'Berkeley Conservative'
BerkeleyConservative.Blogspot.com
Well, OK, my mojo is back and I am writing many new snarky op-eds. At the end of the campaign, I was afraid that the well had gone dry. All I needed was a vacation. Check out my new blog for current political observations.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thoughts Upon Being a Candidate
Now that the election is over, my life has become eerily quiet.
Yes, it was stressful, exhausting, took over my life for almost a year, and I had the time of my life. It will challenge you intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically. You will have the adventure of a lifetime, and I recommend it highly. If you are thinking of running in 2012, the time to start planning is today (no, I am not kidding).
Part of the art of politics is know what is in the realm of possibility. My district, CA’s CD9, is the most Democratic in the entire state and the fifth most Democratic in the entire House of Representatives, according to the Cook Political Index. So, flipping my district to Republican was not exactly my goal. My vote total, 10.8%, did blip up slightly from 2008, where the Republican got 9.7%. I did this by running as a pure conservative with a budget campaign. No, my real task was adding my voice to a growing Conservative chorus within the Republican party. By this measure, I succeeded rather well.
As for the future, I plan to continue blogging right here, but under a different blog, since the election is over. Future entries on this blog will occur only if it relates specifically to my campaign, but I do not expect that to happen.
I also plan to write an article for those who are thinking of running for public office.
I have already started to accumulate new op-eds, so stay tuned for further details.
Yes, it was stressful, exhausting, took over my life for almost a year, and I had the time of my life. It will challenge you intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically. You will have the adventure of a lifetime, and I recommend it highly. If you are thinking of running in 2012, the time to start planning is today (no, I am not kidding).
Part of the art of politics is know what is in the realm of possibility. My district, CA’s CD9, is the most Democratic in the entire state and the fifth most Democratic in the entire House of Representatives, according to the Cook Political Index. So, flipping my district to Republican was not exactly my goal. My vote total, 10.8%, did blip up slightly from 2008, where the Republican got 9.7%. I did this by running as a pure conservative with a budget campaign. No, my real task was adding my voice to a growing Conservative chorus within the Republican party. By this measure, I succeeded rather well.
As for the future, I plan to continue blogging right here, but under a different blog, since the election is over. Future entries on this blog will occur only if it relates specifically to my campaign, but I do not expect that to happen.
I also plan to write an article for those who are thinking of running for public office.
I have already started to accumulate new op-eds, so stay tuned for further details.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
My Blog Is Going On Vacation
This blog will go dark for a bit (couple of weeks?). I will blissfully ignore the world and especially politics. I have started to read Madison’s daily diary of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and look forward to many longish, quiet evenings enjoying it.
However, this is not the end. I will be back, but probably on a different blog. I will leave this blog up. When I return, stay tuned to this space for updates and further info.
However, this is not the end. I will be back, but probably on a different blog. I will leave this blog up. When I return, stay tuned to this space for updates and further info.
Election Results - I Lost, or Did I???
Official, final results Calif 9th Congressional District from the ROV:
Barbara Lee (Dem) 180,400 - 84.3%
Gerald Hashimoto (Rep) 23,054 - 10.8%
Dave Heller (Grn) 4,848 - 2.3%
James Eyer (Lib) 4,113 - 1.9%
Larry Allen (P&F) 1,670 - 0.7%
If you compare my total to past results (see previous post), my results were about what you would expect. Republicans in my district get votes in a rather tight band, and I was right in the middle. Yes, I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to break out of this band, but I got slightly better results than the past few elections. I had an interesting conversation with a local political reporter. He was interviewing me, and I said that running for Congress in this district is good training for political candidates; he agreed, saying very succinctly: yes, it does not really matter what the candidate does. Indeed: many have run before me, all with very different campaigns, yet the results are remarkably similar.
There is an old saying that you do not have to win the battle to win the war, and so it is with my candidacy. My goal was to spread the word of conservativism, and in this I succeeded rather well, and was rewarded with a mildly better vote total.
Yes, I am relieved and exhausted (in a good way). I am no longer stressed out, and I am sleeping better. I think I deserve a vacation.
Barbara Lee (Dem) 180,400 - 84.3%
Gerald Hashimoto (Rep) 23,054 - 10.8%
Dave Heller (Grn) 4,848 - 2.3%
James Eyer (Lib) 4,113 - 1.9%
Larry Allen (P&F) 1,670 - 0.7%
If you compare my total to past results (see previous post), my results were about what you would expect. Republicans in my district get votes in a rather tight band, and I was right in the middle. Yes, I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to break out of this band, but I got slightly better results than the past few elections. I had an interesting conversation with a local political reporter. He was interviewing me, and I said that running for Congress in this district is good training for political candidates; he agreed, saying very succinctly: yes, it does not really matter what the candidate does. Indeed: many have run before me, all with very different campaigns, yet the results are remarkably similar.
