongress.com/news/israel-policy/ “
You do know that Scott Baugh has a huge law breaking issue of his own don’t you? If Scott Baugh plans to hit min with dui dave he can expect to be answered by all his own multiple felonies .
In a world of rational and fair voters, you’d be right, Paul. Trumpublicans will simply refuse to see that which they do not wish to confront.
This is one area where Katie would do the best against Baugh — but they’d have other ways to get back at her.
And what you did in the 80s or 90s isn’t the same as what you did six months ago.
Josh Newman has a D score from the Courage Campaign, he’s taken weak moderate almost conservative votes in Sacramento. No Thanks.
https://couragescore.org/representative/josh-newman/
It was Greg Raths not Baugh. Forgive me.
“The Jewish community is very well organized in the United States and they control a lot of politicians. That’s why the foreign aid is so large going to Israel.”
Raths, who was responding an audience member’s question about U.S. aid to Israel, later added: “The Jewish community has never given me one dime. So I am not beholden to them at all.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/27/congressional-candidate-greg-raths-apologizes-for-comments-jewish-leaders-label-anti-semitic/amp/
There are kernels of truth in many stereotypes, but the biggest problem here is that there is not one organized “Jewish Community.” It ranges from Joe Lieberman and beyond to Bernie Sanders and beyond. One thing that I disagree with the Jewish Establishment about is the notion that “counting Jews” in various industries is ipso facto anti-Semitism. It can be, but it’s also fair to ask and discover what proportion of people in news, entertainment, banking, law, academia, etc. are Jewish. Even though the information may be misused, we don’t need to be scared of it and to therefore be seen as hiding it. Hiding it does not actually stop anti-Judaism. The inferences that may be drawn from disproportionate Jewish representation in certain fees are often misguided, sometimes maliciously, and often have benign explanations. (Jewish dominance in banking came about because it was seen as a dirty industry by Muslims and Christians; Jewish dominance in academia came about primarily because of a millennia-long emphasis on literacy (at least for boys), due to the Torah and the ritual of Bar Mitzvah, that so far as I know is unmatched in any other culture. (I don’t say that as a claim of personal accomplishment or pride; it is what it is and I’m happy to be corrected if another culture has that sort of unbroken line.)
So while I find what Raths says a little disturbing in its totalizing and undifferentiated view of world Jewry, it’s clear that money does affect politicians’ votes and that (last I checked) Jews do donate disproportionately to political campaigns, though far from all in the same direction. I know Jews who would have happily given him money, and I’m sure he would have taken it, perhaps without knowing that we had put our magic spells on it … but I have already said too much.
Zionist tribe members pretend to speak for the whole tribe and also call tribe members not under their chuppah such vile things like anti-semites.
If you use the word “tribe” again for Jews that comment is coming down. I get to do that if I want, which I don’t. You don’t.
More on this topic.
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/11/denouncing-critics-of-israel-as-un-jews-or-antisemites-is-a-perversion-of-history
REALLY concerned about your statement re: Kim Nguyen-Penaloza “quiet-quitting.”
I walked for her – and other campaigns- this weekend and she greeted the large group of volunteers. Her pregnancy wasn’t easy and neither was the delivery – let alone the normal bonding process that happens when a mother has a child.
But she’s been texting and calling voters and donors since giving birth- doing everything she can.
Y’all might not like her or her politics, but making veiled comments about her is terrible. Be better.
I didn’t mean any “veiled comments” – I’ve just been told by people in that district that they’ve never seen or heard from her, and then comes the Politico piece about her lackluster fundraising. And we gotta beat Steel.
I’m supporting Derek now, but if Kim beats him in the primary I’ll be on the Kim wagon!
(That phrase “quiet-quitting” seems to have triggered some people, I think I’ll rewrite that sentence.)
Possibly because she just had a child?
Possibly because she had a difficult pregnancy?
Possibly because she had complications after having a baby?
Is this blog quiet-quitting on trying to tell the truth?
I mean, damn, never mind that she handily won the CDP endorsement and she’s the only Democrat who actually lives in the District. No, we’ve got to harass her for “lackluster” fundraising in the middle of her having a baby.
Kim is the BEST choice to stand up to a MAGA demagogue who Trumpets anti-choice.
Btw, in the future, when you full-throttle endorse against an endorsed candidate, please make sure you establish that you’re not doing so in your capacity as a board member of a club chartered under DPOC by-laws.
