Hey Jim Brulte, What Are You Going To Do About This?

Just as I think that the Cali GOP is beginning a revival with an important win in a state senate special election, this article in today's Left Angeles Times kind of puts the kibosh on that.
Not one supposed serious GOP contender for the state constitutional offices has more than $50,000 cash on hand. Yet Gov. Jerry Moonbeam Brown already has a war chest of $10,000,000.
Ten million dollars to $45,000 for the leading GOP candidate, supposedly, former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldondo?
If that keeps up, might as well not run any GOP candidate and give that and all the other constitutional offices back to the Democrats.
I am not saying that money is everything. But let's face it in a state in which registered Democrats are almost 2-1 against Republicans, it would sure help to know that leading candidates are making their intentions known in a better financial manner than they currently are.
Which brings me to the Cali GOP chair, Jim Brulte.
My question is this Chairman Brulte.
What are you going to do about it?
I mean, it is great that you spent a lot of money to get the great Andy Vidak win in state senate district 16, but do you realize how weak our bench is for everything else?
Is Abel Maldonado going to be the best we have to take on Gov. Moonbeam Brown? I think not.
And while I really like Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, I am realistic enough to know that he will not be able to win the general election if he should become the GOP nominee.
So who would be a choice to look at?
Once again I would love to see former congressman David Dreier as a candidate. He is conservative. Maybe gay, but I don't care. Has always been a great face for the GOP on television. Is not rough around the edges as Assemblyman Donnelly. Not a squish like Mr. Maldonado. Mr. Dreier is a great potential choice who would be able to keep up financially with Gov. Moonbeam Brown. And he would be awesome in a debate with the current governor.
And do we have anyone running for the thankless job of lieutenant governor? The Times article does not indicate that to be the case.
Same for attorney general.
The only other race that there is a Republican showing any interest is for the secretary of state. And that is Pete Peterson who heads the Davenport Institute and Pepperdine University.
The Davenport Institute? Yep, I had to look that up. And Mr. Peterson seems to be conservative enough. The good thing is if there are up to five Democrats running for that office, the primary could be ugly enough that Mr. Peterson ends up in second place. But because of the uniqueness of our current primary system, the downside is that two Democrats could be in the general election in November 2014.
Seriously, what Mr. Brulte needs to do, and he maybe doing so but way, way under the radar, is finding candidates willing to compete for all the constitutional offices. As well as all the assembly seats and the 20 state senate seats due for election in 2014.
If the Cali GOP can not do any of the above, the the problems are much deeper than anyone realizes.
Winning one state senate seat is not enough Chairman Brulte. We as a party need to show commitment to competing and yes, winning not just legislative seats but really big elections such as the governor's office. We tried the millionaire gals in 2010 and that did not go well at all. There is a bench and I am hoping that you are trying to coax some to run for office.
There is no faster way to accelerate a party's decline than to give up before even trying.
So, Cali GOP Chairman Jim Brulte, what are you going to do about this?

Jim Brulte Cali GOP Chair, Now What?

Over this past weekend, California Republicans chose former state senator and senate minority leader, Jim Brulte, to be the new chair of the CRP.
It was one of the best moves that the state party has made in recent times.
Lets face facts, the Cali GOP, well it is in a state of major suckage.
The party is in debt, losing registered voters, and losing legislative seats pretty quickly. In fact the Democrats control both houses of the state legislature with super majorities. The Democrats hold every statewide elected constitutional office. And both federal senate seats. And a staggering 40 of the state's 55-seat congressional delegation.
Clearly, priorities need to be put in place.
One thing that Mr. Brulte is going to do is get the party finances in order. Without money that can help candidates down the ballot to win elections, the crash-and-burn of the last several election cycles just continues. So that is where I think Mr. Brulte will spend the next several months.
Another area that is important is not just the ol' outreach but actually recruiting non-White candidates for office.
Honestly, that will be the tough nut to crack in this state.
But it is not impossible.
The fact is that the best chance for non-White candidates to win is where the party still has strength. That would be the Central Valley, Inland No Cal and of course Orange County. And there has been some success in Orange County especially among the Vietnamese community.
One thing to realize is that it will not be a marked turnaround in one election cycle. It is a long term project. And to me, it is no out of necessity but fulfilling what the Republican party stands for.
Speaking of which, the party also showed that it is moving in the right direction in electing Harmeet Dhillon as Vice-Chair of the party. OK, I know, she is from San Francisco. And yeah, I think it kind of sucks that she actually supported the current state Attorney General, Kamala Harris, in one of her races for San Francisco District Attorney. But those are my only issues, per se. Anyone who opposed her on the basis of her being a Sikh, as this ignorant woman did, is a fool and just feeds into the Leftywhore media narrative of those crazy Cali Republicans. The fact that she unified moderates AND conservatives makes it a great first step in showing non-Whites that this party will not tolerate fools like Vera Eyzendooren and her ignorance of the Sikh religion.
Now, I have my issues with Karl Rove, but I think here he makes a great deal of sense when he told Cali GOP activists this:

  "We have great principles, but we sometimes talk about those principles in a way that makes it sound like it's 1968, 1980 or 2000."

I must say that he is spot on. In some ways the basic issues are the same, but what needs to be recognized is how fast big government has taken hold at all levels. That we need to speak to those that have been left behind in a changing economy. We need to speak to those people not about government dependence but how and why it is better to have the freedom to make one's own choices to improve their lot. In that I think of the late, great former Congressman Jack Kemp. That is what we need to begin doing not just here in Cali but all over the United States.
One other thing.
I read this somewhere a while back, but that when the national party writes off so many states, it does   have an effect as to their strength a the state and local level.
Think of New York state, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington state.
What Mr. Brulte needs to do is take the Republican National Committee Chair, Reince Preibus, up on his word that the national party will not leave any part of the United States untouched. He needs to get a guarantee that whoever the Republican presidential nominee is in 2016 will actually campaign in California. Not just come here for cash from big fat-cat contributors and leave. Real campaigning and yes, in areas that maybe, just maybe are not exactly Republican friendly.
Mr. Brulte did kind of allude to that in this he said to convention delegates:

"If we are going to be successful at winning elections, we have to get out of our comfort zone and stop only talking to the choir and going and talking to the people who don't necessarily share our views, because if we share not only our head, but we share our heart, we will make converts."

