- In the world outside of California, the GOP: Six new U.S. Senators, Sixty new U.S. House Members – and control of the House of Representatives, at least ten new Governors, and picked up 10 new state legislative chambers. Wow, what a GREAT night for the GOP – everywhere else.
- Here in California, the GOP: Lost the Governorship (if you feel we had it), lost every statewide election (except maybe one), may have picked up two (or maybe zero, they’re that close) House seats, appear to have stayed even in the State Senate, lost a seat in the Assembly.
- California voters spoke loud and clear about tax increases, rejecting Prop. 21, Prop. 24 and Measure D in San Diego.
- Be careful what you ask for: With the passage of Prop. 25 and Prop. 26, it appears that Democrats will be able to draw up their own spending plans for California, but will need GOP votes for any tax OR fee increases. Have fun! Especially with the state budget implications of the passage of Prop. 22…
- While Governor races and state legislative chamber holds and switches are being talked about by pundits this morning in the context of their significance to reapportionment – that won’t matter here. All boundaries for federal and state offices in California will be drawn by an independent commission, no doubt to the dismay of incumbent Democrats.
- There are some Republicans smiling in California this morning – that would be the GOPers in the Congressional delegation, for whom it truly is a new day. I hope they got the memo – voters nationally rejected the expansion of big government by Democrats, and thus took away power from them. Republicans, as the “other party” benefited from that. Republicans must now show they can earn the support of the people.
- How long will it be before Californians realize that they have been sold a bill of goods with AB 32? Yes, new “green jobs” are going to be created – but how will they be paid for? Yes, AB 32 represents a massive wealth redistribution scheme that will hit Californians through higher costs for so many goods and products. When you see the steep hike in your bill when you put gas in your car, the increase is going to pay for someone’s solar panels.
- It should be duly noted that the of the seven Republicans who embraced the largest tax increase in state history last year, only one will still hold public office – newly elected Stanislaus County Assessor Dave Cogdill. The others, Anthony Adams, Roy Ashburn, Abel Maldonado, Roger Niello, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mike Villines will soon be cooling their heels in the private sector. (Gaines’ margin of victory in yesterday’s SD 1 Special Election was impressive).
- Discussions amongst California Republican leaders after this drubbing will undoubtedly center around the best strategy to try and whittle away at the registration gap. Yesterday saw GOP candidates who campaigned as conservatives, like Fiorina lose – and saw GOP candidates who campaigned as moderates, like Whitman, also lose (albeit by more). The lesson – it’s hard to win when the other team has so many more players on the field.
- Where are the lawyers this morning? Andy Vidak’s barely ahead of Jim Costa in CD 20, and Jerry McNerney holds a slim lead over David Harmer in CD 11. That’s where you’ll find them…
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Who do you trot out now????
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
The victory of Prop. 20, and defeat of Prop. 27, mean a much more
equitable drawing of legislative boundaries in the decade ahead. That
may be the single most important outcome from yesterday’s voting.
And Bravo to Tim Orman for the great job he did to aid Andy Vidak
in CA-20. Tim is one of California’s best strategists.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
I will add some comments. Carly Fiorina deserves kudos for holding Boxer back in California and thereby tying down Hollywood and West LA political contributions that would have gone to races outside the state and perhaps spoiled a GOP victory elsewhere. David Harmer and Andy Vidak did very well and I think Vidak will indeed beat incumbent Democrat Congressman Jim Costa. While Maldonado and Villines lost statewide, and you mention their tax votes, Jon, I will also note that Mimi Walters, who ran for Treasurer, and who didn’t vote for the budget package in question, received the lowest number of votes of any statewide Republican candidate in this election. Villines and Maldo and all the other GOP statewides, including Tony Strickland, bested her. She is probably not “the future” of California her TV advertising claimed.
The coming open primary in 2012 should give some real pause to you and other state and local GOP officials. You do have the official responsibility for our party in California in your roll as Vuce Chairman. Do you take responsibility for these disastrous results? Will your mantra going forward be to simply focus on seven legislator’s past budget votes, or will you get passed that and begin focusing in what what really needs to be done to make the Republican Party appealing to a majority of California voters?
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
The money the CRP gave to “Grassroots Strategies” $800K for Voter Registration was a waste and a joke with no tangible results!