That was really nice at the end, you thug. Vern is not endorsing as an Anaheim Democratic Club Board Member and your implicitly threatening the club over his actions is what someone does when they have no argument on the merits but a good argument for the ability to use force. That’s Trumpian behavior. Happily, Democrats don’t take that kind of shit.
I don’t think that KBNP’s baby just somehow snuck up on her. She’s interviewing for a job — defeating Michelle Steel — and if she’s not in shape to take on the job right now she’s young enough that she will have plenty of chances in the future. If the job requires fundraising and she can’t do it less than eight months before general election voting begins, then maybe she can just stand down this time.
It’s not “harassing” her to complain about her fundraising — and it’s stupid spin to say so. Her lax fundraising is a fucking objective fact, one relevant to her suitability to the position of running THIS year. It takes real effort to not notice that, but perhaps you are just pretending.
“Handily winning the CDP endorsement” has lots to do with connections, Reina Ada’s whims, and “moderation” but little to do with actual merit. The things that matter to political insiders are increasingly divorced from the things that matter to actual voters — but spouting this sort of blather sure suits your own desire to stay tight with the centers of power.
Connections has something to do with getting the endorsement, but also that Kim was the early bird and Derek showed up late. I have noticed and mentioned in the past that both Parties make their endorsements hastily before they know if anyone else good is planning to run.
Eugene saying Kim is the only candidate “who lives in the district” brings something up, and people will probably say it’s none of my business and that I’m “harassing” her, but that either means she and her husband live apart, or that Santa Ana Councilman Penaloza lives in Garden Grove?
STOP HARASSING THE SANTA ANA POLICE GUILD QUEEN!!!
Ahem. If KBNP knew that due to her pregnancy — which Eugene brings up to excuse her anemic fundraising — meant she would not be able to do what it takes to win the race even if through no fault of her own.
I don’t know about any pregnancy complications she faced, but if they are not common knowledge then it seems really distasteful to trot them out here, where they are not verifiable, to justify her torpor. In that case she has my sympathy, but sometimes things happen that mean that someone simply should continue be running. That’s very sad, but luckily for her she’ll almost surely have a chance to run again.
I realize that she can’t withdraw at this point, but she can stop actively seeking votes. (Of course, it may be hard to tell the difference.)
Well that was quick. The DPOC has just ordered me to take down this story, or resign as VP of the Anaheim Dems Club. (Because I back Derek Tran and Joanna Weiss over DPOC-endorsed KBNP & Dave Min.) Nowhere in the story did I identify myself as VP of the Club or suggest these were the endorsements of the Club.
So I’ll be weighing my options. If those are my two choices it’s an easy choice, I’ll keep writing what I believe and am never taking down this story. But can they legit force me to make that choice? I don’t know. I don’t want to make any trouble for my wonderful Club, and their larger threat is to de-charter us.
This happened before, in 2018, over JORDAN BRANDMAN, when I was campaigning against THAT DPOC-endorsed candidate, and in 2021 when I was leading the recall against him. And who was right, the DPOC or me?
Buncha flying monkeys.
Just interviewed Derek Tran, hope to have that up today.
Petty tyrants or scared shitless that Min will lose? Or both?
If I agree to take over as VP of the Democratic Club, how long will it take them to send me the same message? How quickly do they have to be notified?
This simply underlines that they are ten times more concerned with their personal power than with winning elections. They even got the Progressive Caucus to endorse Joe Kerr. How completely detached does one have to be to do that?
There. Resigned my Club posts. Now where was I?….
This should be its own story.
Who exactly gave you this “order” and how? Was it a newly butthurt Eugene, or someone to which he ran, blinking and sniffling?
At least Eugene doesn’t hide in the shadows.
The long-suffering and apologetic Michael Sall was dispatched with the message. He said some people were so furious they wanted to yank the Club’s charter first thing.
Because I wrote this story.
Yanking the charter of the only dissident club in the county would skyrocket this blog’s ratings and help to destroy electoral morale for all but the truest and most compliant believers in their leadership, so I guess it’s pretty likely.
Can we hire Gabriel with all that extra ad revenue?
Actually, being serious, if Gustavo were not such a human vacuum cleaner he would ask KCRW to let Gabriel take over his slot on that channel. Gabriel is far more informed and would be far better at it.
You make me consider the type of mother (or father) that would put their political ambition ahead, or at least on par with of her parenthood.
