The Great Dichotomy of the California Governor’s Race (or A Tale of Two Ideologies)

“He was the political figure all politicians fear:  the moralist who cannot bear to let any wrong deed go undenounced.  As a politician he had the fatal defect of the totally honest man:  He insisted on the truth even when the truth was most inconvenient.”  Introduction to George Orwell’s Animal Farm by Russell Baker

 In 2010 billionaire Meg Whitman ran for governor of California. Whitman had everything going for her; she was a former successful businesswoman, and despite being a little “squishy” on immigration and other issues she had the backing of the establishment GOP.  Naturally I wanted to do my civic duties and help in every way possible.

While walking precincts and having doors slammed in my face multiple times (usually preceded by a few choice cuss words), I learned firsthand something that is even more prevalent today: Voters are fed up with having to hold their nose and vote for candidates they don’t believe in.

After the twentieth or so door slamming I decided to only go to households that had voted “Republican” in the last 4 elections.  I even moved to my own neighborhood, thinking people would be a little friendlier.  I was wrong.  Not only did the cussing and slamming continue but I also became the pariah of my block…

Despite her mega-bucks and the backing of every establishment GOP-type in America, Meg Whitman lost the election to someone who most people ridiculed prior to the elections:  former governor (and hippie) Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown.  The election was Whitman’s to lose—and lose it she did.

The consequences of that loss have been staggering.   Brown has enacted things like the Dream Act (shoving legal college eligible students aside so that illegals can take their place) and the Bathroom Bill (aka the “Horny Teenage Boy” Bill, allowing anyone to go into the opposite sex bathrooms without any reason other than they want to).  He has also spent multi-billions (with a b) on a high-speed rail system, and somewhat incredibly, overlooking the fact that airplanes can get you anywhere much faster and much cheaper…

So here we are, four years later, facing a GOP primary in which Californians will once again decide which Republican will run against Jerry Brown.

Over the years as a political reporter, I’ve seen the good, bad and ugly side of politics.  I’ve interviewed some flat-out slimeball politicians, many of whom have so little backbone I’m not sure how they’re able to walk upright.  A few who I  had hope for quickly became “go along to get along” politicians, refusing to step outside of the box the Beltway  created for them.  And of course, the dozen or so who are truly honorable and worthy of respect—the ones who understand that they work for The People and not The Beltway–are ridiculed, denigrated and shunned by their own party.  One of my all-time favorite politicians recently told me, “When I was first elected into Congress, someone in the ‘good ol boy’ network told me the only thing I needed to worry about was getting reelected.  I was told, ‘Forget trying to make waves or upset the apple cart, just do whatever you need to do to keep your job’.  I refused, and that’s the reason I’ll never go any further in my political career–because if something is wrong, I refuse to not try to make it right.”

That type of thinking is as rare as a non-vapid celebrity–and yet we are lucky to have one of those very rare men of the same caliber running for governor here in California.

I first met Tim Donnelly and his wife Rowena years ago at a political event where I was reporting for PolitiChicks.  When you attend these events—especially if you have a camera and microphone—people come out of the woodwork trying to get you to interview them for their causes.   Tim introduced himself as an Assemblyman so I thought, ‘Oh no, here’s another politician who wants a plug’—but then he added, “And I’m going to be on Comedy Central this week.”

Read the rest here:  http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/ann-mariemurrell/2014/05/18/the-gop-can-keep-their-california-puppets-n1839726