There is an old saying that you do not have to win the battle to win the war, and so it is with my candidacy. My goal was to spread the word of conservativism, and in this I succeeded rather well, and was rewarded with a mildly better vote total.
Yes, I am relieved and exhausted (in a good way). I am no longer stressed out, and I am sleeping better. I think I deserve a vacation.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The NY Times Thinks That I Will Get 17.5% of the Vote? Really? Hmmm…
I saw this story:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/california/9
It predicted that I will get 17.5% of the vote; course, the margin of error is 8.8%.
Sadly, I do not think that this was based on direct polling on my district, but rather a macro-trend projection based on national analysis.
This may sound like a disaster, but consider. Here are the % of votes received by Republicans that have come before me (reverse chronological order):
9.7%
10.7%
12.3%
9.8%
9.8%
13.2%
12.1%
(these are all results with Barbara Lee as candidate)
If the NYT prediction is more or less true, it will mean that I will get almost double the votes of the last Republican in my district.
Keep in mind: my strategy was to run to the right as hard as I could. This presented no problem, since my personal political beliefs are what political pundits would call hard right. I simply had to speak my personal opinion.
I also saw that my opponent spent $998,976.00 on her campaign.
Here is a secret: I spent and raised a tad under $300 (no that is not a typo: there are only 2 zeroes on that number), if you exclude the $900 filing fee for getting my candidate statement in the primary ballot flyer. To answer your next question: I did not do fund raising or hold fund raising events.
I was out-spent 3,300-to-one.
FYI: here is the schedule for tonight, election night, based on what happened during the Primary:
**10pm, first results from absentee ballots
**1am, update with most districts reporting
20 years ago, the absentees would come up at about 10 and results would trickle in all evening into the early morning; no more, thanks, to computerized voting, and Alameda is unusually rapid in reporting results.
And one last thing: Karl Rove, bite me. My hats off to O’Donnell.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/california/9
It predicted that I will get 17.5% of the vote; course, the margin of error is 8.8%.
Sadly, I do not think that this was based on direct polling on my district, but rather a macro-trend projection based on national analysis.
This may sound like a disaster, but consider. Here are the % of votes received by Republicans that have come before me (reverse chronological order):
9.7%
10.7%
12.3%
9.8%
9.8%
13.2%
12.1%
(these are all results with Barbara Lee as candidate)
If the NYT prediction is more or less true, it will mean that I will get almost double the votes of the last Republican in my district.
Keep in mind: my strategy was to run to the right as hard as I could. This presented no problem, since my personal political beliefs are what political pundits would call hard right. I simply had to speak my personal opinion.
I also saw that my opponent spent $998,976.00 on her campaign.
Here is a secret: I spent and raised a tad under $300 (no that is not a typo: there are only 2 zeroes on that number), if you exclude the $900 filing fee for getting my candidate statement in the primary ballot flyer. To answer your next question: I did not do fund raising or hold fund raising events.
I was out-spent 3,300-to-one.
FYI: here is the schedule for tonight, election night, based on what happened during the Primary:
**10pm, first results from absentee ballots
**1am, update with most districts reporting
20 years ago, the absentees would come up at about 10 and results would trickle in all evening into the early morning; no more, thanks, to computerized voting, and Alameda is unusually rapid in reporting results.
And one last thing: Karl Rove, bite me. My hats off to O’Donnell.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Who Is the Tea Party?
The Tea Parties have been around for many months, more than enough time for people to find the answer, yet I keep reading goofball stories about them. Permit me to express my opinion: this is based on my personal experience with the various Tea Parties here in the bay area. I have no idea if my experiences are indicative of Tea Parties in other parts of the country.
Are They A Front Group For Someone Else?
Certainly not. The nature of my contacts with them are profoundly different than the contacts I have with established political groups. They are clearly informal, amateur neighborhood groups.
Are They Secretly Financed By Powerful Forces?
Hah, hah: I wish. I just recently found out that I am a great favorite of several Tea Parties. If they were well financed, they would have found a way to contribute to my campaign fund. This has emphatically not happened.
Are They Weirdoes, Potheads, And Nazis?
Truthfully, these are spontaneous, grass root organizations. Ragtag collection of people would not be unfair. So, yes there are a few nutballs. Since they seem to be quite egalitarian, this is kinda unavoidable, I guess.
They Are Republicans, But Are They Conservative?
This is also a difficult subject. They are certainly fiscal conservatives, but they are not always social conservatives. I suspect that this is the main reason why some Republicans are, behind closed doors, rather skeptical.
Are They Republican Sock Puppets?