I don’t know this woman and what she is like, but just on the face of it, she might not be a good fit as an elected or as a parent.
The MinBlog, I mean Dan’s Liberal OC, has been posting tear-jerking stories (and comments) bearing titles like “Redemption,” urging FORGIVENESS and GRACE for poor, sinning, Dave Min, who has shown such touching humility and remorse for his DUI. As always, missing the point is Dan’s calling card.
Nobody is saying Dave is a bad person because he had a DUI. Nobody’s even saying he’d be a bad Congressman just because he had a DUI. What people are saying is it’ll be really tough for him to beat Scott Baugh with that baggage. And we need to keep that seat.
Yesterday a commenter urged all the Minnites and Weissites to unite after the primary to make sure we at least have a Democrat, and Dan responded, weirdly, “she is quiet on all this dark money PAC investment benefitting her” Non-sequitur aside, lack of punctuation and capitalization aside, that’s real rich hearing Jordan Brandman’s best friend fretting over a politician getting I.E.’s.
Sounds to me like Dan is not willing to pledge to support the winner. I wonder who in the party will admonish him over that.
And “best friend” there should at a minimum have an asterisk. I think that one loses “best friend” status when one darkly and publicly warns said bestie that if they don’t retract all of the bestie’s valid and righteous complaints about the corrupt actions of others and rejoin the cover-up, then they will surely lose their income sources predicated on the ability to do government relations, shortly followed by an accidental (or not) overdose. But is it any surprise that for some Public Relations Professionals friendship is purely transactional?
For the record I’ll support KBNP, Kerr & Min if they win the primaries. I just don’t think they’re as good, or will have as good a chance of winning, as Derek, Allyson & Joanna.
Dan and Jordan were friends The Oj blog dragged Jordan through shit you fail to acknowledge your horrible demands on him Jordan always considered Dan a friend even after what Dan wrote Jordan likely died of an accidental overdose It’s you guys who are assholes
Dan — like America itself — doesn’t have friends, he has interests. He got along well with Jordan until Jordan went against Dan’s interests (as determined by Melahat, Ada, Jerbal, or whoever) and then he taunted him about he had destroyed his own livelihood by being a snitch and soon Jordan died. What wonderful friend he was.
Vern and I both wanted to steer Jordan away from corruption towards honesty. I tried very hard to do that for years, with some occasional success, but the people luring him with money and power were too strong. And then they abandoned him when he became a liability and he died. As I wrote her many times, by calling him on his shit I wanted to save his soul. He had real potential to do some good, but the people trying to corrupt him were very good at it. If you think that’s being an asshole, that’s on you.
Brandman dragged himself through the shit you refer to. He did it happily; he did it willingly. He did it for the warm glow he got feeling important. He had a smile on his face. He was going places.
He faked government reports; he never had employment that wasn’t given to to him; he tried his hardest to disenfranchise the people of Anaheim; he was willing to virtually give away tremendously valuable municipal assets.
Yes, people demanded that Brandman act honestly. What a horrible demand, given that it wasn’t in him.
The fact that Brandman is dead is another fact that can be laid at his own posthumous doorstep.
And yet I (and I think Vern) were legitimately trying to help him, even against his own instincts, to be honest and productive. It may have been a fool’s errand doomed to failure, but it was worth a try and it was my time to waste.
I think that we can agree that he was a deeply broken human being. I attribute this to spending so many years in the closet and having so many so-called friends (Melahat, Murray, Meeks) willing to foster the worst in him for their own purposes. Unlike Chumley, I wasn’t friends with his father so I can’t speak to his family dynamics during and after his closeted years, but I suspect that they were emotionally crippling. (Chumley would be a poor judge of that.)
If I had a limited amount of sympathy to give into the world, maybe I wouldn’t have wasted a share on him, but I thought and hoped he could be better away from the wrong influences. I think that my brother-in-law had a similar orientation towards him, especially after he broke with Melahat.
I dunno, maybe a few times early on I was trying to help him be better. But he was just so gleefully and smugly corrupt, and cruel about it, that that didn’t last long for me.
If it’s election season, I find myself back at Orange Juice. Thanks for all you do.
We are humbled, sir.
So the COPD came after Vern and the Anaheim Dems but the Irvine Democratic Club is a-ok! Wow. Just wow!
I learned an important lesson today: Write about Max Ukropina in a blog and you end up with Max Ukropina ads.
I clicked through on his ad because I think that gives us some extra ducats.
