I thought it was very funny! And I love the one my neighbor just received regarding Strickland being Delusional. I also liked the explanation on why the SB News Press is not considered a credible newspaper anymore.

I think at this point in particular humor is very effective. As much as it pains me to say this, the California Democratic Party has been putting out some stellar material. Quality graphics, quality print job and up-to-the minute address lists. My daughter, who turned 18 on October 5 and is a recent registered voter, is already getting mail. She's a Rep but it doesn't seem to matter in the 19th Senate District race.

Katie:

Well, Katie, what would you expect when the high-priced LA-Sacto-San Diego based graphic artists under contract to both campaigns have upwards of $7 Million in political contributions to fund their creativity in color, form and content...

Can you think of better ways to spend $7 Million dollars during these trying times for hard-working 19SD taxpayers than enriching multi-million printing companies in Sacto-SF-LA if Democratic printers, and Orange-San Diego if Republican printers? I can..

Here's one. HBJ takes pride for authoring AB 2879, a bill which provided tax credits to teachers who pay for their school supplies out of pocket. And she rightly draws a political contrast with TS, who voted against it. But here's a novel idea for her. Maybe HBJ should have taken some of her multi-million dollars in contributions, and donated them directly to teachers in her district to augment this government funded tax credit!

Imagine the positive press she could have gotten for showing that kind of can-do spirit, no-nonsense, take-charge, leadership to help teachers directly. She would have owned the headlines for days in every newspaper in the 19SD had she taken this unprecedented move.

Further, she could have put her contributors' money to better use helping her 19SD constituents who are teachers, rather than enriching out of district printers. Also, what better way to both underscore TS' opposition to helping a large group of voters (teachers and their families) in the 19th SD at the same time she could have undercut his argument that such actions should be the province of charitable contributions rather than government tax credits. Ever heard of public-private partnerships that better leverage both public-private dollars for good causes, anyone?

Come November 5th, after the victory celebration is over, either HBJ or TS will be the next State Senator for the 19th SD. For the sake of all 19th SD constituents, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and most especially the children, let us hope the victor will not be content with divvying up the political spoils with their caucus bosses and special interest contributors, but rather in conscientiously toiling in the garden of governance on behalf of the public good.

NostraDemus

I doubt if either one would get the headlines they wanted - their actions wouldn't sell papers.

Tony Strickland for Senate stuff is going through DMH & Association which is owned by Darin M. Henry and is registered in Orange County. Darin works for Audra. I'm not sure who is being enriched by the Jackson $$$.

There was a blogger who pointed out how millions were available to campaign in these cash strapped times yet there isn't any money for Californians that need it. I'm sure this story is being repeated all over the state.

The Dems smell blood in the water in this race, Audra's race, McClintock's race up North, and I suspect we will see more money being spent.

The Reps know this and are spending money too but unfortunately their coffers aren't as plentiful right now and they are trying to keep McCain afloat.

But humor is humor and I found the pieces funny!

And the winners in this election race: the consultants, printers and the U.S. Postal service!

Both Strickland and Jackson have been short on substance in the tons of mail they have sent out. One of them will take the seat, but neither of them deserve it based on the tenor, content and strategies and tactics of their campaigns.

The vast amounts of money spent on advertising by both suggest that the race may be too close to call and both are desperately trying to attract support from outside their parties - heavy mail to DTS and opposition party voters who may be a bit disenchanted with their own parties. Interestingly, there is no mention of the parties to which they belong on these mailings. I suspect both they assume their own base will support them simply because of the "R" or "D" that follows their name on the ballot. (We all know what happens to those who assume anything - especially in politics.) Neither says anything meaningful about the way in which they intend to solve this state's many huge problems.

Platitudes, half-truths and deliberate misrepresentations (about self and opponent) are all both have communicated.

In the big picture, this has turned out to be one of the most irrelevant election races on the ballot. Your local city and school board elections are worthy of more of your time and attention.

Hmmm. neither website says their respective party affiliation. About 20-30% of the mailers put out or for HBJ identify her as a Dem, about 5% of the mailers put out or for TS identify him as a Rep. Have no clue what the TV or radio spots do. But then this is a household of Reps and DTS. I suspect each household within the county has a different story.

It is important to vote - not only for this race but all the others. I don't think the senate race is irrelevant at all - maybe the presidential race is but not this one.

Harold:

Viva il caro Sassone!

It warms the cockles of my nostaligic heart to read your most recent post.

Alas, it was such a pity that you could not have lived long enough to have prevented your son, poor Harold Godwinson, from suffering such an ignoble defeat by that Saxon pretender and Norman provacaeteur, William the Conqueror at Hastings, in 1056. And, “Mon Dieu!� such a painful death, a sharp Norman arrow, straight into his eye!

Perhaps, had you lived, he would have defeated William. And in turn, would have expanded the eastern boundary of Wessex, to include Paris, as an English-Speaking city.

If that had happened, you can be sure that the Gaulic-elites would have cried foul, and scornfully referred to your offspring as the "perfidious pedagogues of Albion."

But then again, it would have spared Winston Churchill the pain of having to deal with Charles DeGaulle's Gaulic obstinancy during WW II. Poor Winston, after a day of exasperating dialogue with "..le General," he would declaim, "..We all have our crosses to bear. Mine, is the Cross of Lorraine."

Cest la querre politique!

NostraDemus

I agree too much money has been spent. But while some bloggers lament the amount of money spent, their cyber comrades in arms claim Hannah-Beth hasn't hit hard enough.

