The Republicans are trumpeting the victory of Brian Bilbray over Democrat Francine Busby in the CA-50th and have even arranged a conference call this morning for sympathetic bloggers with RNC chief Ken Mehlman. I don’t think it’s such a big deal. Bilbray won by only 4.2 percent over Ms. Busby who made an unusually dumb campaign gaffe, implying you didn’t have to be a citizen to vote or some such. In these times that should put you in the political Dempsey Dumpster for life, but she still managed to eke out slightly more votes than Kerry in her district, according to the email from the Repubs, who somehow think this is something to brag about. That’s party politics, I suppose.
Of course, the LATimes (zzzz….) tilts it in the opposite direction:
The first wave of returns for the special election showed Republican Brian Bilbray holding a single-digit lead over Democrat Francine Busby in what would have been a romp for the GOP candidate in most years.
Still, the big winner in this election was a Republican (of the extra-centrist sort)… LAT nemesis El Arnold who gets Phil “Who?” Angelides for an opponent in November. Now who are the citizens of California going to vote for – The Terminator or a faceless land developer (actually a terminator of another sort, but you know what I mean)? Please, Louise. And yet, eighty million or so is rumored to be spent by each side in the coming general election. Think how many schools or hospitals (or even freeways) that could build. Well, at today’s prices, maybe not so many but more than this campaign is going to be worth by a lot.
Another big celebrity winner in this celebrity state was, of course, El Jerry, the only non-actor politician anybody’s heard of out here anymore and he used to hang around with actors… or at least singers. But Brown’s pillow talk with Ms. Ronstadt evidently did not rub off because La Linda is running around like a typical Tinseltown Bush Basher while Jerry himself has adopted, indeed always had to some extent, politics that are far more quirky and sophisticated than that. As noted in yesterday’s post, I voted for him. I hardly voted for anything or anyone else, certainly not either of the Dem gubernatorial possibilities or Senator-for-Life Feinstein. These days term limits are beginning to look more and more attractive to me. If we have to endure all these corrupt, pork spewing hacks, at least we can have new ones every few years.
But speaking of Tinseltown Bush Bashers, one celeb was a big loser in yesterday’s election – Rob Reiner whose early childhood education proposition went down. Can’t say I’m disappointed. The thought of the politically-ambitious Reiner bloviating even more on the public stage sets my teeth on edge. At least next time he ought to learn a bit more about developmental psychology… oh never mind.
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11 Comments
1. Pierre Legrand:I used to think that Term Limits were the answer then it occured to me that most of the time what has gotten me upset isn’t the elected officials. Its the power mad bureaucrats inside of bureaucracies who spend all their time finding ways of getting even bigger. They are the ones I find most often impinging on my rights as a citizen. If we send in inexperienced politicians won’t we lose even more control?
Jun 7, 2006 - 7:53 am 2. Charlie (Colorado):Still, a politician who’s first claim to fame was being called “Meathead” regularly on national TV can be taken seriously in CA politics. Is this a great country or what?
(Re: the Bilbray thing, I think the biggest point is that the Dems thought they were going to beat Bilbray and thereby demonstrate how they were marching to victory in November. The fact that they didn’t is some kind of win, anyway.)
Jun 7, 2006 - 9:29 am 3. promoguy:Dear Steve,
Sorry you didn’t get the nomination. I think we could have lots of fun in the next few months challenging each other.
Since that didn’t happen, I want to thank you on two accounts.
1. You really, really saved me a lot of money having to look up all of that information on Phil. For that, you’re invited to dinner with Maria and myself at Spago’s.
2. And last but not least, you’re support and the votes that you can bring to the table will be greatly appreciated. I mean you can’t vote for someone who has all those bad thingies so I’m sure your endorsement will be arriving shortly.
All the best. Oh, and let’s talk, okay!!
Your friend and governor
Arnold (Arnie)
Jun 7, 2006 - 9:37 am 4. Kevin Peters:Roger;
In the end,the people vote for what they want. There was a vacant seat with no incumbent. There was an Independent, A Libertarian, A Republican, and a Democrat. There was an abnormal amount of attention by the press due to the Cunningham scandal and the current problems of the Republican party. Yet the voters of the CA-50th voted for someone who was similar in his political philosophy to Cunningham(except his felony criminal problem). Why? Because that is what they believe in, more or less.
