Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Hardball Politics in California
I've seen an attack ad several times recently on the TV against Phil Angelides. The ad claims that Mr. Angelides has proposed raising the income tax, the sales tax, the property tax, and a few others. The last time I saw the ad, I noticed that the citations were from statements or speeches Mr. Angelides made in 2005. In that year it seemed that California had a serious structural deficit. Tax income was not enough to supply all the expenditures of the State and the difference was made up by borrowing. The State's credit rating was in danger of vanishing. We Californians had a Republican governor who hated even the thought of possibly increasing any tax. Mr. Angelides, the State Treasurer, was giving voice to a sentiment shared by many of us, myself included.
Today the State is enjoying a windfall. This year tax revenues seem to be enough to support the State's spending and also to put some money away for future dry years. There is no chance that the State legislature will even consider a tax increase this year.
I'm puzzled as to the source of the attack ad. Is it Mr. Angelides' Democratic opponent in the Primary Election, to be held in about three weeks? Or, is it the Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, trying to defeat Mr. Angelides in the Primary Election so that he can face a weaker Democratic opponent in the November General Election?
If so, it's not the first time an incumbent Governor with no opposition in his own party has used some of his campaign money to defeat a potential challenger in the Primary Election. Democrat Gray Davis worked to discredit and defeat Richard Riordan in the Republican Primary election in 2002 so that Davis could run against a much weaker Republican opponent. Has Arnold learned a thing or two from Gray?
Correction: This evening I looked more carefully at the attack ad. It is sponsored and paid for by Steve Westly, Angelides's principal Democratic opponent. As a Democrat, I think it is shameful that one Democrat should attack another Democrat in that manner. We should be saving our ammunition (and money) to take down the Republican Schwarzenegger this fall, not wasting it on each other.
Today the State is enjoying a windfall. This year tax revenues seem to be enough to support the State's spending and also to put some money away for future dry years. There is no chance that the State legislature will even consider a tax increase this year.
I'm puzzled as to the source of the attack ad. Is it Mr. Angelides' Democratic opponent in the Primary Election, to be held in about three weeks? Or, is it the Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, trying to defeat Mr. Angelides in the Primary Election so that he can face a weaker Democratic opponent in the November General Election?
If so, it's not the first time an incumbent Governor with no opposition in his own party has used some of his campaign money to defeat a potential challenger in the Primary Election. Democrat Gray Davis worked to discredit and defeat Richard Riordan in the Republican Primary election in 2002 so that Davis could run against a much weaker Republican opponent. Has Arnold learned a thing or two from Gray?
Correction: This evening I looked more carefully at the attack ad. It is sponsored and paid for by Steve Westly, Angelides's principal Democratic opponent. As a Democrat, I think it is shameful that one Democrat should attack another Democrat in that manner. We should be saving our ammunition (and money) to take down the Republican Schwarzenegger this fall, not wasting it on each other.
Comments:
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I'LL PULL MY OWN STRINGS, THANK YOU !
STOP THE ADS & POLLS - I WANT-OUT !
For folks who would be swayed by numbers... looks like Angelides is gonna win 'cause he has more links on Google .
-or-
Wait, Steve Westly has $27+ million dollars... looks like Westly is gonna win 'cause he has more bucks.
-or-
Oh.. oh, Angelides has 35,000+ contributors... looks like Angelides is gonna win 'cause he has more contributors.
-or-
One has more endorsements than the other... but the other has better endorsements.
-or-
Some of my friends say this, but others say that.
Hey! I like watching a good tennis match, but this is driving me absolutely nutzoid... almost sea-sick.
If we exclude all those who are firmly in one camp or another, who's left? A bunch of voting "undecideds", which includes me. Those of us, as yet undecided, will determine who wins on June 6th.
So, I ask myself:
Q. Can either guy win on June 6th?
....A. Yes
Q. Are both candidates qualified and good Dems?
....A. Yes
Q. Are they both "really green"?
....A. Yes
Q. Do both men seem truly motivated to improve the quality-of-life for 98% of Californians?
....A. Yes
So what's the problem?
NO MORE POLITICAL PUNDITS or POLITICAL ADS for me. NO MORE SPIN from either side!
I'll pull my own strings, thank you.
What follows are the criteria I set-up for which candidate will get my vote next month...
The only issue is which Democrat is best suited to beat Arnold in November. More especially, who is most likely to have popular staying-power to win a second consecutive term and truly lead California long-enough to make a lasting difference for us.
In order to have that staying-power the next two-term Democratic Governor must be firm yet flexible and realistic enough to hold-on to Sacramento, long-term. He must be a staunch Democrat... but not an abrasive one one who would create as many "enemies" as friends... which would jeopardize chances for his 2nd term.
He must have a pro-active vision for California's place in this country and the world. He must have the proven capacity for forward-looking, creative "outside-the-box" thinking and not be an "all-boxed-up" dogmatist.
My personal "jury is still-out".
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STOP THE ADS & POLLS - I WANT-OUT !
For folks who would be swayed by numbers... looks like Angelides is gonna win 'cause he has more links on Google .
-or-
Wait, Steve Westly has $27+ million dollars... looks like Westly is gonna win 'cause he has more bucks.
-or-
Oh.. oh, Angelides has 35,000+ contributors... looks like Angelides is gonna win 'cause he has more contributors.
-or-
One has more endorsements than the other... but the other has better endorsements.
-or-
Some of my friends say this, but others say that.
Hey! I like watching a good tennis match, but this is driving me absolutely nutzoid... almost sea-sick.
If we exclude all those who are firmly in one camp or another, who's left? A bunch of voting "undecideds", which includes me. Those of us, as yet undecided, will determine who wins on June 6th.
So, I ask myself:
Q. Can either guy win on June 6th?
....A. Yes
Q. Are both candidates qualified and good Dems?
....A. Yes
Q. Are they both "really green"?
....A. Yes
Q. Do both men seem truly motivated to improve the quality-of-life for 98% of Californians?
....A. Yes
So what's the problem?
NO MORE POLITICAL PUNDITS or POLITICAL ADS for me. NO MORE SPIN from either side!
I'll pull my own strings, thank you.
What follows are the criteria I set-up for which candidate will get my vote next month...
The only issue is which Democrat is best suited to beat Arnold in November. More especially, who is most likely to have popular staying-power to win a second consecutive term and truly lead California long-enough to make a lasting difference for us.
In order to have that staying-power the next two-term Democratic Governor must be firm yet flexible and realistic enough to hold-on to Sacramento, long-term. He must be a staunch Democrat... but not an abrasive one one who would create as many "enemies" as friends... which would jeopardize chances for his 2nd term.
He must have a pro-active vision for California's place in this country and the world. He must have the proven capacity for forward-looking, creative "outside-the-box" thinking and not be an "all-boxed-up" dogmatist.
My personal "jury is still-out".
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: 1:10 PM
: 1:10 PM << Home
