Longtime FR friend Scott Carpenter, who was just elected to the Orange County Republican Party Central Committee last week, attended the OC GOP’s annual Flag Day Fundraising Dinner. This year’s special guest was Marco Rubio, the GOP candidate for United States Senate in Florida. We asked Carpenter if he would pen something on the event for FR readers. Please take a few minutes and read this great account of what was a wonderful evening… Marco Rubio Shines At Annual OC GOP Flag Day Dinner by Scott Carpenter Last night marked another successful Flag Day Dinner hosted by the Republican Party of Orange County. The annual event has become one of the marquee political events in California, if not the entire nation, and last night’s occasion lived up to its billing. … Read More

Just took a lengthy poll from the Yes on Proposition 33 campaign (yeah they asked if I worked in politics and I said no… but in exchange I offer that I hadn’t ever heard of the proposition, and I answered honestly). The gist of it was whether or not I would support a series of backwards tax increases on businesses. The pro-side argument was that they were “out of state” businesses that were basically screwing me by getting tax breaks when my taxes were increased, the anti side that it might hurt small business and the recovery (recovery? what recovery?). I’m an attorney and I found the poll as a whole very confusing in terms of technical jargon… long winded technical jargon. There has to be a easier series of questions to determine whether a person is prejudiced for or against big business and what would get them to move one way or the other. Also, they tested a series of organizations that sounded like sham organizations — ie organizations set up as shills by a pr firm. On the positive side I loved the last question “regardless of how you are going to vote which of these arguments makes you want to vote yes” (paraphrased).… Read More

California’s Republican Party looks good. Of course, it never really matters how it looks, just what it does, but it does look good. Three women, one African American, one Hispanic, and a couple of white guys. We couldn’t have done better if we had set quotas. In addition, at a time when Democrats appear to be in a full melt down nationally, a new and interesting Republican Party is necessary.

One of the biggest problems of the 1994 election was that Republicans didn’t win that election, Democrats lost. Republicans didn’t have a mandate, and they took no action to convince voters that what they wanted for California was what was best for people. In defense of the Republicans at that time, they spend a year fighting to get a governing majority, but still in many ways the Republicans started acting like a bunch of kids in a candy store. They didn’t think about building a long term majority in California, they just thought about indulging all of their pent up desires for legislation. It was a heady time, for sure, but Republicans did not exercise much self control.

2010 could be another 1994. Based on the primary… Read More

Who cares? I mean who gives a rat’s a** how Carly Fiorina feels about Barbara Boxer’s hair?

I learned about the gaffe watching The Today Show and was not so much stunned about the less-than-guarded moment than the fact that The Today Show thought it was so important that it was in the lede of the morning telecast, followed by an introduction by former View co-host Meredith Viera (yes, The View…the epitome of female cattiness) in which the video was shown and then went to a commercial break…with no comment. Both of these happened at the top of the hour…seriously, at the top of the hour while we deal with the destruction of the Gulf of Mexico by BP, two wars, a $1.5 trillion deficit, a $14 trillion debt, a totalitarian government seemingly emasculating every aspect of American life, and the biggest disaster of all – the Obama presidency.

The lack of Today Show commentary was acknowledgment that it wasn’t actually news but rather a gratuitous whack at Fiorina in her challenge to liberal icon Boxer.

Do I wish Fiorina had not done it? Of course. It was not the most… Read More

Congrats to Brian Jones in AD 77!

Take a look at the mail used by Jones to win the AD 77 primary:

Click the links to see four examples of the mail used by the Jones campaign to win the GOP primary to become the hands down favorite to succeed Joel Anderson in the conservative 77th Assembly District…

Jones 1 – Conservative Track Record Jones 2 – Santee Firefighters Jones 3 – We Must Control the BorderJones 4 – Had Enough – Don’t Believe the Smears Here’s the Thank You… Read More

County government in California saw some major changes on Tuesday. Around the state we saw a number of Supervisors lose to challengers.

In Butte County Supervisor Jane Dolan lost to Larry Wahl.

Inyo County saw Supervisor Beverly Brown earn 333 votes while challenger Rick Pucci was able to get 702 or 51.66% of the vote and prevent a November run-off. Pucci is the former City Manager for Bishop. It is not too common to see someone make that transition.

In Lassen County Supervisor Lloyd Keefer was defeated by Larry Wosick. Wosick got 1,086 votes.

In Mariposa County Supervisor Brad Aborn was beaten by Lee Stetson.

Merced County Supervisor and former Merced County Republican Party Chairman Mike Nelson was surprised by Linn Davis. This one was a shocker.

Nevada County Supervisor John Spencer appears to… Read More

I was looking through the Federal Election Commission disclosures and noted that Republican Congressman Gary Miller, who recently won his re-nomination (congratulations) has already spent out of his political committee close to $2,000 this election cycle on — flowers. I wanted to review Miller’s reports to try to learn the secret of success in a heated Congressional election. Its’ flowers. And one sure can’t argue with success.

.… Read More

Orange County consultant Brandon Powers heads to DC today to be a part of Politics Magazine’s (formerly Campaigns& Elections) "Rising Stars of Politics." Each election cycle, the trade publication for political professionals identifies up-and-comers of all parties and Brandon joins that list for 2010. Occassionally, they make bad choices…like me in 2002.

See this year’s Republican list here.… Read More