The news of a
pending possible Democratic takeover of the House and/or Senate is thrilling. Little else could be better for the country at this juncture.
But here's a note of caution out there for everyone. California is on the verge of going from a solidly blue state to more of a shade of purple to red. This isn't to sound too alarming, but we need to face this very real reality. [Imagine trying to win the White House in 2008 without California...]
And we need to be thinking not only of Angelides and Schwarzenegger at the top of the State ticket, but of some critical down-ticket races that are going to shape the future of California electoral politics, as well.
John Garamendi is in a battle against a rigid social and economic conservative for Lieutenant Governor,
Tom McClintock. McClintock is a privatizer with a vengeance who strongly opposes a woman's right to choose and came in a solid third-place during the 2003 Recall election of Gray Davis.
Debra Bowen has the potential to be a national voice speaking out against the atrocities of Diebold and electronic balloting. Her opponent, Arnold Schwarzenegger's hand-picked Bruce McPherson, has implemented voter registration database procedures, post facto, which have invalidated 43% of newly registered voters in Los Angeles county alone. McPherson also certified the Diebold machines used in the CA-50 special election last year and sees nothing wrong with Diebold. We need Debra Bowen right now - she has reached out to this community, among others - and she is knowledgeable about something very near and dear to our hearts. It's time to take the politics out of our voting process.
As for Angelides and Schwarzenegger, do not let yourself be fooled - Arnold Schwarzenegger espouses the Minutemen, has a track record of cutting eduction and transportation spending, supported some of the historically most aggressively anti-union ballot measures which were on last year's ballot, opposes a woman's right to choose, and continues to claim that "borrow and spend" is a sound fiscal policy. If we do not defeat Arnold today, this will be just the beginning of his political career, which will likely move on to a race for U.S. Senate.
So, um... how can I say this clearly enough. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a sham. He is a fraud. He is an actor. He is not our ally. He has only been with us in a few cases when it was convenient for political expediency, which also makes him a hypocrite. He is against us when it counts, and he will not stop at the California Governor's mansion should he win. He has set incredible records in the amount of money from lobbying that he has received, and he continues to get glowing media coverage as if he is untouchable.
Meanwhile, Phil Angelides has consistently stood with us. There is no reason not to support this man who is right on all the issues and has not bowed to political pressure to shift his beliefs or platform. When he speaks, you can tell how much he cares and how much he wants to do right by California, and he understands that talking about investing capital in our social infrastructure isn't glamorous, but still very true and very necessary.
I cannot stress enough how, for California, should we lose these races, how close we will be to California as a red state in the Presidential election of 2008. We will be that much closer to a GOP pick-up opportunity in the Senate in 2010. We will be that much closer to the political tides of change swinging against unions, women, gays, you name them. Do not take this lightly.
It's hard not to get lost in the euphoria of the regular polls showing a very possible Democratic victory nationally in November. Even in California we have real opportunities in CA-11 and CA-4 with McNerney and Brown, respectively.
But the possibilities for a Democratic loss of a major scale here in the most populous state, both this year and in the near future, are very real and very scary.
So, please, if you can:
Contribute to Phil Angelides
Contribute to John Garamendi
and
Contribute to Debra Bowen
[UPDATE: Voter Registration deadline is Monday, October 23rd. Click here to register now!]