And I would add make sure to get our presidential candidate to restore the party not just to be competitive, but a winner once again.
That is the overall task of Chair Brulte. To make the Cali GOP a winner once again.

To Quote Metallica, You Know It's Sad But True

Yup, if one wants to see the nation's largest state governance and see the disaster that it is, yes as Metallica has sung, this column by Steven Greenhut is sad but true.
In my home state, where I was born, grew up and am still living in, the left-wing Democrats have something that they have never had so much of in my 48 years on God's Green Earth.
Total control of state government.
Yup, the Dems have all constitutional elected offices. The state legislature and by now super-majorities that make the Republicans, BTW, who are they now?!-totally irrelevant.
Led by Gov. Jerry Moonbeam Brown, every single bad idea from the hard-left of the Democrat party will be voted on and thus we will endure at least three-plus years of Democrat ineptency.
So what stands out in Mr. Greenhut's column to me?
Well for one, it is his prediction number two. About the overstating the state budget projections. The reality is that according to the state controller, John Chiang (yup, a Dem), tax revenue projections are off, surprise, by 10.8% this past November. And trust me folks, this will not vastly improve which leads to Mr. Greenhut's prediction number three.
That the Democrats will tax everything that they can. What ever moves. Does not move. Alive. Dead. Everything.
And where did the first trail balloon start?
With the car tax, of course.
Well, it is officially known as the Vehicle Registration fee. Doesn't that sound a lot better than a tax?
California state senator Ted Lieu (D-San Francisco, of course) flew the trial balloon of tripling the tax. Yes tripling it. So, are little Hyundai Tucson, a 2005 one, we pay a "fee" of $122 this upcoming year. If Sen. Loon's Lieu's plan were to go into effect, that $122 would triple to $422 dollars. Four hundred and twenty-two frickin dollars! In a state where for the most part the car is a total necessity, how does this help?
It does not.
But the Democrat crack-whores in Suckramento, er Sacramento, don't seem to care. They would suggest to take public transportation. Or live closer to one's place of employment. Trust me, they think that they have all the answers.
Yet it was former governor Gray Davis wanting to increase the car tax that doomed his second term.
Imagine all those that voted for Brown, the Dems et all somehow thinking why, this is cool?
Go ahead Dems, go ahead.
And while I do worry about Mr. Greenhut's prediction number five, "reforming" the innitive process, once the slew of tax hikes occur, trust me, many of these voters will clamor to do something about it. And that will be two-fold.
Voting for something to end many of the tax hikes and getting rid of Dems in some of the few marginal districts left in the California legislature.
Mr. Greenhut is spot on about the California liberal pundits blaming the Republicans.
But, that cow will not fly.
The state Republicans are totally irrelevant in the legislative process. Only the most absolutely low-info voters will buy into it.
And this is where I quibble with Mr. Greenhut and his prediction number nine.
That the California Republican party will continue the downhill spiral.
I actually believe that this will be the absolute rock-bottom for them. Not that they will rise completely in the next statewide election. But they will make a good move in getting former state senator Jim Brulte to be the next party chairman.
Like it or not, Mr. Brulte is a former legislator. He will make a good spokesman for the party. And I think that he realizes that some of the positions on illegal immigration will have to change. Of course it is more tone than anything that keeps the party from making headway in non-White communities. Like it or not, the Republican party can not win any election statewide in the once Golden State without the votes of Hispanics and Asians. Mr. Brulte gets it. And where he will be able to succeed is when the Dems raise every tax imaginable. It is when historically voters look to the Republicans to keep them down. And I believe that Mr. Brulte can do a good job in candidate recruitment than Mr. Greenhut believes. Yes, it may be that there will be some self-financed candidates for some elections. That does not mean they are all moderate mushes as Mr. Greenhut indicates. That is where a good chairman of the state party can seek a good, conservative candidate that can win a statewide election.
Yeah, it is a tall order in California. But not insurmountable.
It will be a truly painful two years of total Democrat governance almost everywhere in California as Mr. Greenhut predicts. But it is sometimes what is needed. True Democrat governance to remind people how God-awful it can be. It is how a rejuvenated California Republican party can make a difference.
But mostly, as I started this post, it is sad but true that Democrats are ruining running everything and it will be not good for the people of this once Golden State.

So, How Do California Republicans Stay Principled AND Reach New Voters?

It is a truly pressing question for a state party that did take a serious beating in the just concluded presidential campaign.
Of course, our "friends" at the Left Angeles Times does run this article that of course blames all the losses on. . .wait for it. . .the conservative wing of the party.
Well, the reality is that while the Republican party in California is smaller in numerous ways, it was the conservatives that had the numbers and more or less won their races.
Moderate Republicans lost to Democrats all over the state.
Leading your humble blogger to note a true rule of politics.
When a race is between a Democrat and a moderate Republican, voters go with the real deal, a Democrat. As much as one may berate voters, what they do see is that if they have a choice, then they will go with the real deal rather than a pandering Republican.
So, in the article, it quotes one of those moderates, Rob Stutzman as saying this gem:

"For the business community, there is a recognition that the best path forward for the state from a governance perspective is with moderate Democrats."

Oh, and Mr. Stutzman was doing consulting as a Republican for the California Chamber of Commerce and advising on candidates to back.
Mr. Stutzman was also one of Gov. Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger's leading advisers.
So, one has to wonder who Mr. Stutzman advised the CCoC who to back in the just concluded election.
And in the same article, it cites these moderates of breaking with the party to support the massive tax hikes proposed by that paragon of moderation, Gov. Benedict Arnold, in 2009 that was just supposed to solve our state budget deficit.
And what happened to these people?
Two were ousted form leadership and eventually are out of office and one was almost recalled.
Again, I refer you to the rule I cited earlier.
One person in the article that actually made some sense is the former Republican leader in the state senate, Jim Brulte.
It appears that he wants to run for state GOP chair.
And he is stating the obvious.

