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发帖数: 10440 | 1 写的不错，值得一读，也帮大家了解为何SD7特别选举中SVCA力挺Steve Glazer
May 22, 2015 by Richard Eber Leave a Comment
At the Steve Glazer Senate victory celebration in Orinda on the evening of
May 19th, it did not take long to realize the ramifications of this
landslide victory over Susan Bonilla to serve the remaining 19 months of
Mark DeSaulnier’s State Senate term.
Long before his opponent text messaged her official concession, Glazer
received a phone call from the Speaker Pro Tem of the State Senate Kevin De
Leon (D-Los Angeles), offering his congratulations. Even though the
Democratic Party and virtually everyone of importance holding elective
office other than Jerry Brown backed Bonilla, a new reality had already set
in that Steve Glazer is a force to be reckoned with.
Even though the 7th District is but a small sample in California’s
political milieu, this same region in less than one year has resulted in
three highly regarded Progressive pro labor political leaders being rejected
by voters.
First it was Tim Sbranti who fell in the 16th District Assembly race to
Republican moderate Catharine Baker. Then in the first round of the special
election on March 17th, termed out liberal Joan Buchanan came in third
behind Bonilla and Glazer in what amounted to a Democratic primary.
With the impressive Steve Glazer Senate victory, three—count ’em THREE—
progressive political figures Sbranti, Buchanan, and Bonilla, all of whom
had led charmed political lives, were rejected by voters. This stunning
turn of events has resonated throughout the entire legislature that is
largely populated by progressive.
As politicians they don’t need to be told Bob Dylan’s famous words, “You
don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind is blowing.”
The realigning elections of 2014-2015 have taken place and there is no
turning back.
It would appear the Progressive apple cart that has lead to a Super Majority
by Progressive Democrats has been upset or at least made to be a bit more
unstable of late. Below are a list of winners and losers impacted by Steve
Glazer’s 55% majority of the popular vote.
1. Jerry Brown: While he did not endorse anyone in the Special Election, it
is clear Brown was behind his former campaign manager and adviser. With
Glazer’s win, the Governor will be in a lot stronger position negotiating
with the legislature on pension reform and budget matters where he has
historically held more conservative views than then those residing in the
State Assembly and Senate. The threat Progressives once had to overturn his
veto’s are a thing of the past
2. Marty Wilson: As Executive VP of Public Affairs for the California
Chamber of Commerce he also was behind the JOBS PAC which was a major
financial supporter of the Glazer Campaign. As such the pro business
positions his organization takes, will have a lot more clout than they have
had in the past. No longer can those politicians who have condemned so
called “Big Business” risk further alienating them in the future.
3. Steve Maviglio: This Sacramento Democratic political consultant was point
man for the organized labor PAC Working Families Against Steve Glazer. In
the special election, exit polls showed voters were disgusted by the lies,
deceit, and untruths about the winning candidate in mailers that tied him to
supporting the cigarette companies, being a tool of big business, and
wanting to take away assistance to poor families and the indigent. (to name
a few)
Maviglio’s negative campaign strategy, for which he made a fortune
producing and mailing hit pieces sent to voters, will undoubtedly be
reassessed by donors who did not receive much bang for their buck this time
around.
4. Susan Bonilla: After her stinging defeat, she will have to reconsider her
approach to voters if she intends to successfuly run against Steve Glazer
for his full term in 2016 when her stint in the Assembly ends. (And more
potential supporters of hers vote in the Presidential election)
To do so she may have to modify some of her unpopular stands about the right
of public employees to strike, leaving it up to the bargaining table to do
pension reform, and to following almost all the policies (including their
opposition to Charter Schools) of the California Teachers Association. In
addition Bonilla might want to stray from having a 100% approval rating of
her voting record from organized labor.
5. The Republican Party: Even though they did not have a horse in this race,
by the unexpected earlier withdrawal of their candidate Michaela Hertle,
they ended up winners. The same basic coalition composed of moderate
Democrats, decline to state, and Republicans that helped propel Catharine
Baker to office last fall, were largely responsible for electing Steve
Glazer as well. How the GOP will use this newly found clout in future
elections is open to conjecture.
6. Campaign Reform: The waste, corruption, and conflict of interests, made
by Political Action Committees (4 million dollars plus spent on the special
elections by each side) is a poster child for the need to fix what is
obviously a broken system Democrats, who have benefited more than anyone
with the existing campaign laws, need to step to the plate and do what’s
right.
Blaming the Koch Brothers, Tea Party, and demonizing non-leftists, is no
longer cutting it with voters. In this election there was considerable anger
on the part of recipients of hit pieces sent by both candidates. The people
want campaign reform laws passed now!
7. Labor Unions: This group comprised primarily of teachers, law enforcement
, crafts unions and civil service workers were widely rebuked in the Special
Election. Steve Glazer’s opposition to BART Strikes was arguably the most
important wedge issue responsible for his landslide victory.
In addition, these special interest groups who have been riding the gravy
train for the last quarter century, have to realize the electorate now knows
the difference between “working families” and “working union families”
At the same time they have to understand that their “team member”
progressive legislators will need to be given a longer leach if they are to
be re-elected in the future.
8. Chuck Reed: The former Democratic San Jose Mayor, who has proposed an
initiative on pension reform, was depicted by Steve Maviglio in hit pieces
to be a political outcast who is against the working man. Trying to
stigmatize the well respected Reed as being rightist tea party type
backfired in the special election as most Glazer supporters have shown an
open mind to his proposals.
The traditional Democratic strategy of demonizing moderates such as Reed and
Glazer must be reconsidered if the party wants to continue its dominance in
the future. The lunatic public employee unions in Contra Costa County, who
are contemplating the recall of Supervisor Karen Mitchoff for even
mentioning Chuck Reed, should also take note of what transpired on May 19th.
9. Local control vs. Big Brother: One of the important issues that have come
up in this and other recent campaigns has been the usurpation of power of
cities and counties by the State Government especially in the areas of urban
planning and road maintenance. Of some concern is the power of planning
decisions being given to regional agencies such as the Association of Bay
Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) In
the Special Election most of Glazer’s supporters were behind restoring
power back to local communities, especially in the area of the “housing
element”.
10. The need for Non-Partisan decision making: This was one of the major
talking points of both the Steve Glazer and Catharine Baker campaigns. It is
no coincidence that after his defeat in the primary race last June, Glazer
stepped over party lines and supported Baker against Tim Sbranti.
He spoke openly to both Democratic and Republican audiences about the need
for the two parties to work together. This resonated well with voters many
of whom are tired of the bickering and petty politics practiced between the
two major parties in Sacramento. They have sent a less than subtle message
to Sacramento in the form of Baker and Glazer.
Coming out of this political minefield relatively unscathed is Democratic
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), who in replacing retired George
Miller, faced only token opposition last fall. Holding views similar to his
friend Susan Bonilla, DeSaulnier may want to consider moving towards the
center of the political spectrum if he hopes to hold on to his seat in
subsequent elections.
As the Steve Glazer Senate victory May 19th proved, it is not business as
usual anymore in California. Realignment is upon us. |
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