Huh. This is a quote:
“Orange County is a slice of paradise. Our communities are beautiful, our families are safe and our schools are excellent. But if you drive 30 minutes north, it’s a different world. I’m running for Congress to make sure the failed policies ruining Los Angeles and San Francisco don’t destroy the rest of America.”
Actually, in most of Orange County, if you drive 30 minutes north you’re still in Orange County. I’m in one of the few parts of the county where if you drive 30 minutes due north you’re in the East San Gabriel Valley, specifically Azuza.
What does Max Ukropina have against Azuza? Can he even use a map?
But you know what? Even if he thinks that northwest is north and 60 minutes is 30 minutes, I still encourage anyone thinking of voting for Scott Baugh to vote for Max instead.
He may be cracked, but he does seem a lot more honest than Scott Baugh. “You’re doing fine Ukropina, Ukropina, UK!”
I get what you were trying to do, late the other night, with all your Ukropinazation. But I think you’re only gonna make lots of Ukropina ads “krop up” on YOUR computer or phone, not the rest of ours. We’ll see if I get that Ukropina result now.
UPDATE 2/12 – it worked! Now I know what MAX looks like! “Political Outsider!” “America First!”
Curse you, Google Ads!
I’ll keep y’all up on the Ukropinoness it develops. I DO think that they should support him over Baugh, because he seems to be the best Republican challenger to him.
You notice how when the American Israel lobby bolsters right wing whackos it’s not offensive or hateful or racist. But state the obvious about Israel publicly and face their wrath. Doxxing, cancellation and campaign dollars and support to your political opponents.
Not offensive, hateful, or racist according to whom?
Dan posts a poll, taken and publicized by Scott Baugh’s team, that shows Baugh 27, Min 22, Weiss 16. Of course Dan posts that because it shows Min above Weiss, and he loves Min.
As Dan admits we have no details about that poll. And we can also only guess as to why Scott would release it now in the middle of the primary. But guess pretty well we can.
Dan dances one of his jigs over Min besting Weiss here, but then he scratches his head over why Baugh would release this when “He wants to run against Weiss.”
There is no evidence anywhere that Baugh prefers to run against Weiss, it is all in Dan’s big wishful head. The evidence Baugh prefers to run against Min is twofold: Republicans have yet to start bashing Min for his DUI (that’ll start if and when Min beats Weiss March 5, and will last eight maddening months); AND that he created and released this poll, to encourage Democrats to stick with Min.
That is all.
You lost me when you mentioned Dan dancing a jig. I wasn’t drinking, so you don’t owe me a new keyboard, but you may owe be a new mental image censor.
The interesting thing about this poll’s results is that it shows Baugh trailing the combination of Min and Weiss by 11. It’s very stupid for DPOC to be poisoning the well towards Weiss, because what they should want is for the winner to quickly consolidate the Democratic vote. We haven’t been arguing (much) that Min’s comparatively dismal policies make him unworthy of a general election vote, but more that his vulnerability due to the DUI issue could cripple him with undecided voters.
1. That was a polite abbreviation of an old expression of mine, in which Dan “dances a happy fat-man jig.” I shortened it because I hate to repeat myself too much, plus I wasn’t feeling particularly mean at the moment. But you have forced my hand.
2. I think you equate, too much, Dan and the DPOC. Sure he stays in line with them a little more than you and I do. But he is driven equally strongly by his own powerful gallery of personal grudges and loyalties.
Dave Min did make off with the state and county endorsements, but I happen to know there are a lot of people in the DPOC who love Joanna Weiss.
Chemical may be fat but he isn’t happy, no matter how hard he jigs.
Ada is vindictive and the people guiding her are even more so. I don’t think that anyone can be endorsed by DPOC for any consequential position over her objection.
(For those supposing that’s just how the system is supposed to work: it isn’t.)
Along with directing money to cronies, with or without kickbacks, endorsements are the main currency with which party leaders can traffic. Once a decision has been made in a given race, gettIng in its way debases the power of whoever promised it. Making a liar out of a party leader who assured a certain outcome is tantamount to treason.
Do not expect intelligent reasoning. He is so dumb and his writing is so bad it could mean almost anything.