"Demographics do not have to be destiny," Brulte said. "But if Republicans don't do a better job of reaching out to all Californians, they are going to be."

He is correct.
But the key is how to reach out to these voters. Do Cali GOPers just shed any principles and run as Demo lite? Or do they reach out to these voters with a compelling, conservative message that at the same time does not make them feel inferior?
Of course it is go for the latter.
And I would recommend that if Mr. Brulte is serious, he should read this awesome piece from Rachel Campos-Duffy in the American Spectator. As a second-generation Mexican American, she has an insight that most of us non-Hispanics do not have.
And the reality is that Republicans are not going to get the majority of Hispanics or Asians in the next election. If at all in the next several election cycles. But it is important to be totally competitive in these communities. It will be through that consistency that the numbers will really change. And the Cali GOP can start rebuilding both with outreach and principles.
One area that Mr. Brulte should take to heart if he cares to read Mrs. Campos-Duffy is the following from her article:

For too long, the party’s strategy has been to hire a few Beltway conservative Latinos six months before an election and call it “outreach.” What’s needed is permanent outreach at the grassroots levels between elections. Conservative Hispanic activists on the ground know that the GOP needs to take a few cues from successful groups like the far-left La Raza, which has made its mark by bringing public policy to the neighborhood level.

Yes, Mrs. Campos-Duffy is totally spot-on. Especially her point about carrying outreach between elections.
As an pseudo-Anglo who has lived among Hispanics all my life, I know that for sure there is a lot of work to do. Many Hispanics and now Asians will just not think about the R-word because of some pre-conceived ideas. And of course there will be those that think we can not reach out to certain voters because all they want is their snout into the government trough. Again that is not true and they just need to be sought not just because they are Hispanic and or Asian. It is because they are but another part of the American dream and could be Republicans if only they were sought after.
The really frightening aspect of the obliteration the Cali GOP took is the reaction of people like this dude, Mike Madrid, a supposed Republican consultant:

"It will be easier to moderate the Democratic Party than to fix the California Republican Party."

Good Lord, insert laugh track here, please!
The Democrat party is so dominated by the lefties from Los Angeles county and the Bay Area that if one followed Mr. Madrid's "logic", he would be inviting the kind of lefty rage that conservatives had in cutting a deal to raises taxes under Gov. Benedict Arnold.
What needs to be done is someone who is a conservative that can follow a game plan to contest not only every part of this state, but for those votes that the Democrats take for granted. Like Hispanics and Asians. And remember it will not be done overnight. It is part of a long-term strategy.
I am beginning to think that for the start of this task, Jim Brulte would be a good choice for Cali GOP
chair.
But the bottom line is that we cannot lose out principles in the process.
And that leads back to the question of how does the California Republican party do just that?

Can The Cali GOP Get Its Act Together?

Yeah, I know that this is a hilarious question since the last several election cycles seem to say a big fat N O!
It is very important to go back to how the California Republican party is now a third-party in this once Golden State.
The stats are just a part of the story, but a very important one.
Lets go back to 2000 because that is the beginning of the 21st century and the Democrats began the long march to where they are about to be today.
In 2000, as usual, there were more registered Democrats than Republicans in California.
Here is the breakdown and the percentages are rounded off.

2000
Democrat
7,134,601 (45%)

Republican
5,485,492 (35%)

Decline To State (Independent)
2,256,316 (14%)

Fast forward to this past election

2012
Democrat
7,966,422 (44%)

Republican
5,356,608 (29%)

Decline to state (Independent)
3,820,545 (21%)

While Democrats have lost a whole percentage of registered voters over this time, they have gained almost 832,000 new voters.
The Republicans?
Not only have they lost six percent of registered voters but have lost nearly 129,000 registered voters.
And the big winners?
Those choosing to register with neither political party as the Decline to State has jumped seven points and over 1,154,000 registered voters.
OK, now you get the state of the parties currently in terms of registration.
Another stat worth looking at is the presidential results since 2000.
Yes, the Republican candidates have lost every time.
But it did not start off as bad as it has become today.
Here are the presidential election results since 2000 and without third parties.