I am an independent conservative who votes on the losing side in most California state wide races these days. When I was a Dem. I was usually on the winning side. And it’s not because the system fails me. It’s because the majority of my fellow Californians disagree with me. Nothing would please me more then the notion of Sen. Boxer being removed from the U.S. Senate, I think she is a fool. But even if there were term limits that doesn’t mean that the person taking her seat would vote in any radically different manner. Sen. Boxer wins because the majority of voters like what comes out of her mouth. This makes me sad. But third parties and term limits are not going to magically make politics better. California, at least in the near term, is going to send deep Blue to slightly purple Senators to D.C. because that reflects the majority of the states voters political worldview. The CA-50 sent a conservative to the house because that reflects the overall zeitgeist of that community.
Jun 7, 2006 - 11:00 am 5. Jamie Irons:You could fiddle with the districts and maybe produce a few more close races. But in the end people vote for what they want. This race was open. No incumbent and the traditional party hurt by the stink of Duke’s thievery.And two third party candidates. 4 choices. I am sure that some of the voters who checked R on their ballot had thoughts of sending the party a message but then they had to face the facts that if they went third party they would probably get the Democratic candidate and they worried more about the consequences of that action then the desire for a good, and well deserved, political spanking.
Roger,
I think your take on Jerry Brown
[He] indeed always had to some extent, politics that are far more quirky and sophisticated than that…
is accurate. Years ago, a bit before Brown ran for mayor of Oaklandia, he briefly had a call-in show on local radio, which I enjoyed listening to on my commute. Once a fellow called in who was obviously (to a psychaitrist, anyway) suffering from a chronic psychotic disorder, probably schizophrenia. The poor caller had a great deal of difficulty getting his point (if there was one) across, but Jerry handled him so gently and so kindly, and with unfeigned respect that the caller was, after all, another human being, that I became a lifelong Jerry Brown fan, without necessarily agreeing with many of his political positions.
Jamie Irons
Jun 7, 2006 - 11:05 am 6. Kevin Peters:Jamie:
Jun 7, 2006 - 11:51 am 7. tim maguire:From the right flank, ditto on JB. He can be a gadfly at times but he seems to be able to ditch some of his ideology at times for practicality and often is more concerned with results rather then being loved. I am glad he didn’t make it to the White House but State and City offices seem to be a good fit.
It’s too bad there aren’t more Jerry Brown’s in politics. He’s a guy who is fun to support and yet can be supported without secretly hoping he doesn’t really win–kooky and rational is a sadly rare combination among politicians.
Jun 7, 2006 - 2:29 pm 8. Ray Zacek:Term limits, either thru custom or law, are a good idea but as a commenter above pointed out there is a downside. Term limits may change the composition of the legislature but the lobbyists, reporters and civil service honchos stay the same year after year and will thus have an advantage over inexperienced pols; it’s tossing fresh meat to the predators. I have no problem with two terms for anyone in an executive position, President or Gov, but I feel members of the legislature ought to have longer terms, to actually build seniority. Our system of governance is based on checks and balances, and term limits should be another tactic for limiting power; an individual member of a legislature, who may represent a rather small geographic area, is probably not going to accumulate personal power the same way a individual in an executive capacity will, or the way a member of the Senate will. Most members of Congress are unknown outside their home districts.
Jun 7, 2006 - 4:50 pm 9. Stacy's Mom:“…pork spewing hacks…”
A great turn of the phrase, which I intend to borrow and use liberally in the future. Thanks!
Jun 8, 2006 - 7:14 am 10. Tom Grey - Liberty Dad:12 years in DC is enough … for any known or unknown pork spewing hack.
Yes on Term Limits. Let the “good incumbents” try for another office, perhaps State or the the other House.
Note my new favorite-ish Sen. Tom Coburn was in the House of Representatives for 3 terms, then out of office (didn’t seek re-election), then ran and won.
Presidents for Life (Mugabe / Mubarik / Assad) are terrible; so are Senators / Congressmen.
Jun 9, 2006 - 4:48 pm 11. Olde Dog:Roger,
Just wanted to comment that the $160 million estimated to be spent on the California gubernatorial election certainly would buy a really nice operating suite at a teaching hospital, or a good pediatrics intensive care ward. It might, at today’s prices, buy a 100 bed hospital, depending on the support services offered (emergency, surgery, pediatrics, pharmacy, etc.)
Jun 11, 2006 - 2:33 pm