Josh Newman just earned a D score of 64/100 from the Progressive Courage Campaign. Newman No Vote on SB50 to limit Racist Police Stops for Minor Offenses, NO Vote on AB12 to cap landlords charging more than 1 month’s deposit, and NO Vote on AB1167 on Oil Wells means NEWMAN IS NOT A PROGRESSIVE.
https://couragescore.org/representative/josh-newman/
We really Need Alex Mohajer in Sacramento.
I love Barbara Lee.
I wanted her to primary Dianne in 2018, but she wouldn’t stand up to the Democratic establishment (nor to her across-the-bay friend, I suppose), so we got latent racist Kevin De Leon.
I wanted her to put her hat in the ring for fellow Oaklander Kamala Harris’ seat in 2021 when Kamala became Vice President. Still no dice. (She was, though, a supporter of Kamala for President during the early primaries, and I believe she shifted to Biden rather than to Bernie after Kamala bowed out.)
Now, after refusing to run for the Senate for so long, she decides to run at 77, but due to her age says she’ll only serve one term. She could be running for her second term had she run earlier.
Thanks, but no thanks. You had my support all the way, Barbara, but you’ve done all you can to lose my support. Whoever runs, I want that person to stay and fight. You’ve left me no choice but to support Katie Porter.
Again: you have the opportunity to vote for Barbara Lee for the short term (which ends next January term) while voting for Katie for the full term. I wish that each of them would pull out of the other race and then cross-endorse.
You’re going to be hearing a whole lot of this from me for the next fortnight.
hello Gents, do you have any tidbits or any light to shed on the people running for “Member, County Central Committee – 72nd Assembly District? Any “red flags” or don’t vote for ’ems?
Any insight you could share would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, by the way for all your hard work putting together the voter guide.
I’m going back and forth on whether to endorse for Central Committee at all. I’m as likely to cost people votes as to help them, given the Trumpian level of control that the party bosses have over those who are likeliest to vote. If I do, it will be closer to Election Day to minimize the likelihood of successful blowback.
But anyone who wants to boost their own or someone else’s candidacy can do so here!
OK, 72 – that’s Cottie-land, stretching from South HB to Irvine. You didn’t say if you’re a Democrat or Republican.
There’s 8 Democrats running, so 2 of em will get knocked off the island. Definitely vote for Bethany Webb, Jonathan Adler, Victor & Gina. I remember Greg not liking Ted or Anita for some reasons, but I didn’t spend so much time in the inner sanctum to have an opinion on them. The other two I don’t know.
NINETEEN REPUBLICANS are vying for Central, and the only one I see that I have anything good to say about is the great JOHN BRISCOE. Looks like the whole fucking HB MAGA Council Majority is running, including their boss Mike E. Gates – fuck those guys! To hell with Janet Nguyen, Tom Fuentes’ Son, Lake Forest Tea Party-Klepto Voigts, and Brian “Make HB Great Again” Burley. The others I don’t know but they mostly smell unpleasant.
I hope this helps you, K, and distracts you for a bit at least, from that Castle, and that Trial.
Anyone who is still a Republican smells unpleasant.
Yeah, but there’s merely malodorous and there’s stench from the pits of hell. I’d suggest voting for Briscoe and anyone who’s not on Vern’s list of stenches. The only danger is that one of them might edge out Briscoe for 6th place and that seems very unlikely.
Everything is here. https://www.ocvote.gov/fileadmin/user_upload/data/candlog/PRI2024/candlog.pdf
People don’t need to vote for six. They should vote only for the ones they really know are good.
For example, just Briscoe. And no Greg, it’s not unlikely that he wouldn’t make the top 6, with these 18 other assholes on the ballot.
Ted’s OK; we had a falling-out at one point but time has healed. I’d vote for him if I were in that district .
Who are the other two, Vern? For the sixth spot, my default suggestion without knowing more would be to flip a coin between them.
Nice… Wow, who wrote this? (They toned down my title which was originally “You Can’t Trust Joe Kerr”, and took out a few sentences I thought were good and important, but I hope this’ll have some impact and help Allyson!)
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/22/in-the-40th-congressional-district-voters-cant-trust-joe-kerr-to-represent-their-interests/
Great job! Among its many other merits, I believe that this is the first time that the phrase “Anaheim klepto-Republican Kris Murray” has ever appeared in the Orange Lady!
I’m in the 40th. Thank you for this information and helping me make a more informed choice.
This has driven Chemical Lewinsky blood-simple. First thing he did was write an email to the Register’s editorial board telling them I’ve had DUI’s. (They wrote to me “what an insufferable douchebag.”)
