New Rule:

If you are running for anything, post a high-resolution photo of yourself on the Internet. Preferably several of them and on your own web page.

There are hundreds of independent efforts going on right now to support (and certainly some to oppose) candidates all over the state from water board to U. S. Representative. And many of these independent expenditure committees are scrambling to find photos of their favorite candidate for the direct mail.

Mail is much or effective with photos of the candidates.

While I am not a lawyer, I do believe it is legal to ask a candidate for a photo of themselves. Asking for a photo is not considered coordination. [Perhaps Dana Reed can comment and confirm my assertion]

However it is not always easy to reach the candidates and life would be a lot easier for everyone if you would all just get a high quality photo on the web.

You might be surprised by a positive piece of mail sometime soon if you do.… Read More

Today Governor Schwarzenegger made a slew of appointments to various state posts. A few of them, in particular, are worthy of mention. Congratulations to business developer and GOP financier Hadi Makarechian for received what is probably the most prestigious appointment available to a Governor, to a twelve year terms on the Board of Regents of the University of California. Other FR friends appointed by the Governor today include longtime criminal justice leader Tom Gede to the Board of Regents of Hastings College of Law, Rex Hime of the California Business Roundtable to the California State Fair Leasing Authority, Steve Spernak to the California Council on Criminal Justice, and John Peschong of Meridian Pacific has been appointed to his local fair board (which means that if you make it to the Central Coast at the right time, you might get a deal on carnival food).

Nice to see some solid GOPers being appointed. (Out of this batch, 16 of 23 are Republicans — better than usual!.)… Read More

Once again the folks at Saturday Night Live filet their favorite victim – President Bush. It’s a great seven minute video… … Read More

There are a host of initiatives on the November ballot. I would submit that there is none that is more important than Proposition 4, which would require parental notification before a minor could obtain an abortion. As we move into the final home stretch, I am pleased to offer this guest commentary from the Campaign Manager for Prop. 4, Charles Gallagher…

PROP. 4 – CALIFORNIANS AND THEIR GOVERNMENT by Charles Gallagher

Prop 4 is ahead in the polls. The undecided vote is large enough that if we win 1 out of every 3 undecided voter, Prop 4 wins. Our focus is to communicate and reach out to those undecideds. Turnout will be higher amongst undecideds than in either 2005 or 2006 (when a similar measure appeared on the ballot) because of the presidential election. Our GOTV efforts… Read More

There are a host of initiatives on the November ballot. I would submit that there is none that is more important than Proposition 4, which would require parental notification before a minor could obtain an abortion. As we move into the final home stretch, I am pleased to offer this guest commentary from the Campaign Manager for Prop. 4, Charles Gallagher…

PROP. 4 – CALIFORNIANS AND THEIR GOVERNMENT by Charles Gallagher Prop 4 is ahead in the polls. The undecided vote is large enough that if we win 1 out of every 3 undecided voter, Prop 4 wins. Our focus is to communicate and reach out to those undecideds. Turnout will be higher amongst undecideds than in either 2005 or 2006 (when a similar measure appeared on the… Read More

There is no doubt that Democrats are poised to have a good year. Nobody that reads this blog regularly would deny that. We are political junkies.

Here is the problem. Some of the Democrats are making lots of noise about seats they have no chance of securing. We have heard rumors of them coming after seats like AD 36 (Runner/Knight) and AD 38 (Smyth).

Both of these campaigns have done checks in the last few days and found comfortable double digit leads.

In 2006 Smyth won by almost 20 points. Sharon Runner won by 24 points.

Will Smyth and Knight win by that much this year? No. Will they win by double digits? Absolutely — and I am happy to put some money on it.… Read More

Democrat John MacMurray is hoping that a tsunami-sized Obama wave washes across California, and even into the very Republican 72nd Assembly District in Orange County.

MacMurray, the Democrat nominee facing off against incumbent Assemblyman Mike Duvall (pictured), has dropped a full color mailing (see links below to piece) where he bangs on the Republican for a host of "bad" votes, one of which implies that Duvall opposes "Domestic Violence Protection."

On one hand, you might say that it would have to be a terrible year, indeed, for a Republican in this VERY Republican seat to lose. Then again, some pundits are predicting a very bad year for the GOP. MacMurray is counting on it. That said, Duvall’s got deep pockets. Makes you wonder if, in this particular year, he’ll reach in a fund a few mailers. He is, after all, in the insurance business.

As a funny aside, this website… Read More

Two stories of note.

Over at Roll Call, this article shows that there may be a silver lining to a GOP rain cloud this year. More on the rain cloud.

Over at the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert, the opponents to Prop. 11 have been caught in double-print (the written form of double-speak).… Read More