2000
Bush (R)     4,567,429 (42%)
Gore (D)     5,861,203 (54%)

2004
Bush (R)     5,509,826 (44%)
Kerry (D)    6.745,485 (54%)

2008
Obama (D)  8,274,473 (61%)
McCain (R) 5,011,781 (37%)

2012  
Obama (D)  6,414,573 (59%)
Romney (R)4,413,120 (38%)

Now look at several things.
One, Democrat numbers increase almost every election. Except this year. And after the Republican high water mark of 44% in 2004, the numbers and percentages precipitously drop like an anvil. Granted the numbers for the just concluded presidential election are not final, but the bottom line is this.
The new high water mark for California Republicans seem to be about 38% of votes.
And even in the GOP strongholds the Dems made some striking gains.
Thus, California is about to endure total Democrat rule.
The Democrats control all the elected constitutional offices and are about to have a super-majority in both the Assembly (lower house) and the senate. Out of 120 legislative districts total in the assembly, it appears that the Republicans will have a grand total of 40. Forty out of 120 available seats.
So the overall numbers suck, the question or multiple variations are why?
Even though there was an alleged Republican as governor from 2005 to 2010, that governor, Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger, did absolutely nothing to improve the Republican party standing in any way.
By the time Benedict Arnold ran for a full term in 2006, he was politically lobotomized and was nothing but Democrat lite.
The GOP in California has done absolutely nothing to keep up with the very substantial change that has taken place in this state.
It is now much more Asian and Hispanic. In fact, there is no race group over 50% in the state. Both the previously mentioned groups are rising fast.
The Whites?
Well, if they can they are getting out. Regrettably, what we are seeing statewide is White Flight. But it is not all race related.
It is a combination of things that have driven mostly Whites from leaving California. The high cost of living. The difficulty of doing business here. The continuous tax-and-spend mentality from the city level to the state level.
But now, many people of color who have gained economically are beginning to follow Whites outta here.
But the Cali GOP has never been able to shake the damage from the vote in 1994 for Proposition 187.
It did pass and had it been implemented would have essentially cut all assistance to illegal aliens.
Then Republican governor Pete Wilson, bless his heart, a moderate Republican and struggling to win reelection decided to back the measure and it passed by an amazing 60%-40%.
Now one has to realize that a sizable number of Hispanics did vote for the measure. In fact according to the link, about 23% of Hispanics voted for the measure. There were not enough Whites to get to 60%,
But, alas, Proposition 187 never was implemented. And since then, the California Democrat party has never let the California Republican party off the hook on that one.
And it seems that the party has decided that it is not worth the effort to have real, genuine outreach to Hispanics since that time.
And that is a huge problem in this state.
The reality is that the Cali GOP has no message for its base let alone for non-Republicans to consider.
It is a rudderless ship that is about to hit a coral reef.
But, there are ways to right this wrong if the party really wants to get back into the game here in California.
One, it must pursue what I would call a middle-class agenda.
It must explain why it is bad to have higher taxes all the way around. It must stand for the homeowners who in fact and indeed have the highest burden in term of paying state and local taxes.
It must stand for making public education second to none. It must take the time and effort to explain that public charter schools are the future of education. It must be forward looking. It must be inclusive in this way. It must meld education with being an American.
It must explain that excessive regulation is a cause and affect as to why joblessness remains in double-digits. That if there is reasonable deregulation, it will bring business to the state and not less.
It must remain and explain why it is tough-on-crime. And that crime knows no race and or economic background. It must pursue that it will not only enforce the death penalty but find ways to speed up the process so that executions can go at a much faster pace. And the fact that voters voted to keep the death penalty, it is a totally winning issue for the Cali GOP.
Now, this will upset most conservatives who consider themselves social conservatives, but the party will have to downplay that aspect of the coalition.
Not shun so cons at all. But the reality is that if same-sex marriage gets on the ballot next time, it will pass, not be rejected. We can explain why it is a bad thing, but should not have candidates run on that as an issue. Same with abortion. What we have to do is educate as why it should not be the way that it is now. And we must not let illegal immigration define us or be defined by the Dems and left. We must  point out that it is a federal issue and that the federal government must pursue the policies to secure our borders. By that, the Cali GOP can not support so-called "Sanctuary" cities and point out that they are violating federal law. Again, pick the battles that can be won, not keep fighting losing efforts.
All of this requires some very hard, serious work on the part of the Cali GOP.
It means that it has to get volunteers to do some things that have been lacking.
It means getting involved in the ethnic events around the state.
Chinese New Year is coming up. Get some Republican registration booths at all the celebrations. Have material in Chinese, Cantonese and Mandarin, the primary dialects. And they must be manned by Asians, not old White people. No offense to those since I am a middle-aged White guy.
Cinco de Mayo. Same as above. Have material in Spanish. Have Hispanics manning the booths.
Martin Luther King Day in January. Again, same as above. And of course have Black people involved.
And we have to keep at it because we will not have a mass sea change of minds by the 2014 state election.
The Democrats did not get to where they are now over night and neither will the Republicans.
It has to be a long-term strategy and a genuine effort that minority groups have never seen before in this state.
Again, many of the issues are on the Republicans side. But we have to be willing to get into the game. We can't keep whining and hand-wringing.
It is time to get to work.
We need to have a strong Republican party in California, the largest state in the nation. We need to have that strong party to get back to having actual presidential races in which the candidates come here instead of Florida. Or Michigan. Or Pennsylvania.
If not, we will just go the way of the Northeast state Republican parties. Into irrelevance.

Uh, Why Is Sen. Feinstein Afraid To Debate Her GOP Opponent, Elizabeth Emken?

Yeah, I do not get why Sen. DiFi is afraid to debate her very little known Republican opponent, Elizabeth Emken.
But here is our illustrious senior senator in action.
While an actual reporter, from a San Francisco television station no less, asks what I think are reasonable and legitimate questions about why Sen. DiFi, as she is affectionately known here, won't even consider debating Mrs. Emken.
So, here is KGO television's Mark Matthews and what he was asking Sen. DiFi:

Matthews: I got to ask you about Elizabeth Emken. She wants to debate you. The L.A. Times came out and said you ought to debate her.
Feinstein: I’m running my own campaign.
Matthews: Is there anything more you can add to that?
Feinstein: I did a large event in Modesto, did three or four meetings, I’ve been to Southern California’s and that’s what I’ll continue to do.
Matthews: Wouldn’t it be better for the voters to hear both sides?
Feinstein: Thank you very much.

Yup, that is all she wrote. Thank you very much and Sen. DiFi walks out. At the Democrat National Convention no less.
And here is the funny thing.
Of all newspapers in California, the Left Angeles Times is asking the same thing.
Granted, this is an editorial from July 17, 2012. But the point is that the Times wrote what is the obvious:

Nothing screams "entrenched incumbent" more than a refusal to debate an opponent.

Exactly.
Maybe it is because they are not all that certain that they have this election in the bag.
There is this poll that the Emken campaign is touting that seems to indicate she is closing a gap. However, there are 20% of voters according to this poll that are undecided. That seems awfully high at this point in the election. Especially when you look at the presidential number.
OK, say the 20% is because no one knows who Mrs. Emken is. That is possible. And she roughly maxes out at 34%. What I mean by that is that if one looks at the Republican registration in California, about 31%, then she is over that. So, if the 20% is true, or even close, then she may have a shot. And if the poll is right about Sen. DiFi, that she only has the allegiance of 46% of those polled, then maybe she really is in more trouble and is not willing to give Mrs. Emken the time of day.
But here is the thing.
Even a Republican that has no chance of winning can get at least 35% of the vote in a senate campaign. So at best for Sen. DiFi, Mrs. Emken is almost at her ceiling.
Or is she?
Is there something in internal polling that Sen.DiFi is worried about? Is it that Mrs. Emken is gaining ground? Is Sen. DiFi losing ground?
No one really knows for sure.
But it would do Sen. DiFi some good to actually debate Mrs. Emken at least once. Because all Mrs. Emken has to do is repeat this from the Left Angeles Times:

Nothing screams "entrenched incumbent" more than a refusal to debate an opponent.