Then he wrote a few comments on his blog saying I’d made some mistakes. Spelling mistakes! (Neshanian pointed out, “Sounds like you’re jealous they weren’t YOUR spelling mistakes, Chubby!”)
Then, since nobody was paying enough attention, Dan listed all of my two spelling mistakes, which weren’t actually in my original, and by the time I looked on the Register they’d already fixed em.
They want me to do another piece on Min vs. Weiss. The two things holding me back are that I hate to bash Min at the same time that AIPAC is, and I can’t get a hold of Weiss’ people.
I just read his article on attacking Weiss. I’ll have a piece out on it as early as tonight.
The PR professional is attacking her for a misleading headline. I read his headline, and he flat-out misread a sentence to put a false claim into her mouth. I think maybe that he has “credibility with the Register” envy.
I would think he’d be putting this amount of energy into to OCBOE races. No?
Vern and Greg, thanks as always for the voter guide!
Vern, what you’re talking about is called “bullet voting” and it has its time and place. This is neither.
You seem to think that I’m arguing that he would definitely make the top 6. No, that’s not my point, and I think I can best explain it with an analogy. Let’s say that various OJB figures past and present were running for three seats on a Board, and that kleptocrats are putting up 10 people for the same seats. You are the non-Kleptocrat with the best chance to make win the election, but Zenger, Ryan, and John Earle are also running. Should people be instructed to vote only for you?
Well, if you first 1st or 2nd then it doesn’t matter whether they voted for two of us as well. It only matters if a vote for one of us puts us in third place with you being moved down to 4th. What matters is that you are going to get at least one more vote than the rest of us — which you will because you are our leader, especially given you O.C. Register column!
In this case, either no other anti-Klepto Republican is going to beat Briscoe, or Briscoe’s not going to make it at all. The benefit of possibly having two other anti-Kleptos elected with you — however unlikely that is — exceeds the danger that the wrong anti-Klepto will make it onto the Board.
They should be instructed to vote only for me.
I forgot to mention that in this district you had only recently moved in for the purpose of running for this Board.
Good day to you Gents!
Thanks very much for the insight on the 72nd CC list; this was very helpful.
Wow Vern, I had no idea about Ms. Webb’s story – geez. I’m really impressed by her fortitude. I’ve poked around about the others, found very limited info on them so far, but you – putting them on your list with Bethany has me hoping we’re on the right track..
Briscoe is not on my ballot……which leads me to think I might pleasantly pass your olfactory test…(dem here).
As an aside, Greg has me thinking; I’ve been a Katie supporter, but Ms. Lee seems so very worthy (for both full & partial terms). I feel bad, but regardless how much Ms. Lee deserves the votes, strategy-wise and for great fear of a possible Vapid-Garvey making it in, I’m chicken and sticking with Katie for the full term position, though I am considering Ms. Lee for the partial/unexpired term.
I’m wondering (out loud) – can that possibly backfire somehow?
And dang it, I might as well say it (out loud) too – Min vs. Weiss?
Whatamigonnado….. Ay yi yi.
I’m putting up another “CALL KATIE” post
tonight (maybe after midnight, but it will have today’s date.)on Friday. That will explain exactly what I think Katie can do to make it more likely to win. I’ve been proposing the Early thing for weeks now, but it didn’t get any attention until I got obnoxious about it. For this one, Katie will want to do it far more quickly (if at all.) I’m tentatively naming it like a dance move: Half-Drop and Cross-Forward. So check it out tomorrow!Well, the Sheriffs Deputies have put in a cool 1/4 mil for Don Wagner and Janet Nguyen.
That does it: I’m endorsing Farrah. Sorry, Neshanian, but good governance calls. Maybe Zenger will explain it to you.
WRATH OF KHAN 2024: TAKE REVENGE ON THE SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES!
My recommendations for Republican County Central Committee, 73rd Assembly District –
Christopher J. Gonzales, is running again for Congress.
Hengameh (Henny) Abraham, younger person.
Austin Lumbard, elected mayor of Tustin.
Mike Carroll, understands some about harms of Greenhouse Gases.
James Mai, younger person
John M. Moorlach, past state senator, supervisor, and hero when OC went Bankrupt. I welcome your thoughts as I have not finished my ballot yet.
James Mai is a malevolent train wreck, as documented fully on this blog. Mike Carroll was very unimpressive on the OC Power Authority. Moorlach was always my friend, but his judgment has been slipping and he writes for the Epoch Times. It’s really hard for me to find Republicans I like any more, but we appreciate your effort.
