LAT: Angelides Inspires Growing Concern

[DeepModem Mom]

Angelides Inspires Growing Concern
As the candidate fights to clarify his message, donations fall short. Unions may decide to spend their campaign money elsewhere.
By Michael Finnegan and Dan Morain, Times Staff Writers
September 23, 2006

With just over six weeks left in the race for governor, the troubles facing Democrat Phil Angelides have intensified, and his political allies are expressing rising concern over his campaign's failure to gain momentum.

Hindering his drive to oust Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are Angelides' slow pace in raising money, his tepid support from organized labor and his difficulty defining himself clearly for voters, Democratic strategists say.

Missteps have also hobbled Angelides. Some black members of the clergy say the state treasurer has made only lackluster efforts to appeal to African Americans, his party's most loyal constituency. And his campaign manager's admission this month that two Angelides aides bungled the release of audio recordings of private Schwarzenegger conversations has stirred grumbling among Democratic leaders about his staff's competence.

Aggravating all that are what even critics of Schwarzenegger say are the discipline and efficiency of the Republican governor's reelection machine.

So with Schwarzenegger holding a wide lead barely two weeks before voting by mail starts, one question on the minds of many Angelides supporters is whether there is enough time to right his campaign. Another is whether his trouble sparking voter enthusiasm risks harming other Democrats on the Nov. 7 ballot or sinking propositions that the party supports....

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-angelides23sep23,1,1193731.story?coll=la-center-politics-cal

[davidinalameda]

1. thanks Phil

for possibly running the worst campaign in California history

I'm worried that he'll drag down the rest of the Democrats

never thought I'd say this but thank goodness for DiFi heading up the ticket this year

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

38. Worst? No. Two words: Gray Davis.

Two more: Ronald Reagan.

[davidinalameda]

46. you got me there

Gray Davis in the recall election was pretty crappy but I honestly think he gave up

[kerrygoddess]

2. Part of the problem

is Arhnold courting Dems, particularly in Los Angeles. Dems need to step up to the plate and support Phil. We need him far more then we need Arhnold!

Don’t Be Fooled By Arhnold, the Liberal Act is a Fraud - Angelides is the Real Democrat
September 21st, 2006 @ 6:05 pm

Yesterday, the N.Y. Times reported that some Republican Governors are leaning more liberal in their run up to re-election. Among those noted was the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger. Talk about your wolf in sheep’s clothing, Arhnold is the perfect example.

I don’t care how much B.S. Arhnold has been selling the voters in California, he’s still a Republican and he’s got to go. While some folks might be suckered into believing him and the other Republican Governor’s suddenly touting values and “positions generally associated with liberal candidates,” I’m not going down that road. The sudden switcheroo by Arhnold and other Republicans noted in the N.Y. Times won’t last — they’ll be back to their GOP ways shortly after election day.

When John Kerry was here in Los Angeles on Monday, he made it very clear, California needs Phil Angelides. Phil understands the real values of the Democratic party. Unlike Arhnold, Phil’s not faking it. Watch the video of John Kerry and Phil Angelides here:

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4252

[JI7]

3. this is such a shitty article and California media is whoring for Arnold

just as before.

they keep showing the buffoon but rarely make any mention of Angelides. when i hear Angelides he has no trouble with his message or defining who he is. but the fucking whore media wont show him so how the fuck is it to get out to people.

[LibDemAlways]

4. Angelides doesn't seem to be visibly campaigning at all, and

the only anti-Arnold ad is one being run by the CA Dem Party that shows Arnold looking like an ass as he endorses the chimp at a campaign appearance in Ohio in 04. The ad doesn't even mention Phil. And unfortunately, Arnold is running as though he's a Democrat - talking about the environment and education. Angelides has done little to counter him and there's no excitement at all about this race. DiFi's a shoe-in, and many Dems are pissed at her for all her Bush lite votes and may well sit this one out.

Unfortunately, as other posters have pointed out, the whore media won't give Phil the time of day; and in California, where campaigns are largely conducted in the media, this puts him at a huge disadvantage.

[JI7]

5. i'm hoping Angelides comes out with some good ads

it was similar in the Primary where he was quiet for a while while Westly was airing a bunch of ads attacking Angelides but then Angelides came out with some kick ass ads towards the end.

i really hope he does the same again and shows Arnold for the fraud he is. i think the idea of tying him to Bush and other right wingers is a good idea also .

[kerrygoddess]

10. Phil needs help and a push

It's tough to combat the Arhold "star" power and the money raising potential he has. Phil's blog did a good job debunking Arhnold's latest ad, I just posted about it - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4263

[blm]

26. The media is creating the perception they want and then forcing it to be

true through their own reporting.

