Democrats are trying hard to lose Orange County

[Albert Einstein]

The Republican booth at the Orange County Fair is well-decorated and is giving away all kinds of freebies that the fair-goers are carrying around the fair. But the Democratic booth has a plain sign and xeroxed literature. The Orange County Kerry campaign claims it has no money to even donate a few bumper stickers or buttons. It would seem that Kerry could spare a couple dollars out of his $180 million dollars for winning Orange County. Or maybe he should get someone who is actually interested in helping to defeat Bush to run his campaign in OC.

[bluestateguy]

1. Al Gore won 40% in Orange County in 2000

Kerry isn't running much of a campaign in California period. It's the Republicans who need to win the OC--and win it big--not the Democrats. If Kerry's wins 40% in the OC Bush has no chance in the state.

[genius]

2. Gore Democratic voters went for Arnold last year. Why?.

Could it be because the grass roots Democrats worked hard to do what the Party wouldn't do - win Gore some support in the county? On the other hand, a lot of those Gore voters went for Arnold last year due to infighting within the party. Arnold got abou 78% of the vote in OC despite the fact that OC is supposedly getting more and more Democrat every year. We need to try to get Kerry every vote possible rather than writing off OC. If OC votes don't matter, maybe I should be re-thinking whether I need to vote.

[mitchtv]

3. no one wanted to pay the taxes on the SUVs they can't afford

that's why Arnold won. If Davis had siezed a few power plants during the crisis he would still be in office.

[genius]

4. Arnold did better in OC than anywhere else and there are much more

Republican counties in CA.

[Sugarbleus]

5. You are right. Our state is going conservative rapidly... eom

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Not conservative enough to

go for Bush in November. Arnold didn't run as a conservative. If he had, the outcome of the election may have been different.

[Sugarbleus]

7. I CLING to that hope... cuz I keep running into more and more

bush backers/ultra conservatives even in areas traditionally liberal. It makes me uneasy. Actually, until Bush ran and got selected prez, I wasn't paying much attention to politics...just going about day to day. Then, I look up and !Wowzers! republicans/conservatives ALL over the place...I'm honestly shocked by it...especially in the area where I live (a university town)

Our local radio station went total conservative...they say there is another one that broadcasts liberal; I can't find it. Northern Calif. has many more conservatives than ever before; the San Joaquin Valley is largely Conservative...

I rather think that the "church" movement has something to do with this, among other considerations. Upsetting to say the least.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Liberal states have conservative areas and conseravite states have liberal

areas. If you flew into Austin, TX you would have no idea that you were in a conservative state. The county that it is in, Travis, has elected a lesbian for sheriff. Yet Texas is a pretty conservative state.

[rachmak]

9. interesting.....

[newyawker99]

11. Hi rachmak!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Democat]

10. Look at the numbers, Democrats are still doing ok in California

Arnold is not a typical Republican, he is a celebrity and Americans are hypnotized by celebrity.

Davis won the election against a real Republican and without the extreme right wing media in California the recall would never have happened.

The real problem in California is that the media is almost completely right wing, from newspapers, to radio, to television, people are being bombarded with the right wing spin on everything.

The left needs to get some influence in the media if we want to survive in the long run.

[xxqqqzme]

12. I worked the booth @ the OC Fair on Thursday

I cannot Blieve what a POS it is! I thought they would use the backdrop used for the space during the swap meet - full size picture of Kerry; smaller young Kerry in uniform. especially since there is NO swap meet during the fair. I sent emails to every person of any clout in the OC Dem party when I got home. I was so furious.

Just last Saturday the OC Dem Party chair was saying he wanted to retire the phone booth joke - you know all democrats in Orange County can fit in a phone booth - well that pathetic looking set-up @ the fair is NOT the way 2 do it. I know Kerry's campaign is spending very little money in CA (even though a huge portion of their money is coming from here) and they announced back in March that NO - ZERO - NADA money would B spent in OC.

The Democratic Central Committee should have put out a couple of hundred bucks 4 buttons. We had people stopping by all day asking 4 buttons, bumper stickers and yard signs and we had NOTHING, nothing to hand out. We had women slipping over and whispering that even though they were registered rethugs, they were voting 4 Kerry and they would quickly walk away lest they B seen talking 2 us.

You know the only county w/ more registered Democrats than OC is LA county? Do U know only 1 in THREE OC Dems votes? If the base is mobilized, we can get Dems elected here. But they R not gonna mobilze anything w/ that piss poor attitude on display @ the Fair.

I have been trying 2 get a precinct list since March and I'm secretary of the 67th Dem Assembly District - I know who 2 call. We had people stop by the booth wanting 2 volunteer to organize their precinct - we had nothing to give them other than a phone number. Pathetic! I am so fed up!

[cally]

13. Hi, you can get a precinct list

from the Registrar of Voters. Much of it is probably online. I have a disc with all registered voters in my County that the Clark campaign bought for the primaries. With the help of some more savvy computer experts, we are creating our own precinct lists.

As for the fair booth, I've noticed that too often Dems in leadership rolls just aren't all that savvy. It's time for all of us to step up to the plate and just fix it. Next time, buy a discounted July 4th tablecloth and some decorations and just decorate the booth. In my county, we sold the pins and bumperstickers. Those who couldn't afford a $1, we gave them away.

[genius]

15. The OC Democratic Party is a complete mess.

The conservatives hate the liberals and they spent a fortune trying to unseat the few remaining liberals in the last Central Committee election. Over the last three years, there has been a mass exodus of liberals from the OCCC because most of the liberals have a general feeling of being unwelcome there.

[MisterP]

17. I missed ya at the fair!

the GOPers had cutouts of AHNULD, Shrub, and Bedtime-for-Bonzo. The dems were next to the Freemasons, and the liberts were next to a crack-recovery thingy.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

14. Damn

I am really sorry to hear about this. I am working for OC Kerry in my precinct thanks to our really dedicated City Captain in Tustin. Kerry doesn't have an official campaign in Orange County, so we are really limited in giving buttons away and things like that. This sucks. Orange County could go Kerry if he gave a damn.

[CaTeacher]

16. oh well--

even without a majority in OC he will still take this state quite handily. I don't think Bush is much over 35% here? If he is lucky he could maybe get 43%, I honestly don't see him getting anywhere close to winning this state.

I am not worried at all about losing California, unless there is some trickery....

[Capn Sunshine]

18. Hey, buck up

My experience is that these things are what you make of it, and if you see gaps---like a poorly run booth, believe me, step up and do what you can to change that. The real leaders will welcome the help.
If you get any grief for this, point out how counterproductive this is to the ultimate goal.

Orange County is going slowly dem but the resistance to it is harsh, and their primary tactic is to make you feel like you can never win.

Education, Health Care, taxes, our boys dying in the Persian Gulf and government services are hot issues in OC. Articulate the Democratic Party solution to this to all you meet in your travels. Don't let the Fox daily talking points get you down. They are at their core, bankrupt.

We have answers. They have slogans. Keep that in mind.
:thumbsup:

[Albert Einstein]

19. How is the OC Democratic Party using its funds?

The head of the OC Party and the OC Kerry campaign is a multi-millionaire. The group throws a lot of social parties. Why don't they have a penny for bumper stickers or buttons or signs?