Democratic tidal wave washes up in AZ - What went wrong for local Democrats?
As I warned last month, the tidal wave that began in Rhode Island late yesterday afternoon washed up as it approached the Arizona border last night and has left many Democrats scratching their heads. Why did they do so poorly in local races?Well, let us start with DPSFV, otherwise known as the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley. Were they working hard for local candidates as their name would suggest? Nope. They were busy calling for OUT OF STATE candidates.
Let's look at the 37th AD Campaign of Ferial Masry. On the eve before the election was the campaign out throwing up lawn signs? Nope. They were, get this, walking for RICHARD ALARCON in AD 39 where he was UNCHALLENGED.
Finishing worse both percentage wise and numerically over in the 38th, Democrat Lyn Shaw who ran an almost invisible campaign faired netted nearly 28,000 votes less than the last Democrat who ran no campaign despite higher Democratic registration in the district.
The Democrats local "Red District Initiative" once heralded by LA County Party Chair Eric Bauman has been deemed by many insiders to be a flat-footed failure and nothing more than talk.
The governor's race was over before it started.
For those Democrats asking what happened, look at yourselves. From the Governor to local Assembly seats you nominated people who ran vicious campaigns for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November, and then they didn't.
You were warned ahead of time that Steve Westly was the only viable Democrat who was polling ahead of Arnold, you nominated Angelides.
You were warned loudly on this blog and elsewhere that Jim Alger was the only Democrat who was going to run a strong campaign in the 38th, you nominated Lyn Shaw.
It's as if you were trying to lose.
So what was it all about? Personal power in the party. DPSFV spent it's recourses kissing the ass of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee so the leaders of DPSFV would have more personal influence. Masry's staff was walking for Alarcon so that the campaign heads would have an inroad there. Shaw did exactly what her opponent said she was going to do and ran for the personal power of her Central Committee appointments. All of them abandoned the voters in the process.
So why did you lose locally Democrats? Because you deserved to.
Posted by Councilman John @ 11/08/2006 11:31:00 AM
21 Comments:
Shaw should be embarrassed.
Brian Davis was an openly gay man running against Kieth Richmnd, a popular incumbent in a red district. Brian literally went on vacation 2 weeks before the election and Shaw couldn't even match him in vote totals or percentage??? HUMILLIATING!
What Shaw has done has hurt the party and actually set us BACK in the district. Nice job Lyn.
If Lyn would have just held the votes Davis had, she would have won. As Alger said, this race was winnable. She just never ran for it.
All Shaw cares about is using gays to show she is a martyr. It is easier than actually running, wnning and helping eberyone from the Assembly.
If she truly cared about the gay cause she would "know her audience" in the red 38th and not run on gay issues. Instead she chose to force a leftist message in a right wwing district on the little campaigning she did knowing damn well she would lose and then cries "I took one for the team".
No you didn't Lyn, you sold us out. Now Cameron Smyth i8s positioned for Congress.
Thanks a fucking lot.
Obviously Councilman John never actually went to the DP/SFV office.
Continuing bloggers that want to knock Lyn Shaw are just pathtic losers looking for a place to put out their biased and uninformed opinions. Sorta like assholes, you know everybody has one.
I was at DPSFV. CJ is right, they had me calling for out of area candidates and ignoring local races. Even getting pissy that a few local races were using their HQ as their own.
Lyn hung out at DPSFV as if she was queen. It is no shock she lost, she refused to run.
What were Lyn's gay issues? Universal Health care? Her support by the Police Protective League or LA City and County firefighters? Her support by Alarcon,Padilla and Fuentes? Her support by UTLA? You people with 5 minutes experience in politics and limited use of a vocabulary are stunning
To be fair to Lyn, this wasn't a presidential election year. However this certainly was a year where dems should, and most did, capitalize on the "throw the bums out" mentality that has swept the country.
But as has been stated, she did't campaign.
In 2002 the dems got 37,376 votes.
In 2004 Brian Davis got 67,747 votes.
Lyn got 39,925 votes.
It was all about turnout. Lyn simply did not turn out the democratic base. If she had, the dems would have had an amazing pickup.
Bauman got the last mailers out to the campaigns less than 2 weeks before election day, right around the time he finaly got the county voter cd's. That was nowhere near early enough... should have had it months ago.
