From OrangeJuiceBlog.com (OC): It's not over yet: OJ Slate to make a comeback

Barack Obama is the President-elect of the United States. A quick, painless landslide capped off by a particularly ass-kissing speech by John McCain, my friends. No late night. No recounts. No Florida. No Ohio. Ohio, by the way, not shocking me with their selection; we pundits don't always call them right but it's amusing when we find out which we each got wrong.

Many of the politicians I love to hate were rejected by the voters: Rosie Avila (47th CD against Loretta Sanchez), Cecilia Aguinaga (for Santa Ana Unified School Board), Paul Lucas (a goofy, awkward Democratic activist for Garden Grove City Council). Not one even came close. Except us. We may have lost despite great candidates, a whole bunch of energy, an online home, consistent donors, and teamwork, but we defied the odds and gave Team Pulido a run for its money for the first time in years, really maybe ever. Unfortunately, when it was all over I also ran out of Santa Ana in the van still covered in Michele Martinez's signage, looking over my shoulder constantly for the red and blue lights. Of course, I'm joking, but the truth is that with nothing changing in Santa Ana, there are probably more than a few pissed off Clowncil members who are going to remember this day and retaliate. When that happens, the people need to wake up and see just what that kind of pettiness is doing to the city.

Mayor Miguel Pulido and company will now continue to run their games on the public for 2-4 more years. Developers Mike Harrah, Robert Bisno, et al will continue to get rich. Gentrification will spread. Families in Santa Ana will be forced to move out of the city due to home and job losses and lack of affordability as Santa Ana attempts its miraculous transformation into Irvine and Pulido hides in his dark Floral Park mansion every Halloween. The voters could have stopped it today, but unfortunately they didn't. Even still, it's not too late.

Remember 2008 as only the first year of the 'OJB Cabal' (as we were once or twice called). Remember President-elect Barack Obama's (and Sheryl Crow's) message that 'a change will do you good.' As the streets crumble, gang violence persists, more buildings are condemned, there continues to be only one library, corruption goes unabated, water rates increase (as the do-nothing commissioner rakes in $3,000/mo.) and businesses flee the city in protest of its preposterous fee of $600/year for a business license, there will be plenty of reminders of that message in the foreseeable future. Remember.

I was going to write this entry about the nuts and bolts of the results and our silver linings (and yes there are a few), but then I realized the importance of maintaining our message of hope throughout that process as we are already gearing up for 2010. Yes, really. This was just our warm-up act. We work that hard for Santa Ana so that the residents can hold onto hope. We must have hope that the change we need is still possible.

Since hope kept Obama running throughout this entire campaign season, I must now hope you'll wait a little longer for the details. They're coming, but like everyone else, I'm hoping to get a good night's sleep now. I hope you do too.

SMS

SMSlate: Part Two - The People (OC)

My Picks for 2008:

Anaheim City Council: Lorri Galloway - I have received multiple mailers from Curt Pringle and Company against Lorri. Since Pringle is such a corrupted Disney hack, I don't even bother to cover him on OJ. Therefore, my enemy's enemy is my friend and I support Lorri. Harry Sidhu, who decided to attack immigrants such as himself in order to keep pace with the Pro-Prop 8 Mimi 'The Queen of Mean' Walters in his failed bid for the State Assembly, is listed prominently on slates against her, and that doesn't exactly help the cause. I offer no other endorsement in this race except to vote No on Gail Eastman and Harry Sidhu, who were both featured on one of the most recent anti-Lorri mailers.

Congress 40th District: Christina Avalos - As Art Pedroza would say 'Ed Royce es un Republicano de Bush.' That's all I need to know to vote against him.

Congress 42nd District: Ed Chau - He may not have much name recognition, money, or centrist political cred. He may be yet another candidate who chose to ignore my advice at his own peril, but anyone, and I mean anyone, is better than Gary Miller. To say he's a Bush Republican would be a serious understatement. Miller has been involved in shady deals and self-serving lawmaking for many, many years before Bush made it cool. Abramhoff, Libby, Cheney, Foley, Stevens... when will it be Miller's turn?

Congress 46th District: Debbie Cook - Ok, so in a recent debate, Dana Rohrabacher came off more calm and composed than did Debbie Cook, but as Vern pointed out: if you got that close to Dana, you'd really want to pull out the upset too. Dana is a proud Bush defender. Oh how I'd love to see him go.

