FLASHREPORT

"The Republicans are coming!"

by Nicholas Romero - Managing Editor (bio) (email)

10-3-2006 7:26 am

Those of you who choose to read the FlashReport over the weekends will recall on Sunday morning I pleaded for the Governor to start campaigning on behalf of our down ticket Republican candidates after another major poll put his re-election at almost certain.  Well, San Jose State just released another poll's results with Schwarzenegger, again, in a double digit lead.  McClintock is leading Garamendi by one point in a recently released LA Times poll and the action superstar (as much as it might pain me, a conservative, to say) could have a solidifying effect on this race.  The Sacramento Bee has acknowledged the McClintock groundswell.  The other Republicans on the ticket are in very similar situations.  And I don't seem to be the only one who has noticed.

With sincere humility, it seems the infamous Garry South, Democrat Steve Westly's gubernatorial campaign consultant, either read my commentary or otherwise shares my sentiments, for yesterday he posted a left-wing rallying cry on the California Majority Report. 

In it, he says this:

With apologies in advance for once again appearing to be the skunk at the Democratic picnic, it is time for us Democrats to consider battlefield triage on our statewide ticket. With three successive public polls showing Phil Angelides behind Arnold Schwarzenegger anywhere between 10 and 17 points -- and not an iota of traction evident in his campaign -- it behooves us to consider how we save some of the fine downballot candidates who are running under Angelides on the ballot.

And concludes that:

Self-immolation by the head of a party ticket always risks a nasty downdraft that can singe or totally torch the downballot ticket mates. We Democrats need to get our arms around reality here.  Angelides is going to lose big, and we should not throw good money after bad by acceding to all of his continuing, unrealistic demands on the party and labor, while starving the downballot candidates and risking a partial repeat of 1994.

Now, some may spin this as sour grapes, but I think it's more akin to Paul Revere.  "The Republicans are coming!  The Republicans are coming!"  Real concern has begun to manifest itself within Democrat circles. 

South isn't alone.  Bill Bradley, the prolific left-of-center Los Angeles blogger, the guy on the other side of the aisle whose ideas I most respect (don't get too worked up Bill and others), is saying much of the same thing.

Here are some excerpts from his posting this morning (linked on the main page as well):

That big Democratic wave predicted across America, that would sweep right through mostly blue state California? Not happening here.

Tom McClintock has a slight edge over John Garamendi for lieutenant governor, for example, reversing the Democrat's previous 10-point lead in the Field Poll...

...most of the rest of the Democratic ticket is in a tough spot. Brown and Lockyer have the reputations, experience, combat skills, and resources to take care of themselves. The others are underfunded and in need of help. Will they get it from a Democratic Party and an organized labor apparatus that is still more focused on Angelides?...

...Labor and the party can't afford to let Angelides collapse; that would be demoralizing to Democratic base voters, which itself would doom a number of down ballot nominees and ballot initiatives. The question is how to find the right mix of resources and moves to support Angelides and intervene effectively in the other campaigns.

The Governor has the ability at this point to turn that fear to dread with an active campaign schedule alongside our Republican statewide nominees.  He should toss Don and Fabian and the increasingly unpopular bonds overboard and focus on what's most probable: the election of fellow Republicans to executive offices. 

Thank you for reading.

Respectfully,


Nicholas Romero
Managing Editor, The FlashReport

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