Mortgages are expensive in California.

[MattP]

6. Arnold Ad

People are so stupid that anti Arnold ad is probably pushing Bush's ratings up by having Arnold give him a endorsement, I am so sick of that ad. They need to show people a reason why they should vote for Phil, they need to say something positive about him.

[snowbear]

8. Regarding that ad...

On Big Ed today, a guy from California called in bitching about the ad..

Later a second guy from California called in and said that people should notice that the "Arnold loves Bush ad" was done by a 527, not by Phil or his campaign - and that they had no control over how much air time the 527 paid for.

The 2nd caller also mentioned though.. that he's pissed too that Phil's campaign isn't running any of their own ads..

[snowbear]

7. There's what... 36 or so million people there?? ....

How on earth --- in a state with more Democrats than any other state --- did California wind up with a dud of a candidate?

HOW??

[LibDemAlways]

9. California governors are traditionally boring

policy-oriented guys like Gray Davis. If the Republicans hadn't overturned the last election with their recall campaign which installed Arnold, Gray would be running for a second term right now.

The problem really isn't Angelides. He's a pretty typical California politician. The problem is he's running against a movie star, and in California, where many people pay little attention to issues, that's a huge hurdle for any opponent to overcome. (If I hear one more person in this state tell me, "I vote for the person, not the party" I'll have to be physically restrained.) To have a fighting chance, we'd have had to find a celebrity to oppose him.

[snowbear]

11. Well then.. if they want movie stars, they should've ran this guy...

........... (( ))

[LibDemAlways]

12. If Mr. Clooney wanted the job, it would be his.

Unfortunately, he's not a fading action hero, and, unlike Arnold, is quite talented with a long acting/directing career ahead.

[JI7]

13. yeah, notice all the crap Republican "actors" go into politics

where they equally suck. but suckiness is valued among the GOP as seen in Reagan and Arnold.

[fooj]

15. Holy shit! What a pleasant surprise.

He'd win in a heartbeat. I'd knock on every door in California for that man. LOL.

[FrenchieCat]

34. Doesn't help that even Liberal Hollywood types are divided on this

race...and many are supporting Arnuld that would not normally support a GOP politician. :shrug:

'A'-List Help: Spielberg Endorses Arnold

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=state&id=4436874

[xxqqqzme]

39. Gray Davis had just won his second term

when the recall was funded by RW rethugs.

Last June, at a party meeting, some pol from Sacramento showed up all excited that difi's PR people were going to be doing Angelides' campaign. My heart sank at the news. There were so many smart people in that campaign a year ago (I know I worked w/ many of them on fundraisers) - where did they go? Internal CDP polling shows steroid boy w/ a 20 point lead!

[LibDemAlways]

45. Thanks for the correction on the length of Davis' term.

I should have remembered because my brother went to a fundraiser when he was running the first time and that was more than four years ago. It is disheartening to see Arnold so far ahead and so many Dems apparently falling for his fake repuke lite makeover.

[FrenchieCat]

14. I knew this would happen...which is why I voted for the "other" guy

in the primary. It was one of those Choices...tgat when you actually realized that there was going to be a General Election....this was not the guy to put up there....But that's who we ended up with anyways. Now Arnuld's got more or less a free ride.

Unfortunately, when it comes to electoral strategy, too many Dem voters never see what's coming...just what's there. I voted strategically...and yet, I'll still lose, come November....unless there's a miracle.

Maybe I'll pray! God might realize he owes me at least ONE!

Damn!

[sandnsea]

18. Tough toots to you too

Write a damn check and FIND SOMETHING to get excited about. That's what you would have expected Angelides supporters to do if Westly had won. How the hell can you expect a candidate to win if you're running around talking about how awful he is. How many times does this have to happen???

[FrenchieCat]

19. I wrote a goddam check! Hell, I even met Angeledis......and his

family.....AND I'll be voting for him come November.

However, this doesn't mitigate the fact that I don't hold out a lot of hope.

I didn't say he was "awful"....I just said that I'll have to pray on him winning, cause it doesn't look like it's gonna happen without a miracle or somethin'.

Arnuld came to our church the week-end before last (while I deliberately stayed home that Sunday in protest--although my husband is the personal assistant to the pastor and also a minister...so I was more or less expected to show up--note that this is Barbara Lee and Ronald Dellums'(Oakland's Mayor-elect) church as well --Jerry Brown (who is running for Lieutenant General, is Oakland's current mayor and was our former governor spoke at the Pastor's funeral just a month ago!), and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been there many, many times.