Can The Cali GOP Get It Together For November?

OK, the headline is not meant as a tease.
It is a serious question.
Sure, I know. Conventional wisdom says that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney should not even bother to make any attempt here in the once Golden State. The Dear Leader, President Obama, has it in the bag.
Well, stories like this one last week will not help bring the Cali GOP back from the brink of the disastrous tenure of one Governor Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger. A tenure that saw some real promise end up being the remainder of former Democrat Governor Gray Davis' second term and a third term as well.
Lets face it. We Republicans saw what a "moderate" can do and it is not pretty.
But in this presidential election year, a year in which the Republican party can all but get the White House redecorated for the Romney's, California's GOP looks really bad.
In fact, the reality is that if Mr. Romney is going to make even a half-hearted effort in Cali, he will not do it with direction from the Cali GOP. It looks like Mr. Romney will make any effort on his own.
Also in the article, and this may be a key as to if Mr. Romney can be at least competitive here, is that a cluster of local county GOPs that are filling a void. And there is the "Young Guns" GOP super PAC that House majority Whip, Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is heading trying to get several new GOP congressmen elected.
In other words, at this point, there is a shell known as the California Republican party, but what is needed are some wins somewhere for it to regain relevance.
The Cali GOP chairman, Tom Del Beccaro makes a valid point that there is only so much money going around. And that donors are putting it, to be blunt, in other vehicles than the Cali GOP. But even with money woes, what is needed is a wholesale restructuring of how the Cali GOP will work, strengthening the county parties and not wasting valuable cash.
But at the end of the day, this state party desperately needs strong, no-holds barred leadership. Not just a wonk. But in the absence of high-elected officials, is willing to take it to the state Democrat leadership and the national party in Washington. This is not a job that can be outsourced. It needs to come from someone like Mr. Del Beccaro.
To make it any kind of race in November, the California GOP needs to get it finances in order, its leadership on the same page and stronger county parties could make this state competitive at the presidential level and definitely at the congressional level. And even at the state assembly and senate races.
If we do not, Hello Massachusetts GOP!*

*At this writing, the Massachusetts GOP has only 11% of the total registered voters in the state. They are a third party.

Two More Reasons California Is Heading For Fiscal Armageddon

These two articles, one in the Left Angeles Times and the other in The Sacramento Bee, leave no doubt in this blogger's mind that the so-called political class really does not understand what financial mess they are leaving for us to pick up at some point in the future.
Lets start with the article in the Times about the California state legislature agreeing to a slew of pay raises for legislative aides.
According to the article about 1,000 aides received about $4,600,000 annually. So lets do some math. It turns out that the Dirty Thousand received about an average raise of $4,600. This on the heels of the same legislature forcing state employees to take a 4.62% pay cut to try to balance the state budget. Sure, there is always going to be some justification for these aides getting this nice pay raise. One is that they are trying to make up for years with no raises for these legislative lackeys.
BOO! HOO BOO! FRICKIN HOO!
But what you have to read is what some of these people are making. Some are making more than the state legislators themselves. Here is the money graph from this article:

The highest-paid aide to receive a raise was Christopher Woods, chief budget consultant for the Assembly speaker. Woods' pay grew 3.6%, to $193,476. Catherine Abernathy, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), received 37%, for a salary of $65,832 a year, after taking on additional duties.

Whiskey? Tango? Foxtrot?
Let me get this straight.
Christopher Woods, a budget consultant makes more than the Speaker of the Assembly, John Perez (D-Los Angeles)? FTR, Speaker Perez makes close to $96,000 a year. While both are totally obscene, Mr. Woods is more so because he is a consultant that should not be making more than a legislator, period. Yet he does.
At least Catherine Abernathy makes less than her boss, Assemblyman Shannon Grove. But her raise was an astounding 37%. Thirty frickin seven percent?!
And these same people asked the nuts-and-bolts state employees to take a close to five percent pay cut?
Unreal.
But this is California.
Oh, and the thrust of the Times article is not the outrage of the raises. No, it is about how this makes Gov. Jerry Moonbeam Brown's job of selling a tax hike harder. And it should be. If the very people wanting us to vote to raise our taxes won't tighten their belts, why in the hell should we vote for the tax hike in the first place?
This is, once again, a perfect case for making the state legislature a part-time one. There is no reason that we need all of these paid aides to promote the very legislation that continues to chip away at our freedoms in this once Golden State.
But if you think that is bad, the article by Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee points not just to this outrage but the outage of Gov. Moonbeam Brown pushing for a "bullet train" that no one wants. Oh, Gov. Moonbeam Brown made sure that two of the state's major media markets, Los Angeles and San Francisco, would put this at the top of the news when he signed legislation to sell bonds to financially support this boondoggle. Yet Gov. Moonbeam Brown did not step foot in the Central Valley? Why not? Because opposition is the strongest there than any other part of the state. Yet the state as a whole does not support this now. Why the push? I guess it is because Gov. Moonbeam Brown is so hellbent on making this a reality, that he will even dismiss the voters that oppose it.
Get it? We are pretty much too stupid to know what is good for us.
It is OK to give pay raises to state sycophants, er aides, but the rest, well you get a pay cut and you will enjoy it. Be thankful that you have a job, right?
And you know, you will love this "bullet train" at some point. Whenever it is built. Just take it, California.
The arrogance of the Sacramento political class, Democrats and Republicans must be knocked down. It is one of the reasons to oppose all tax hike plans on the November ballot. We must rise up and demand that the legislature be put back to a part-time body of true citizen legislators. Not career pols that have put this state on a fast track to financial Armageddon.

