Californians United paid for another mail piece to Republicans urging them to vote for write-in candidate Ott Bade. This is the fourth mailer the Democratic independent expenditure group has spaid for since this weekend.
As I pointed out on Red County/OC Blog, Californians United has spent as much on Otto Bade in one week, as Otto was able to raise in an entire year for his own failed 2004 Assembly run.
Californians United also spent $30,000 on pro-Lou Correa cable TV ads.
Will this tactic succeed in its intent to tilt the race to Correa? It’s hard to say. I doubt Otto will accrue very many votes, but in a really close race that may be enough to make the difference. Also, but attacking Lynn Daucher from the right, Californians United may have a depressive effect on conservative Election Day voters planning to cast their ballots vote for Daucher — not that Democrats would ever — gasp! — engage in voter suppression activities!
My hunch is the momentum is still on Lynn Daucher’s side in this race. I think Lou Correa succumbed to the post-primary conventional wisdom (to which I also succumbed) that he was going to mop the floor with Daucher in the general.
However, Lynn Daucher has worked extremely hard and intensely, and Correa unexpectedly found himself with a neck-and-neck race on his hands.
Hence, Otto Bade suddenly deciding at the last-minute to run as a GOP write-in and Californians United (which did some very harsh anti-Umberg IEs in the 34th SD Democrat primary) coincidentally being able to send out pro-Otto Bade mailers acouple of days after he was certified as a write-in.
The Orange County Democratic Party has ben very vocal lately in denouncing any perceived election mischief…er, any perceived election mischief with a GOP coloration, that is. When it comes to this obvious ploy by a Democratic group to fool and/or discourage Republican voters in the 34th SD, this is the only sound emanating from OC Democratic Party headquarters.