Now, I wonder who has ties to this “Grassroots Strategies” group based in Arizona.
It is time to clean clock within the CRP and down!
We failed to have a cohesive message, because good number people within the GOP were too busy bashing GOP Nominees and I WILL NOT name names, but we know who they are.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Well, there’s no need to worry about 2012 candidates for President deluging us with ads and robo-calls. No one will spend a dime on a statewide GOP candidate in CA for awhile, and the Dems will take the state entirely for granted.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Slight modification to Jon’s commnets about Meg & Fiorina etc.
– Fiorina almost had it. Had she kept her mouth shut about choice/ abortion she’d have made it over Boxer’s big negatives. That lost her 3-4 points. There was a fairly high turnout of female voters and that clinched the deal for Boxer.
– Meg lost because she wasn’t perceived to be much different than Arnie, got stupid counseling,
and some of her supposed EBay business acumen really wasn’t. Someone spending $140+ million also wasn’t seen to be serious about control of spending. And gun voters walked away from Meg too since she’s widely (and correctly) perceived as an anti.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
The James Sills shot above against Mimi Walters was not p.c..
After all, next to Sarah Palin and her beauty contest swim suit pics, it is Mimi Walters who leads in sex appeal California Republican style.
Hey! There is cross-over political value there.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Ernie, Mr. Sills took no shot. Look again.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Out of the wreckage of this election, almost the lone brights spots I see are the success of 20 and the defeat of 27. Taking the power to draw state and federal legislative districts away from the legislature will do wonders to help our politics, long term. Short term, however, we have to survive what look to be very bad years under Brown and progressive legislature freed of any political constraints. Argh.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
It is over! Now you got to find some Flash Report budding stars with Spartacus Syndrome…..come out real spiffy and quick….but meet the tried and true RINOS’ end!!!!
Maldo did us all in…. reminds one of the high school gym nerd who wore black sneakers and made Valedictorian by taking shop classes, California Ancient History, Civics for Dummies, Keyboarding and Study Periods…..
Villnes….a true TORY in a tattered Red Coat with no message, no reason to vote for him, plain dang drab nothing….
Mimi….it was perky fun…
Meg….what can you say….English or Spanish made no diff…eh!
Captain Medfly….let the producer and tax payer beatings begin!!!
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Congressman Konnyu:
I did not say anything about Senator Mimi Walters.
San Diego put in its own claim for top Capitol beauty
honors from 2002 through 2008 with Assemblywoman
Shirley Horton.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
I celebrated the failure of prop 19 by getting amped drinking red bull and listening to slayer to the chagrin of my neighbors.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
The beginnings of the Democrats’ undoing in this state are upon us. There is beginning to be recognition among the genuine liberals in this state, such as the S.F. Public Defender, that public employee unions and their outrageous salaries and benefits, particularly pensions, are crowding out their spending priorities. The best hope for the statewide party in the future is to align with these more altruistic democrats against the unions and make that the campaign issue. We need candidates who are willing to junk the consultants and their bland “we need to work together” messaging, and take the case clearly to the people. It works — but we need candidates who genuinely believe it. The Democrats can be divided. If voters understand the problem, even liberals, they will respond, as they did all across the country this year when they heard a CLEAR AND UNMISTAKABLE message.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
To amplify on the above, registration efforts have their place, but I don’t think there are enough unregistered Republicans out there to make up a 13 point gap. We need to change hearts and minds, and you can only do that by driving a message, clearly and distinctly, of what is wrong with things now, and how that impacts our state negatively, no matter what your priorities are.
November 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
This election was a disaster for Republicans. Not only did we lose all constitutional offices, but I cannot think of a single credible candidate for a constitutional office in 2014. Will those candidates come from the legislature? Do we have any stars there? Will they come from the private sector? Will business leaders look at how much fun Meg and Carly had and want to do the same?
Its not like California is totally liberal. Look at the results of the propositions. Look at all the pension reform measures at the local level.
What voters rejected was the Republican Party. Its time for the CRP officers to clear out and let someone else try.
November 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
George….where were thee when I taking regular beatings from the Flash Report Rinos during the primary season….
All pundits and California Republican officials should hang their heads in shame and resign and become Big Box store greeters!!!