FLASHREPORT

Last week I had an opportunity to stop by City of Hall in the City of Orange, in the County of Orange, to check out a debate between the two Republicans who are duking it out to succeed Assemblyman Bob Huff as the legislator representing the 60th Assembly District -- Larry Dick and Curt Hagman.
 
The debate, to be quite honest, didn't draw too many idelogical distinctions between the two candidates.  If anything, I thought that both candidates could stand more time working on how to articulate their thoughts more forcefully, succinctly, and on point.  I guess if I had to give my unbiased opinion, while both candidates did "okay" -- my expectations for Hagman, a City Councilmember from Chino Hills, were a bit higher.  I wasn't expecting a breathtaking performance from Dick, who serves as a local water board member.  So if you measure the candidates objectively, I probably give them both a B-/C+ for overall performance/presentation.  Measured against my own expectations, I guess Dick did a little better than Hagman.
 
This debate has been written up the San Gabrial Valley Tribune, and by the resident 'anonymous blogger' over at Red County San Bernardino.
 
When you have been to as many candidate debates as this website publisher has over the last couple of decades, you really try to keep an eye out for what makes a debate different -- interested -- not boring.   Well, at this function, in the sleepy City of Orange, I was definately taken aback to come into the Council Chambers only to find four rather intimidating gentlemen, all in dark suits with short, cropped hair, standing "at the ready" in various strategic locations around the room.  There was quite a buzz going on as I spoke with some of my friends who where there, wondering aloud who there were...  I first checked to see if they were required security -- sometimes public facilities will require a private security company to be contracted in order to apprive use of a facility.  Nope.
 
So, I inquired of one of them (the big dude on the right in this very bad photo from my LG Chocolate cell phone) if they were here with any candidate.  He told me that he was there with Curt Hagman, and said he was with some company (I don't remember the acronym, but it sounded very clandestine).  Hmmm.  I thought to myself -- I know that Curt, a really nice guy, is from neighboring San Bernardino County.  Maybe they just do things differently.  Then I remembered with Curt does for a living (which never came up at the debate, by the way).
 
I did take the opportunity to ask Curt if he knew who they were.  He said, "They are my friends.  They support my campaign."
 
Makes you wonder, if Curt wins this legislative seat, if they will travel with him to and from the Capitol.  Perhaps these guys would be jealous.