Congress 47th District: Loretta Sanchez - If her opponent Rosie Avila is spearheading a theocracy, and Loretta is a Blue Dog Dem, well who do you think I like in this race? Total no-brainer. No on Rosie!

OC Superior Court Judge Seat #12: Debra Carrillo - Carrillo has a great record on fighting crime, an endorsement list as long as my arm, a commitment to civil liberties, and even though she did not receive my party's endorsement, it was due to a communication breakdown, not a matter of platform, so no biggie.

CA State Assembly 67th District: Steve Blount - It's the year of the change vote, and who wouldn't want to remove an ally of Van Tran and Chuck DeVore in Jim Silva?

Garden Grove City Council: Robin Marcario and Linh Ho - Despite my recent support for Andrew Do, both he and his boss OC Supe Janet Nguyen have seemed to go hard right with the reconciliation of the Trannies and the Jannies. Too bad, so sad. And of course, vote No on Paul Lucas!

Santa Ana: No Team Pulido

Mayor: Michele Martinez - I did a little grassroots work for her on the days of and before her visit from Becky Valencia, and considering how I've been patronized many times in the past due to what I call 'keep-away syndrome' (when one doesn't really want me on their team because I am so controversial, but also doesn't want me to work for their opponent because I operate like a blunt weapon) as well as the fact that neither Michele nor Valerie has called me since that night, I have to assume that I was expected to publicize the fact that Valencia attempted to sting her, although I was asked not to do so, so I didn't, and Art ended up with the story. I guess I passed the test.

City Council: Art Pedroza & Jim Walker - Well, isn't that obvious? Art is running against the Space Commander, and I personally helped encourage him to run, so... yeah. Jim Walker is running against Vince Sarmiento, who is a really nice guy compared to Busty or the evil Claudia Alvarez, but his is merely a proxy vote for Mayor Miguel Pulido.

SAUSD Board: Irene Ibarra & Valerie Amezcua - Two ladies who, like me, would have joined Trump's 'Street Smarts' team on The Apprentice both have done amazing things to help their communities. Irene is a small businesswoman who battled back from domestic violence to put herself in a position to help a lot of people. Valerie, who, as well as being street smart, has a college degree, works with troubled youth in the community. As a multiple-time domestic violence victim, I have the utmost respect for both of these ladies who make the city of Santa Ana a better place. Frankly, there are no big egos or hidden agendas here, so they both have my support.

... and finally:

President of the United States: Bob Barr - Ron Paul said it. I believe it. That settles it. It's time to vote for a third-party POTUS. While I'm disappointed with Paul's reluctance to be the King of the Libs, I appreciate that he believes there are advantages to having a third party in our system. Of course, he doesn't want to see the Republican Party falter, so he stays on that side of the aisle (unlike Joe Lieberman, ugh).

Barr may have impeached Clinton for the dumbest reason I've ever heard, lying about his private sex life, but he was just doing his job. He doesn't tout this part of his resume as much as he used to, probably because of the social commentary required to do so, and that's fine. I don't really see that as one of his career highlights.

Indeed, Barr represents a much more contemporary, aware, and incrementalist Libertarian Party than years past. His running mate Wayne Allyn Root, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting personally, is the poster child for the new 'alive, free, happy' Libertarian Party: a self-made gambler multi-millionaire and home-school father with the charisma of a Hollywood actor. Both of these men are evidence that anything is possible in a free society and that we don't have to continue to be cookie-cutter representations of the political dough... and that life truly is what you make of it.

Major Party POTUS endorsement: Barack Obama - Frankly, the lesser of two evils. Please, if there are any Gods, please don't punish us with President Palin. We still have rights in this country you know? In case you've forgotten, early in the vetting process of 'Hitler in Heels,' she was declared a 'Libertarian.' It's still unclear on what planet she would be so.

I used to love McCain for a lot of the same reasons that I love Ron Paul, but the fact is, he thought he couldn't win the election without the religious right, and now we'll never know if he was right because he sold out - he's an utter, absolute disappointment. Sorry McBush, this isn't your year, and at your age, thankfully it also isn't your lifetime.

SMS