California's New Primary System Sucks As The Old One-And Even Worse

Tuesday, out of a sickbed, your humble blogger literally took a walk across the street from the RVFTLC Bunker to do my civic duty and vote in the California presidential primary.
Well, there was absolutely no drama in that part of the vote.
Mitt Romney squeezed by the listed GOP candidates by a measly 60% over the second place finisher, Crazy Uncle Ron Paul. FTR, Mr. Romney had 80% of the Republican vote. Here is the link at the California Secretary of State website.
And the Dear Leader, President Obama, in true one-party fashion pulled off 100% of the vote as there was no other candidate on the ballot.
And how about the other races on the California ballot?
You know, for congress, senate, state assembly and state senate?
Well, it was interesting.
This is the first election in which new rules were instituted as part of the reform package regarding redistricting.
This time, no matter what party you belong to, there is one ballot for all the candidates. Thus, here is the page for all the United States senate candidates, regardless of party.

So, although not a great photo, all 24 candidates were on one page. The incumbent senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, is sixth from the top. And the Republican that one (and I voted for), Elizabeth Emken, was just below her eighth from the top.

Oh, here is how all that works.
Out of the 24 candidates, the top two vote getter's move on to the general election in November.

Now, if you go to this link at the California SOS website, you can look and see that Sen. Feinstein was the overall top vote-getter. And in second place was Mrs. Emken. So, in this case, it will be a classic Democrat vs. Republican. And if you look and shriek that Mrs. Emken only got 12.5% of the overall vote, consider that there were 14 Republicans out of the 24 candidates. and the overall percentage of the vote was 37%. Which is about seven percent more than are registered Republican in California.

Keep  this in mind. That it is the two top vote getter's, regardless of political party that move on the the general election.
So, humble blogger, does that mean that it is conceivable that two Democrats can run against each other? Or two Republicans?

Why yes dear reader. And in fact, in two So Cal congressional districts, that is indeed what has happened.

In the California district 30, two very influential Democrats that were in different districts were merged together. And of course the two big egos have to duke it out to see who would carry the Democrat banner in November.

Howard Berman, who has been in congress since 1983 and Brad Sherman, in congress since 1997 were, until this election, in separate congressional districts. Both are liberal Democrats and Jewish and represent their districts as to be expected. If there is any real difference between the two, it is a matter of style. But this time around, they had to make a choice. One of them could have ran and one outright. It is a very safe Democrat seat. But, as noted that did not happen. Both ran and as these results show, Congressman Sherman finished first and Congressman Berman finished second. Both Democrats.
Say, what about the Republican candidate, Mark Reed?

Remember, it is the top two regardless of political party that get to the general election.

Do you realize what happened here?
Republicans are totally disenfranchised because their candidate did not finish in the top two. It is not that the party chose not to run a candidate. They did and still do not get to the next round.

OK, you may say well, humble blogger, you're a Republican and it is just sour grapes.

Sort of true I guess. But no, I do believe that certain voters are disenfranchised because of the process, not the political party.

So, here is example number two to read about.

In California congressional district 31, a Republican incumbent wanted to run for another term. But, the state Republican leader in the senate also wanted to run. And like district 30, this is a very Republican district.

The players on this stage are incumbent Congressman Gary Miller, who has been in congress since 2001 and state Senator Bob Dutton who has been involved in state politics since 2003.

Like ego-driven politicos that they are, both men decided to run for the same seat, knowing that one could lose outright.

But, surprise, surprise.

Both made it to the next round as you can see here. Congressman Miller got the first spot and state Senator Dutton got the second.

Guess who's missing?

If you said the Democrat, you are correct.

Poor Pete Aguilar got screwed. Just like Mark Reed for the Republicans in district 30.

OK, this new arrangement was supposed to create more competitive districts. We are supposed to see this boat load of "centrists" from both parties emerge out of the woodwork.

Really, is that what happened here?
No. In fact, it is more protecting the two major parties and insuring that incumbents will not have to face serious challenges in the future.

Explain to me how in the 30th congressional district with two liberal Democrats running in the general election are Republicans going to care who wins? What is the incentive for either candidate to actually attract. . .Republicans? There is none. This is a Democrat district and a Democrat will win. One of these men will get some cushy job, just won't be a member of congress.

And take the above paragraph and just change it to conservative Republicans and Democrats not caring who wins.

This is not a good reform.

A better reform would be to no longer register voters by political party. It is done that way in over 30 states. Thus everyone is independent. It is up to the party to make the rules how people participate in the choosing of their candidates for elected office.

I do not like any of it, but this is not a good reform. It will not bring the "center" together.

I hope that there is a change in this for the next presidential election in 2016.



Will Mitt Romney Win California? Should He Even Bother?