So when the pastor warned me the week before that Arnuld would be coming, I asked the Pastor why that was (as we are a progressive Black Baptist Church, the largest in the Bay Area and I would assume that we "support" progressive candidates)? He told me that Arnuld had personally called him on the telephone and asked him if he could come. I asked him about when he was going to have Angeledis come for a visit. He responded....I don't know because I haven't heard from Angeledis since the primaries (both Angeledis and Westly came a week apart a couple of weeks before the primary vote).

Here are the stories about Arnuld's visit to our church which received widespread coverage here in the Bay Area:
http://www.kcbs.com/pages/80827.php?contentType=4&contentId=202710
http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur28545.cfm
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_4318078
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=4547319

The pastor is a very progressive pastor who's history is linked to that of the Black Panthers. However, what he dislikes more than the GOP are those politicians that ignore the Black Community all together. Cause you see, in the end.....most Black folks are Black first, Democrats second....
But it is obvious that Angeledis has fallen into the trap of ignorance on this fact.....and hasn't yet shown any interest on maximizing what should be a natural benefiticial relationship with the large voting African American community! Duh!

So instead of doing what he needs to do to maximize an effective campaign, Angeledis is sabotaging his own race by not doing what he could. I certainly can help him....but it appears that not only isn't he helping himself, he's not helping us either! :(


But Geesh...I'm sorry that I expressed my feelings and that they didn't exactly line up exactly with how you think I should think and communicate! :crazy:

[sandnsea]

24. You have got to be kidding me

Are you fucking serious??? This is about a visit to your damn church??? :eyes:

As a white person who has never been catered to, or had any group I've been associated with catered to, EVER in my life - I find your post and attitude too damn repulsive to respond to.

I swear this country deserves to be in the shit hole it's in.

[FrenchieCat]

28. I don't care if youR ass is purple......

The arrogance you are demonstrating is what is repulsive!

This is not about me, or my church for that matter....it's about Angeledites and how he is running his campaign and alienating those who would be his biggest supporters by taking them for granted instead of energizing them.

and you did respond to my post, which I would have preferred you hadn't, since you had nothing intelligent to say, and instead chose to respond in an hysterical manner.

The saddest part is that as a White person, you have always been catered to....you just don't even fucking realize it.

[sandnsea]

37. You brought your church into it, not me

You also brought your race into it. Every politician simply can't visit EVERY black church and it's beyond my comprehension that any given black church would base their politics on whether they'd been visited or not. It is as repulsive to me as women's groups or environmental groups whining about the attention they got in 2004. Democrats need to grow the fuck up, all races and genders and interest groups. This is ridiculous.

[FrenchieCat]

40. No one is basing a vote on a church visit......

as that would be a stupid thing to do.....and so I'm not sure where you even got that from! :shrug:
I never said this anywhere (nor does any of the articles I posted) that folks were going to be voting for Arnold cause he showed up to their church....and not voting for Phil cause he didn't.

Unfortunately, you made that shit up (and so you should be ashamed of yourself)....so that you could whine about how repulsive something is!

Further, neither did I actually mentioned my race anywhere in my posts in this thread, although I'm not sure why I couldn't or shouldn't. You may have deduced that I am Black based on my statement that I attend a predominately Black church.

In addition, I didn't say that there was something wrong with bringing up your race.....I only commented on your ignorance if you think that White folks aren't catered to as par for the course, each and everyday in these United States.

You are wrong in all of your conclusions, and you need to read my posts again, cause obviously you didn't really understand a damn word I wrote...and you will see that all that you have arrogantly surmised isn't even there.....which makes you the ridiculous one. :eyes:

[jackpan1260]

47. All the polls showed that Westly had the best chance of beating Arnie

AND so many people complained that they couldn't see much of a difference between Angelides and Westly. I am not sure why Angelides was nominated, but he was, and I guess we have to make the best of it.

[Pachamama]

16. Phil Angelides is running for Governor of CA? Really?

:shrug:

Seriously - Unless his campaign just isn't bothering to run ads in the Bay Area, you would never know that he was running....Then again, I'll confess right here and now....I haven't donated to his campaign. I was and have never been too impressed by Angelides both in the primaries and since. I plan to vote for him in November, but I don't think he will win. I supported Steve Westly in the primary and I said it then and I'll say it again now, Westly would have kicked Ahnuld's ass and Ahnuld knew it. Westly would have appealed to moderate Republicans too...that's what would have won and guaranteed Westly winning. Meanwhile, Angelides doesn't appeal to many. And its not that the guy doesn't have any good ideas. But he isn't visible and he doesn't present very well and Ahnuld is actually going to win.