This was Eric Baumans failure as much as the candidates. He told candidates that he could be depended on, and fell way short.
If Shaw would have run even a half-assed campaign she would have cleared 40% and set up the 38th for a possible pickup in the presidential election year.
She certainly did not represent the party well that is for sure.
4:39 You don't tell RED DISTRICT REPUBLICANS your going to "fight for gay marriage" and you are "endorsed by the Stonewll Democrats" if your serious about even trying to win in Republican country... moron.
Lyn is a sellout and her husband us a thug who will try and win at any cost. What they did to Alger only to suffer this humilliating defeat (after saying just last week they were polling at 67% against Smyth) is a god damn shame.
They should be run straight out of the party.
"You were warned ahead of time that Steve Westly was the only viable Democrat who was polling ahead of Arnold, you nominated Angelides."
Thank you for speaking the truth. You speak for me and for every person who knew anything about and voted for Steve Westly.
The Democratic Party including and at every level is a giant, stupid ostrich with its pointy head stuck mightily in a hugh mound of sand.
Did Hillary Clinton gain any supporters by telling John Kerry his remarks were inappropriate after he finally stood up and said he would not apologize?
Kerry flubbed a joke about the president which was twisted by the president to appear to have been about the troops rather than the president. When Kerry stood up like a man, Hillary castrated him.
Lyn Shaw when asked, a campaign or so ago, how she liked campaigning, she replied that she hated campaigning.
And this is who was nominated to represent my concerns in the State Assembly by the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley?
Give me a break!
Lyn Shaw would tell people, before the primary, she couldn't win the general but many of us knew her for years and really didn't believe Jim Alger when he would say she wouldn't campaign hard. Jesus was he right.
I can honestly say I regret not voting for Jim. He had fight in him. He was willing to "take the fight to the republicans" as he would always say. Shaw did precisely what Jim said she would do; run a nasty 2 week casmpaign against him and not even try to win against Smyth. As it turns out Alger was right about something else... the numbers were there for a democratic win.
Shame on you Lyn.
Remember this post CJ?...
"Alger is missing in action for the Democratic Party. A lot of talk about support and activism but the minute It is not about him he disappears.
If the Shaw campaign is ineffective then why does the on- line poll at the Signal show her beating Smythe at 62% to 32%"
This wingnut Shaw supporter was so out of touch they not only reversed the poll numbers, they spelled Smyth's name wrong!
They were so intent on attacking Alger, a guy who was busting his ass for 3 different races, they didn't even cut him slack for his near death after a brain bleed, or his new baby.
What a buch of ASSHOLES!
OK, here are the facts...The DPSFV office made over 143,000 calls for the Democratic ticket-namely Angelides, Bowen and Chung. At the request of the San Fernando Valley congressional representatives - over 22,000 calls were made for the Red to Blue list. Phil Angelides won in LA country - as did all local candidates (Berman, Sherman, etc.) In case you did not notice -Bowen and Chung won also. A total of 18,000 door hangers were distributed from the DPSFV office over a three day period to more than 130 precincts. Thousands of hours were contributed by dedicated Democrats including the staff's of several Valley elected's. Those are the facts - and all I can say is Councilman John - you clearly never came to the office in Van Nuys.
Ok, here are the facts. The DPSFV office was the #1 office in the state. More than 143,000 calls were made in support of the Democratic ticket of Angelides, Bowen and Chong. 18,000 door hangers were distributed over a three day period for GOTV to more than 130 precents. And yes, more than 22,000 calls were made in support of the congressional Red to Blue list - to help take back the house! Phil won in LA county - and in case you didn't notice all SFV representatives won re-election. In addition to the thousands of hours contributed to the DPSFV office by loyal Democrats - staff from local electeds also were there - working and helping in this great battle. And as the saying goes - CJ - what did you do during the war?
Alger ran a spirited campaign in the primary and lost to Shaw who hardly campainged at all. He put his heart and soul in the campaign and did not connect with the voters.
Based on all the comments I have seen on this post, most of you think Shaw is a loser. What does that make Alger, a loser to a loser?
Do you know what planned parenthood is?
Think of this political scenario as planned politics. Republicans wanted the losses. Who else can they blame to win the next election. Blame the DEMOCRATS.
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