The short answer to question number one?
No.
The longer answer to question number two?
Yes if only to make Team Dear Leader have to spend money here in the once Golden State.
If the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, is not going to win California, then he should save resources for a so-called battleground state, right?
People, in this election, the whole of the United States is the battleground.
Of course there are some states pretty much in either the Democrat or Republican corner, right?
I think so. I think that California is one that will be hard to crack. Since 1992, the ceiling for the Republican party in presidential contests is 45%. Last time in 2008, the bottom fell out as the Dear Leader, President Obama, scored a 61% to 37% thrashing of then GOP presidential nominee, Sen. John "F--- You" McCain. It was one of the worst Republican showings ever in California.
So, in that sense, we have more of a chance to go up to reasonable competitiveness or continue towards the relevancy of such state Republican parties as Massachusetts or New York state. In other words, irrelevant.
But how can that happen given the current state of the Cali GOP?
Clearly, there are areas of the state where the party is in control, strong and or competitive.
They are in this order.
Orange County, long the bedrock of the Republican party in California. It has gotten a bit lazy in the past few years and Democrats have made some inroads in this Republican mecca. But it can easily give a Republican candidate 60% or more of the vote.
San Diego county is another one. Although Democrats are strong in this county in recent years, the GOP is still very competitive outside of the city of San Diego. Essentially the Democrats have the city and the Republicans almost everywhere else in the county. Again, if the conditions are right, another place a GOP candidate could easily get at least 60% of the vote.
The Central Valley has become a strong Republican region. But the farm economy has taken a beating in recent years. Yet Republicans in this area are competitive to strong. In fact, it was here that the GOP hoped to wrestle a congressional seat in the 2010 mid-term election. It was very close and actually made another member of congress not stand for reelection.
The Inland Empire of Southern California. That is Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Both are the fastest-growing areas of California. These have both been what amount to swing-counties. In the 2012 governor's and United States senate race, both counties went for the Republican candidates. But not in strong numbers. If the numbers had been stronger, maybe the senate race would have been closer.
One last area where the GOP is strong is the area and counties around the state-capitol, Sacramento. In recent years these counties have been going Republican. But not as much in the last election as before. The Republicans have to work here to keep the Democrats from gaining anymore ground.
Again, how to do it with a cash-strapped party that has really no bench to speak of?
Enter the presidential candidate, Mr. Romney.
One advantage that Mr. Romney will have that Sen. "F--- You" McCain did not is that Mr. Romney is not going to take any federal money and the restrictions that come with it. And the super-PACS will be in full force anywhere they want to be in the United States.
Thus money wise, Mr. Romney will be able to go to areas that Sen. "F--- You" McCain did not even give serious thought.
California should be there not for what this election can do, but a future reelection campaign. Or the mid-terms that will take place in 2014.
In other words, Republicans and leaner's need something now and not later. We need to make this election winnable anywhere and close everywhere. And to write off any state before one even starts is foolish.
It is what Team Dear Leader did in 2008. They were every and anywhere. Even in states that they knew would not vote for Team Dear Leader. But, in a state like Wyoming, two counties voted for the Dear Leader, President Obama. And same in Utah. Texas. See, the Democrats for the first time since 1992 ran a truly nationwide campaign and won. Think about Ronald Reagan in 1980. And in both elections, the eventual winner was the underdog.
Mr. Romney needs to make sure that the base states are in his corner and then take some time and money to flirt with areas that could not be touched in previous elections.
California needs that help desperately.
If Mr. Romney puts any relatively serious effort here, it could mean a new Republican member of congress. Maybe some in the state assembly or state senate. If the result is competitive here, maybe a serious candidate can emerge to take on Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014.
We need to get the Cali GOP back. And we can not do it alone.
Mitt Romney, you probably will not win in California. But you need to help in rejuvenating a weak party at the state level. That will be a kind of victory in the long run. A competitive Republican party is needed now more than ever in the largest state in the union.

Crazy Uncle Ron Paul Wins Cali GOP Straw Poll

It is not a big surprise, really, that Congressman Crazy Uncle Ron Paul won the California Republican party straw poll at its twice a year confab in Los Angeles yesterday.
Part of the reason is that Crazy Uncle Ron at least showed up and spoke to the statewide convention crowd.
And the other reason is that there is still a strong libertarian stream of the California Republican party that has some strong influence at events like this.
But the real story is the performance of the second place finisher, Texas governor Rick Perry. Gov. Perry came in at 29% to Crazy Uncle Ron's 45%. And between those two, the rest were left in the dust in single digits.
One of those, the only other major candidate to address the convention, Congressman Michele Bachmann finished a distant fourth pulling in 8%.
The real problem is that no one else besides Crazy Uncle Ron and Congressman Bachmann bothered to show up. The largest state in the nation and no serious Republican presidential candidate bothered to show up at the semi-annual convention.
Would it really have hurt any these candidates to take one day out of their schedule to fire up the troops? To breathe some life in this moribund statewide Republican party?
Of course not. But trust me, these candidates will be here soon asking for money for their campaigns. And they will do nothing to get the California Republican party fired up for the 2012 election.
As I have noted, yes the state Republican party took a beating in the last election cycle. It is not an excuse, but a reality. While the Republicans were scoring win after win all over the rest of the United States, we got our clocks cleaned by Democrat retreads. The three words why this happened? Gov. Benedict Arnold.
But, he is gone and the party has to stop naval-gazing. It needs the leadership on down to say that we are back in business and will fight for every vote statewide.
But that means presidential candidates can not keep ignoring the once Golden State except for campaign cash.
These guys and gals have to come here now. And yes, often. Because I really believe that this is a year the GOP can actually win in California. The stars are lining up in a way we have not seen in many a moon. Democrat office holders from the Dear Leader, President Obama, down to Sen. Dianne Feinstein are tanking. "Confidence" in government is at historic lows. People are looking for a change.
The next California Republican party confab has to be more than what we just saw. We have to see Gov. Perry, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and even the also-rans here to get this state's party back from the brink. What more than a presidential election year? One that shows the Democrat incumbent on the ropes?
Crazy Uncle Ron Paul won the California Republican party straw poll in large part because he showed up. When will the other candidates show up?

Is Cali Sen. Dianne Feinstein In Trouble?

Well, if this latest poll is to be believed, then yes she is.
For those of you not in the once Golden State, Sen Dianne Feinstein is a typical center-left pol who came to fame as the mayor of San Francisco. She became mayor after then mayor George Moscone was assassinated along with Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. She parlayed that time to eventually become senator from California. And she is much more polished than the troll Sen. Ma'am Boxer.
But now as things get bleaker looking in the state, people are souring on her.
Now I link to the San Francisco Chronicle, Sen. Feinstein's home town fish wrap because the spin of the story is beyond laughable.
You have to get to the end of the story to see how, well stupid, this is. I will save you the trouble:


GOP strategy

Republicans might not be keen to mount a challenge to Feinstein that would draw more Democratic Party money into California, possibly hurting down-ticket Republican congressional campaigns that may be struggling because of newly redrawn districts.

