Running as a Republican in California Is Tough On a Good Day…And Today’s Not a Good Day
From this article: In the wake of a near-political annihilation in California that has left even longtime conservative stronghold Orange County bereft of a single Republican in the House of Representatives, a growing chorus of GOP loyalists here say there’s only one hope for reviving the flatlining party: Blow it up and start again from scratch. That harsh assessment comes as Republicans survey the damage from the devastation of a “blue tsunami” in California which wiped out five GOP-held House seats — with more still threatened — while handing every statewide seat and a supermajority to the Democrats in both houses of the state legislature this week.
Winning as a conservative here in CA is hard enough. Winning as a conservative Trump supporter, gun nut, climate change denier, big oil lackey, bigot, etc. is impossible.
No one should be surprised that Dana Rorhabacher lost his seat in the House of Representatives after voting to:
• Decrease gun waiting period from 3 days to 1., and rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record.
• Build Keystone XL and deauthorize the “critical habitat” for endangered species
• Build a fence along the Mexican border.
• Make abortion far more difficult to access.
• Open Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling and bar EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
• Oppose the Violence Against Women Act and prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation
Trump’s approval rating is 31% here; it’s in the 60s in places like Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Note to all you Dana Rorhabachers out there: take your act someplace where all your atrocious values are appreciated.
Craig,
Firstly, let me say it’s unbecoming to gloat! It’s as important to be magnanimous in victory as it is to be gracious in defeat.
It’s important to remember 47% of Californians voting in the 48th Congressional District, supported Dana Rorhabacher.
It’s equally important to remember Dana Rorhabacher has spent 30 years in public life, 15 terms as the Rep. from Orange County.
His opponent Harley Rouda, who complained loudly of “billionaires controlling elections”, raised over seven times the funding Rohrabacher received, mostly from “billionaire” supporters including Michael Bloomberg, and Tom Steyer. (Michael Bloomberg alone, bought over $4 million in ad buys for Rouda).
Harley Rouda a multi-millionaire property developer was able to spend nearly $2 million of his own money on his campaign, or over 10 times Dan Rorhabacher’s annual salary.
What really beat Dan Rorhabacher, was his longevity and a change of demographics in the 48th district.
If America is to become less bitterly divisive, it might be better if Americans, like yourself, stopped alienating losing political opponents and their supporters with such ugly gloating, and be more respectful of the long years of public service and a long career that has abruptly ended.
It might also be good if you remembered the United States of America is only strong because while it remains united. Sneering at other states and their people for not being Californian, is hardly a positive method of achieving greater unity.
In my own lifetime I have been privileged to make friends with those whose politics and ideologies i do not agree. I remained until his death, a friend of an Australian politician who was the most prominent leftist of his era, and led the Anti-Vietnam war movement in Australia.
Although I disagreed with everything he stood for and supported politically or ideologically, I liked Jim Cairns personally and admired his honesty, sincerity, principled idealism, and selfless dedication to public life.
He could debate and listen, without ever descending to the bitter intolerance, it was his ability to understand and even empathize with the reasoning of his opponents that made him so effective and respected.
Society was richer for his voice in any debate in public life.
We met at the height of the Vietnam war, he was at that time the most famous Anti-war politician in Australia leading demonstrations numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
It was while attending a reception following a funeral service in uniform as an Army officer on leave from Vietnam, I was introduced to the politician Jim Cairns MP. Jim Cairns expressed his sympathy that I had been conscripted to such an unpopular war.
I informed him somewhat defensively, I was regular Army and a volunteer in my second tour of duty. To which he inquired quite sincerely, ” Why are you there?”
I answered, “I’m there, Sir, so you can freely and without fear, exercise your democratic right to safely demonstrate against our involvement. Mr Cairns I don’t believe you, or your supporters are right, but I believe it is my duty to protect your right to free speech and democratic process”.
He shook his head, then after a moment smiled and said, “Let’s see if we can get a beer around here, shall we? ”
We remained friends for the next 34 years until his death in 2003.
It just takes a little mutual respect.
For every 100 Californians, there are one, or maybe two who feel the need to “be more respectful of (Rorhabacher’s) long years of public service and a long career that has abruptly ended.” He’s roundly regarded as a despicable moron who needed to go…and now he’s gone. There’s little more to the story. Maybe you need to live here to get this fully.
Craig,
You just don’t seem to get it, do you ? Calling Dan Rorhabacher a “as a despicable moron” and claiming his support is less than two percent, is pointlessly abusive, counter-productive and obviously untrue !
If his support was only 2%, he wouldn’t have been elected and re-elected to 15 terms or 30 years in Congress ! Even in this election he still gained 47% support from voters ! (Since he’s never stood for the Senate or Governor, there’s no way to tell what statewide support he may or may not have attracted).
My point is, why persist in gloating ? Do you really imagine calling losing candidates “despicable morons” and jubilantly sneering at all their supporters with offensive jibes helps unite America or bring back any measure of respect in public life ? Do you really imagine your gratuitous abuse helps restore calm rationality to political and social debate ?
As an older American, did you learn nothing from the lessons of that great American, Martin Luther king jnr, who insisted on understanding and even empathizing with his enemies while making changes.
MLK understood the fear and insecurity his policies were bringing to those in power in the old South. By his compassion and respect for his enemies he was able to convert so many of his opponents and enlighten them as to the benefits of equality of race.
MLK was able to educate many ardent segregationists they were also victims of racist laws, prejudice and hatred. He freed black and white alike, making it possible through his compassion to change and lose their fears with dignity.
How much more effective would your comment have been, had you simply written of the election result as a change in the demographics and the end of an era. Kicking and reviling your opponent when he loses, and gloating over his downfall so viciously, only serves to enrage and
spread the desire for revenge among his supporters, who represent more than 179,000 voters.
By calling Dan Rorhabacher a “despicable moron”, you are also calling nearly half the Californian’s in the 48 District “despicable morons” . What purpose does that serve except to harden their hearts and come out in greater numbers in 2020.
You are not helping to bring your nation together, your conduct simply fires up the bitterness of division and enmity.
Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.