FROM THE STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION IN SACRAMENTO --
Turning stuff into chicken salad: Both Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown, top contenders for governor, inserted material into their speeches to the convention today that acknowledged -- and made fun of -- potential liabilities.
As many Californians will recall, Newsom's image was used to devastating effect in Yes on Proposition 8 ads last year that featured a clip of him defiantly saying that same-sex marriage was coming "whether you like it or not." Newsom opened by saying he appreciated the introduction given him by party Chairman Art Torres "a lot more than the introduction I got in a few of those TV ads last fall."
And then he introduced himself: "Well, whether they like it or not, my name's Gavin Newsom, and I'm here to get things started."
Brown acknowledged that some critics say he's been around politics for too long. "It is true," he said. "I've run for more offices than any other candidate who's still around."
On the AG trail: At times it seems there are more Democratic candidates for attorney general than there are delegates. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris is here, with an entourage. Ditto for Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Los Angeles has a booth. Assemblyman Alberto Torrico personally passed out press kits to reporters. Ventura County Assemblyman Pedro Nava has been busy handing out endorsement cards.
I asked Nava last night whether he had a booth or intended to host a reception. "No," he said, "I'm putting all my resources on the ground."
Torn between two lovers: Ventura County Democrats seem distraught at the possibility of a bruising primary race in the 35th Assembly District next year, in the campaign to replace the termed-out Nava.
Both likely candidates -- at least, at this point in time they say they are definitely going to run -- are here: Susan Jordan, the coastal environmental activist and Nava's wife, and Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams.
Privately, most county Democrats say they are distraught at the prospect of having two relative heavyweights run against each other, potentially creating friction in the trenches. Third-party interventions have been made to try to persuade Williams to back out, since he had originally said he intended to endorse and support Jordan. Publicly, however, party activists will only say, as Carmen Ramirez of Oxnard told me last night, "We have two excellent candidates."
The modern news conference: Not to sound like an ink-in-the-blood old fogey from the mainstream media, but I found some things disturbing about U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer's news conference at the convention today.
About half the two dozen or media people in attendance were liberal bloggers who asked Boxer such questions as how come other Democratic senators don't have the guts that she has to stand up the banking industry, and what can progressive senators like herself do to prevent moderate Democrats from leveraging their position by threatening to vote with Republicans on certain issues.
These are perfectly legitimate questions to be discussed in the liberal blogoshpere, and Boxer should be commended for providing personal access to the bloggers. But the questions detracted from the usual, somewhat adversarial atmosphere of news conferences, designed to try to probe information out of the speaker.
The softball questions alone would have been OK, but when the bloggers applauded as Boxer left the room -- well, that seemd a little unseemly from the perspective of a traditional newsman like myself who subscribes to that old adage among sports reporters: No cheering in the press box.
Das has been very active in the anti-WalMart movement in Ventura and a lot of people resent an out-of-towner mucking about in a local issue. Furthermore Oxnard has a very successful Wal-Mart in place. I think he should bow out and let the Dems save their pennies for the general.
What happened to Dianne Feinstein? Is she not going to run?
Just as the spirited primary contest between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama in 2008 made Mr. Obama a better winning candidate, and generated historic Democratic turnout, so will a spirited 2010 Primary contest between Ms. Jordan and Mr. Williams, and perhaps other, yet to be announced contenders, make for a better, more seasoned, and ultimately successful Democratic nominee in the 35th AD, as well as other local races.
A word of caution to all those self-selected, so-called Democratic insiders who want to avoid dialogue and debate between Mr. Williams and Ms. Jordan, and potentially others. Democracy IS dialogue and debate! And in my book, it is always healthier than blind, knee-jerk party loyalty, any day..
If local Democrats start behaving like Country-club Republicans, and select their nominees behind closed-doors BEFORE Democratic Primary voters have their say, they will return to minority party status faster than you can say, "Open Primary."
DonkeyBoots
I couldn’t agree more with DonkeyBoots!
Jordan and Williams both have a lot to offer. Personally, I’m rooting for Williams because I’ve seen his dedication both during elections (working hard to get Democrats elected) and in-between (doing community organizing across the district). I think Williams will bring a lot of local volunteers into the mix. I know Jordan has Sacramento connections –but local energy is what sustains Democratic movements.
LC
Katie,
If it is a safe district the only real election and choice for voters is often in the primary.
Do they need to save up their money to face a tough challenge from a Republican?
Timm,
You would know better than me but as it was at the Democratic Party convention is it surprising that it wasn't a normal type of press conference?
I posted a link to an earlier article you wrote recently on my blog.
http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/dennert/
Brian, I'm not that familiar with the 35th and I checked with the recent voter stats - boy - it is predominently Dem! By a long shot!!! It has about 19% DTS.
The union/Wal-Mart issue may define it for Ventura - not sure about SB. Probably growth and environment.
I asked Jack O'Connell when he was going to decide whether he's going to run for Governor and he said, "When Timm Herdt tells me to!"
Let's not forget Williams earned his stripes as a union organizer and as a city councilman recently voted to give city employees a pay boost in the middle of a recession and a city deficit. This will cost Santa Barbara nearly $2 million by 2012.
I don’t think I’d vote for Williams or Jordan. But Jordan makes me a little sick. Why the wife of Nava is the best candidate for the job has me confused? We don’t even like Nava. So she’s backed by Sacramento money. We don’t like Sacramento money. Sigh. Maybe a good primary is just what we need.
I don’t think I’d vote for Williams or Jordan. But Jordan makes me a little sick. Why the wife of Nava is the best candidate for the job has me confused? We don’t even like Nava. So she’s backed by Sacramento money. We don’t like Sacramento money. Sigh. Maybe a good primary is just what we need.
Susan had a long and successful business career in Washington, D.C. and NYC before she moved to California and became actively engaged in public policy and environmental activism. She also served as chair of the Santa Barbara Planning Commission. She's not in her husband's shadow by any means and they have only been married a short time.
Enough with the sniping here, folks.
We have two dynamic candidates in this race, as Carmen pointed out.
Oops, it was late when I posted. I should have said Santa Barbara County Planning Commission.
Of the two candidates, which one is more moderate? I've been following Das over the years and it seems as if he is very much a union guy. He has been very involved with C.A.U.S.E. which is a union building organization here in Ventura County.
Susan Jordon has quite a resume of public policy. The question is will she listen to all of her constiuency or just the Dems (the kind of representation we currently have in eastern part of Ventura County.
So far, the Republican candidates that have expressed interest in running tend to be pretty far to the right and not too interested representing their potential constituency.
Who are her most famous clients?
Susan was a senior partner in the NYC market research and consulting firm of Dresner, Sykes, Jordan and Wickers. She was also director of community relations for the Women’s Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Her business clients in NYC included HBO, VCR Plus+, Home Shopping Network, ATC, Westinghouse, Teradyne, Data General, and the Museum of Modern Art. Political clients of the firm included
President Boris Yeltsin (Russia), Senator Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), Governor Pete Wilson (R-CA), Senator Jim Jeffords, (IND-VT) and Governor Jane Byrne (D-IL).