95 percent accurate*

Dueling dual endorsements

If you have any problem with double vision, the following could compound your problem...

PALO ALTO, CA (APRIL 20) – Controller Steve Westly’s campaign for governor today announced it has won the endorsement of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW)...
“We believe you will be a Governor who will strongly represent the interests of farm workers and all the people of California. You have [also] demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to fairly remedying our nation’s broken immigration system,” wrote Arturo Rodriguez, President of the UFW, in a letter announcing the organization’s endorsement of Westly’s candidacy.

SACRAMENTO, CA (APRIL 20) – The United Farm Workers (UFW) today endorsed California State Treasurer Phil Angelides’ campaign for Governor....
“We believe you will be a Governor who will strongly represent the interests of farm workers and all the people of California,” UFW President Arturo Rodriguez wrote in a letter to Angelides. “You have demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to fairly remedying our nation’s broken immigration system."

OK. You read all that right. The UFW endorsed Westly AND Angelides, using the exact same language. It seems to be a trend. Look again — and again — at the following two press releases:

PALO ALTO, CA – Controller and State Lands Commission Chair Steve Westly’s campaign for Governor today announced Westly has been endorsed by the largest environmental organization in the state, Sierra Club California.

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The Sierra Club, the largest environmental organization in California with approximately 200,000 members, today announced its endorsement of State Treasurer Phil Angelides' campaign for Governor.

What's the deal? Obviously, these groups are covering their bets. But the dual endorsements would seem to benefit Westly most of all — much more so than if the groups had taken the other route given that they couldn't choose between the two Democrats, which would have been to offer no endorsement at all.

Angelides has an impressive -- even overwhelming -- list of endorsements. Westly, on the other hand, still needs endorsements to prove his bona fides to a great many Democratic voters. Any endorsement, even a diluted endorsement, helps Westly make his case.