DiCamillo speculated that a moderate Republican candidate might do better against Feinstein following the failed bids of the more conservative Fiorina against Boxer and Meg Whitman against Gov. Jerry Brown last year. That was compounded by what DiCamillo said was disappointment in former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's governorship that left voters disillusioned with GOP newcomers.

OK, see, Republicans don't want more Democrat money in California because it would hurt down-ticket races.
Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot!
The Republicans want the Democrats to have to spend money in California. If the Democrats have to spend money to keep California in the Dem column, this will be a historic landslide election. And that helps down-ticket races.
What that "analysis" is bull crap and spin, pure and simple.
Then the director of The Field Poll, Mark DiCamillo, suggests that a "moderate" can run competitively against Sen. Feinstein.
But the kicker is this line, 'following the failed bids of the more conservative Fiorina against Boxer and Meg Whitman against Gov. Jerry Brown last year.'
UGH! UGH! UGH!
Carly Fiorna was not a right-wing candidate. At best she was to the right of former Gov. Benedict Arnold. But to equate her with say Ronald Reagan is laughable. And Meg Whitman? You mean Globaloney Warming acolyte Meg Whitman?
Yeah, sure Mark. Sure they were right-wingers.
The only semi-correct point is the carnage that former Gov. Benedict Arnold left behind. You know, how "moderates" always do to the party they claim to be a part of and love.
But even here in Blue California, people are beginning to have had enough.
The voters are beginning to see that having the Democrats run the whole show is a total nightmare. That the state legislature has no clue about what they should be doing. That they are interested in getting their pet projects and or agendas off the ground. But to hell with actually making California inviting to business. To hell with taking off the regulatory nightmare. To hell with balancing the budget without smoke and mirrors.
Now, that does not mean that the Cali GOP is doing everything right. It is true that there is not a serious announced candidate against Sen. Feinstein.
But that maybe changing.
One who is serious looking at a run is former talk-show host and son of the former President Reagan, Micheal Reagan. And before anyone suggests it, I will beat you to it. California has changed a lot since the old man ran for governor in 1966. But one thing has not. And that is things really suck here. And yeah, maybe it will take a Reagan to once again save the day. Albeit it would be as one of a hundred senators. But the point is that with Sen. Feinstein's numbers this bad, it may be time for someone to get serious about a challenge to her.
In the same link, the writer notes another potential challenger.
Congressman David Dreier.
Now, who has made that suggestion? Hmm, I am not sure.
Sometimes, timing more than conventional wisdom is the key to potential victories, especially in politics.
And the timing maybe more right than imagined a week ago.
So, yes, Sen. Feinstein is in trouble. And it is time for the Cali GOP to get serious and mount a real challenge to her. If Blue California is to become even Purple California, we have to start somewhere. And the senate is as good a place as any.

Finally! The Dear Leader Is Sucking Even In California

Well, it appears that the Hopey Changy thingy that drove 61% of California voters to the arms of the Dear Leader, President Obama, is losing it's luster here in the once Golden State.
And that is according to the latest Field Poll that shows the Dear Leader, President Obama, only getting a 46% positive rating. And only 49% would actually vote to reelect him at this time.
In seemingly perpetual Blue California, these have got to be alarming numbers.
And particularly after last night's Republican blowout in the New York state ninth congressional special election, this has got to worry Team Obama and California Democrats in particular.
But when you look at this graphic, it can not be a good sign for the Democrats.
Sure, their groups such as Blacks, Hispanics are still in the Dear Leader, President Obama's corner. But look at the loss of support. Among Black Californians the Dear Leader, President Obama, has lost 12% and only has 78% support. Hispanics, still continue to support the Dear Leader, President Obama and he has negligible loss of support with only three percent. Among Asians the Dear Leader, President Obama, has suffered his worst drain of support. A fully 16% loss of support. Only 48% of Asians are in the Dear Leader, President Obama's corner.
And in the political groupings, the Dear Leader, President Obama, has lost 10% of fellow Democrat support and only 69% of Democrats support him today. The Republicans are basically unchanged with 78% opposing the Dear Leader, President Obama. And the independent voters are essentially even, with the Dear Leader, President Obama, losing 13% of support.
And only 49% would even want to reelect the dude, in California, shows that the Republicans have a once-in-blue-moon chance to pull off an upset in this state.
If conventional wisdom holds out, the only time candidates of either party will pay attention to California will be to get cash infusions.
The Democrats will take it for granted and the Republicans will not even try.
That thinking has to change for the Republicans.
Whoever the GOP presidential nominee is needs to have a 50 state strategy. Period.
Anything less gives the Democrats a glimmer of hope.
It means that the California Republican party needs to make a serious effort at this time.
It needs to be anywhere and everywhere to register new voters. It needs to get its elected officials, few that there are, a lot of face time. They need to emphasize that nothing will change for California or the United States until there is new leadership. It needs to be very serious about candidate recruitment. Not some star-power "savior" that many thought Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger was to be. No, it needs to have a serious candidate to run against Sen. Diane Feinstein. I make the case that Congressman David Dreier would be that kind of candidate. But it is an effort that needs to be done yesterday.
The numbers are going to Republican favor. But we need to capitalize on it.
In other words, we need to put California in play in 2012.
If the Democrats have to spend time and money to keep California in their column, then it is a bad sign for the party.
Oh, one more thing about the Field Poll is that it is perceived to be a polling group that favors Democrats. If that is the case, the numbers may be even worse. And it is of registered voters, not likely voters. Again, that usually favors Democrats.
Although the Suckramento Bee goes to great legnths to tout a bad poll favorably to the Dear Leader, President Obama, the reality is that his numbers suck. And to suck like this over a year from election day, it is not a good sign. It is something the Republicans need to really think about. Making California at least a competitive if not a swing state.
The suckage of the Dear Leader, President Obama, has finally hit California. And it will not get any better very soon.