I have received some brilliant pieces from the Jackson campaign. My favorite is the multi-page booklet on the economy, long on substance. Then a week later I get a piece from Strickland saying he's the only one talking about the economy. For all the money he's spent, the pieces have been poorly designed and repetitive. I have received the same ones over and over.

Then there's the little matter of leaving off the identifier, a clear violation of campaign laws.

I also have been enjoying the ads the Jackson folks bought on the front of the Star's B section, in the Acorn and the TV and radio ads. They've put Strickland on the defensive numerous times, hence the cloying piece with the handicapped man and the puppy.

They're doing a great job.

Marie,

If you want me to post a particular mailer, scan it and send it in.

Marie:

In the words of the old Louie Prima song, “..Hey Marie, Hey Marie,� you’re just too close and you still don’t get it.

The point is not whether or not HBJ’s pieces are worthy of graphic arts printing awards (careful, your Star Free Press graphic arts bias is showing), it’s whether they convey a new, vibrant, compellingly different political content message than her opponent.

Sadly, while both HBJ and TS differ significantly on a number of issues and votes, they both have turned-over strategic decisions and tactical choices on the content, recipient targeting, and multi-million costs of their political advertising operations to out-of-county, paid political hacks! Tweedle-de, Tweedle-dum anyone?

For example, given your avowed public commitment to helping kids in our local schools through your commendable support of the Ventura Unified Educational Foundation (forgive me if I got the name wrong), I would have thought that you’d jump at my suggestion on how HBJ, your candidate, could do something fresh, different, positively provocative and immediate to help teachers. Namely, offer to provide contributions from her campaign funds towards the cost of school supplies paid for by teachers for schools throughout the 19th SD.

Having several members of my family and close friends who, each day, give their blood, sweat, and tears, and personal dollars, to public education, I can tell you that today, teachers can use any help they can get.

As Ronald Reagan said, “it’s amazing how much can get done if we don’t worry about who gets the credit.� Not only was my suggestion brilliant, it’s a good thing to do and would have gotten your candidate much more positive publicity, and votes, then the “Elvis mailer.�

Further, it would have put dollars into the hands of local teachers for a good cause, not in the hands of Parke Skelton, and other high-priced, out-of-county political hacks and printers. What about that don’t you understand?

Regarding TS’ mailer leaving off the identifier being a clear violation of campaign laws. It would appear to me that is the case. But let me ask you this. The next time you see, talk, or text Parke Skelton, ask him this question. With Democrats in charge of both the Secretary of State’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office, how come it’s taken so long to lower the legal boom on such a clear-cut violation of campaign laws by TS?

After all, “..Justice delayed, is justice denied.� And besides, the last-time I checked, his high-priced Sacto-based political consulting firm was raking in big bucks – the five-digit kind, for his professional assistance.

Again, I admire and respect your personal political loyalty to your candidate, HBJ, but you gotta understand that the whole world doesn’t revolve around any one candidate, one political party, or one State Senate election.

Ciao Commendatora

NostraDemus

Thanks for researching all my background info, ND. Do you know where my kids go to school, too? What color I painted my toenails?

You're starting to creep me out.

Ciao yourself.

Poster seems to get more and more nuts as the election day approaches. One small spoke in the wheel of County government and burned by the loss of a ticket out of the nut house, Hannah-Beth becomes the cause of the growing insanity and Marie, a volunteer to the campaign, the focus of the building rage.

Theodore John Kaczynski is alive and well with his diatribes now posting live on the Making Waves blog. Marie better screen her mail. She apparently has a psycho on her tail. Hopefully, once the election is over, the nut will relax in his cell and leave her alone.

ND,

Have you made up your mind who you are voting for in the state senate contest?

I don't know what will happen with the mailer without a label, but if any action is taken it would likely be after the election. Even if it is a really small fine.

Better be careful or I'll mail you something from my little shack in Montana.

Brian:

Frankly, I am giving serious consideration to writing-in Omer Rains. I've always liked his bridge and bicycle trail over the Ventura River.

We environmentalists have got to stick together, don't we?

NostraDemus

Nostra,

Is Omer Rains the brother of Otto Bade (pronounced Body)? Remember he was the guy who ran to the right of the Reps in the '06 Lou Correa race.

That one still cracks me up.

LW:

No, Omer was the State Senator representing most of what is now the 19th SD. He was first elected in 1974, and served until about 1982, if my memory serves me correctly.

He's remembered for three things, they named a bicycle trail and bridge over the Ventura River after him, he used more "henna-colored" hair dye than Ronald Reagan, and he successfully got a Superior Court to approve his name change petition. He literally changed his first name from "Omer" to "Senator." After that, and for all times, he legally is Senator Rains.

Too bad for term limits, or he'd still be our State Senator.

Ciao Commendatora!

NostraDemus

I had forgotten about the story where he changed his first name to Senator. Hilarious stuff.

Click on my name and you'll see he has a very nice website. I especially like the picture on the front, where he is at a village in Nepal. Can't you see that going out on thousands of campaign pieces?

I still think he might be related to Otto.

LW:

You bettcha!

See what I mean?

Now there's a State Senator that all of us could be proud to have represent us during this time of uncertainty in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and the world.

If he can scale Mount Everest and survive, surely he could lead a bi-partisan majority in the State Senate in passing a fiscally-sound, socially conscious, and environmentally just State Budget on time.

That's the kind of political leadership I'm looking for to represent my interests in Sacramento.

What do you say, LW? Shall we start a "Draft Omer to End the Political Leadership Drought," campaign on the web? Can't you just here the thousands shouting, "Climb, baby, climb!"

Ciao Commendatora

NostraDemus

LW and Nostra, how about just dredge up Dantona and his handlers? I'm sure they will be willing to put him up still one more time.