This is another charge that keeps popping up. To see the answer, just consider O’Donnell (Delaware), Angle (Nevada), and Miller (Alaska). Are these candidates being welcomed and hugged by establishment Republicans, or are they being pilloried?
Hmmm?
Why Don’t Libs Believe Any Of This?
This one was a puzzle to me for a quite a while; surely the evidence is clearly on display for anyone who wishes to examine it. I suspect that Libs find it impossible to believe that a grassroots political organization could ever be conservative and totally opposite to their political beliefs, so there must be more to it that is below the surface. It must be shear disbelief.
Hey, Are You A Tea Partier?
Well, umm, err: no. I have great respect for them, and, as a candidate, they make me very happy. I have been to a few events, but as an invited guest or speaker, not as a member. Sorry about that.
Are They A Front Group For Someone Else?
Certainly not. The nature of my contacts with them are profoundly different than the contacts I have with established political groups. They are clearly informal, amateur neighborhood groups.
Are They Secretly Financed By Powerful Forces?
Hah, hah: I wish. I just recently found out that I am a great favorite of several Tea Parties. If they were well financed, they would have found a way to contribute to my campaign fund. This has emphatically not happened.
Are They Weirdoes, Potheads, And Nazis?
Truthfully, these are spontaneous, grass root organizations. Ragtag collection of people would not be unfair. So, yes there are a few nutballs. Since they seem to be quite egalitarian, this is kinda unavoidable, I guess.
They Are Republicans, But Are They Conservative?
This is also a difficult subject. They are certainly fiscal conservatives, but they are not always social conservatives. I suspect that this is the main reason why some Republicans are, behind closed doors, rather skeptical.
Are They Republican Sock Puppets?
This is another charge that keeps popping up. To see the answer, just consider O’Donnell (Delaware), Angle (Nevada), and Miller (Alaska). Are these candidates being welcomed and hugged by establishment Republicans, or are they being pilloried?
Hmmm?
Why Don’t Libs Believe Any Of This?
This one was a puzzle to me for a quite a while; surely the evidence is clearly on display for anyone who wishes to examine it. I suspect that Libs find it impossible to believe that a grassroots political organization could ever be conservative and totally opposite to their political beliefs, so there must be more to it that is below the surface. It must be shear disbelief.
Hey, Are You A Tea Partier?
Well, umm, err: no. I have great respect for them, and, as a candidate, they make me very happy. I have been to a few events, but as an invited guest or speaker, not as a member. Sorry about that.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Training Manual for Candidates: Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals
If you are a candidate, politician, or political activist, this book is required reading. The author has become famous because he is widely given credit for giving the President, who is a relative newbie to national politics, the campaigning skill to win the Presidency.
The subtitle is a Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Indeed: this book is equally useful for conservatives and liberals.
Do not let the author’s famous leftist leanings put you off: the wisdom he imparts is equally profitable for both liberal and conservative. In the very beginning he explains that he is trying to expound useful and powerful techniques, not advance a particular point of view. In this, he is mostly successful: his liberalism pops up here and there, but it does not effect the value of what he is saying.
He has a deservedly brilliant grasp on political and community organizing: surely a useful skill, regardless of your politics. It gives you extremely valuable insights into politicking and campaigning. I only wish I had read this earlier in my campaign.
This book is a good companion to Hoffer’s The True Believer. Alinsky gives you tactics, Hoffer gives you strategy. These 2 books complement each other perfectly. Both authors do their share of slicing, dicing, and colorizing history, psychology, and facts to suit their own needs, but this does not take away from the value of what both men are saying. If you are thinking of running for office in 2012, you would be doing yourself and your constituents a big favor by reading both books before formulating your campaign strategy.
Highly recommended.
The subtitle is a Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Indeed: this book is equally useful for conservatives and liberals.
Do not let the author’s famous leftist leanings put you off: the wisdom he imparts is equally profitable for both liberal and conservative. In the very beginning he explains that he is trying to expound useful and powerful techniques, not advance a particular point of view. In this, he is mostly successful: his liberalism pops up here and there, but it does not effect the value of what he is saying.
He has a deservedly brilliant grasp on political and community organizing: surely a useful skill, regardless of your politics. It gives you extremely valuable insights into politicking and campaigning. I only wish I had read this earlier in my campaign.
This book is a good companion to Hoffer’s The True Believer. Alinsky gives you tactics, Hoffer gives you strategy. These 2 books complement each other perfectly. Both authors do their share of slicing, dicing, and colorizing history, psychology, and facts to suit their own needs, but this does not take away from the value of what both men are saying. If you are thinking of running for office in 2012, you would be doing yourself and your constituents a big favor by reading both books before formulating your campaign strategy.
Highly recommended.
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