CRAIG! I’ve been waiting for you to comment on my story about Allan Beek.
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2024/02/memories-of-newports-allan-beek-1927-2024/
The OC Bar Association gave Daniel Kern an “unqualified” rating for Superior Court justice. Not clear to me how exactly they arrive at that conclusion, but do their ratings factor into your recommendations at all?
Interesting. Did they give a reason? He looked all right to us between the DPOC endorsement and his not being a deputy DA like his opponent.
I’m going to vote for him anyway, for reasons already expressed.
how do we get more details on the “janitor” for CCC? having to pick 6 but not able to find details on them is annoying.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PICK SIX.
But you’re right, I just finished our Central Committee post which is here
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2024/03/the-oj-blog-central-committee-endorsements/
But it IS hard to find any info about some of these folks, I thought there’d be candidate statements and there aren’t.
I do feel that the Party needs a janitor. Only being slightly facetious. You know what, vote for Luis Andres Perez as well in the 68th. He’s getting better.
There were plenty of unhappy attorneys at the well anttended annual family law specialist conference in Rancho Mirage this past weekend.
Many were not pleased with family code section 6309 which was the result of DUi Dave the Douchebag’s bill re pre trial discovery In domestic violence proceedings.
Uhm, did you have some part to play in causing their unhappiness? Just guessing here.
Gentlemen,
Thanks for the comprehensive voting guide and the genial badinage. I am doing my last minute research before voting in person tomorrow, just like I have for over 5 decades. I have come to your site for the last word. The final wisdom after all other sources have been exhausted. I am glad I visited. I am not disappointed.
I appreciate your myriad considerations in analyzing data to the nth degree. I appreciate that rigor and attention to detail, sorely lacking in the major media outlets. After sifting through this long process, I have altered two of my choices: Barbara instead of Katie for the short term U.S. Senate seat and Weiss over Min in the House. I like your logic and the winding path walked to reach your conclusions.
Ms. Lee DOES deserve recognition for years of commendable service in the House and now, a seat at the table in the Cracker Club. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she takes Lindsay Graham’s House Nigger to the shed for a whupping like only a strong, righteous Black woman can. Sorry Timmy, but you deserve it.
Adam deserves the post more than Katie based on experience, tenure, and a more compromising temperament, hallmarks of a functional Senate. And, I am pissed that she is being greedy so soon and deserting her hard won and not-easy-to-keep House seat here in the Fightin’ 47th! I wrote that to her upon her announcement. No response, only endless requests for money. The DPOC should have muscled this one …fuck the voters, and I am serious. This crap makes the cigar-smoked rooms of yesteryear seem like the good old days. Thus, Katie for the long term seat so she can battle Adam in the war of “ideas” this November. What a complete waste of money, resources, and good will. Internecine bickering needs to be shelved until the MAGA-got party is completely gutted and rebuilt into something resembling a Constitutionally approved party. Speaking of which, the personally corrupt and bankrupt Steve Garvey? Top two system? Porter in the Primary for the long term seat. Schiff in November.
In my salad days, I would have selected Weiss based on my criteria of the era: Which candidate do you (meaning me) want to sleep with? (I didn’t drink beer back then). Being a non-binary, incel, celibate (just like a Catholic priest, except totally different), that notion is totally irrelevant in these dire times, even though she is pretty cute, considering her age. However, Katie LIKES Min and the Register HATES Min, which are two good reasons to favor him. But, on the other hand (incels need BOTH hands), as you say, he might have too much baggage in a tight race with the unctuous, cynical criminal Baugh. Besides, I direct you to the Orange County’s Voter Information Guide (very utile in many ways): Read their candidates’ statements. His is pedestrian party hackery. Lazy. Hers is articulate and ambitious. Just what you would expect from an all-A overachiever to produce. Back to the other hand (did I mention I am amBIdextrous?), she sent EIGHT glossies to me via the U.S. Mail, six for her and two dark hit pieces against him. Whereas he sent only FOUR glossies, two hiding behind Katie’s ample attire, and two out on his own. When it comes to cutting down trees, abusing ink and wasting funds with spendthrift abandon, her outreach reeked of desperation. But, after reading your ruminations, I am going to return to the days of wine and roses, vote the skirt and enjoy the eye candy for the remainder of the election cycle. Surf’s up!