This is sickening...

[sandnsea]

17. Why won't you support him?

It's been clear to me that the problem in CA isn't Angelides, it's that the party won't rally around him. Your not supporting him is no different than Lieberman not supporting Lamont. Westly lost and it's time to get on with it and get excited about throwing Arnold out. That's what sickening-that after everything Arnold has done in that state- Democrats are still considering voting for him. That's not Angelides' fault - that's a bunch of sour grape Democrats who need to knock this shit off once and for all.

[FrenchieCat]

21. You are wrong.

The problem is Phil Angelides.

And your approach with this reply and the one you had for my post in discussing this issue of the lack of effectiveness on Angelides' part ain't helping him or anyone else for that matter either. :eyes:

[mitchtv]

23. it's not the Dems ,it's Phil and his

NON CAMPAIGN
He allowed the Pukes to define him with out a peep in his defense.
as a Dem I reserve my undieing hate for westly

[mitchtv]

22. Not just the Bay- everywhere

I'll bet he loses with money in the bank like kerry- THE WORST CAMOIGN I"VE EVER SEEN. Westly deserved to lose for his Al Checchi campaign. He should have spent his millions attacking Groper, but no, he chose the dust bin of history

[sandnsea]

25. And there we have it

The same bunch of assholes who whined their way through the Kerry campaign are now whining their way through the Angelides campaign and can't see that they are the backstabbers who are dragging the campaign down to begin with.

[FrenchieCat]

31. Name calling, are you?

How intelligent! NOT!

[mitchtv]

41. FU

What Campaign? there isn't any

[sandnsea]

44. There's ALWAYS a campaign

You might not like it, but it's there. So you either keep whining or go help. If everybody spent as much time helping as whining, maybe Democrats in this country would get somewhere.

[mitchtv]

50. an invisible campaign

asshole yo mama no dialogue with you

[Cha]

20. Damn! If there was enough of

Tom Swan go around it would be Awesome! Tom Swan is Ned Lamont's campaign mangager and he's some Snazzy ads goin' in Connecticut!

I cannot believe they aren't any great California Democratic ad men and women who couldn't turn this Sucker around!

Geeze Louise! Any talented, creative Dems willing to help get the fake swartzen outta there?

[Mz Pip]

27. Interesting to note

"Unions may decide to spend their campaign money elsewhere." Geez, the unions endorsed Angelides from the get go. The primary season had barely started and I was getting flyers in my box at work touting Angelides. Perhaps if they had cooled their jets for a few weeks before jumping on the Angelides bandwagon they might have seen some justification for supporting the other guy.

Angelides is running this campaign like he doesn't even want to be governor.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[FrenchieCat]

29. Hello Ms. Zip, my Bay Area Friend!

Yep Angelides is running this campaign like he doesn't even want to be governor."

.....ain't that the truth!

[madfloridian]

30. Are CA Dems giving Arnold support in a way?

I know Kerry was there for Angelides recently, and so was Howard Dean. Is there a concerted effort there by Democrats to hurt him? Do they really want Arnold that badly.

And don't get mad because I asked. It happens in Florida all the time. In one area (jcmach1 will remember)...the local party even worked FOR the Republicans.

So I just wondered.

[KoKo]

32. Something's going on because "Ahhnold" get's NO play here on DU...

I posted about his racist comments that were as bad as Macacca's and there was little response from Californians. One of my threads was locked by mods because it was seen as a diss of Californians. (I think it was because I used Ahhnold's word: "Collyfornians" and that upset folks...so it was okay it was locked)

But, it seems that CA DU'ers aren't even interested in this race...so I guess thinks are going okay for Dems in that Great State which used to be "liberal" but did send us REAGAN and might send us "Ahhnold" in 2008 if we aren't careful to see how the Repugs just might push him through. :shrug:

[madfloridian]

33. Well, it's a fair question...happens here a lot. Dems for Republicans..

happens here a lot. They could not even support their own in north Florida...worked against him. And they ran a anti-choice candidate for congress against our pro-choice one.

Happens a lot, fair question. Sometimes they benefit more from the incumbent.

[KoKo]

36. With Ahhhnold it's probably the "Kennedy" factor. Ted actually said he

was going to go out to CA to support "the Govenor" in some C-Span event I heard him on...or maybe it was somewhere else I heard him say that...but he did, indeed, say it.

[mitchtv]

42. that would be a change

Ted never supported him before

[mitchtv]

43. Californians are interested , but the Angelides side has yet to

answer all the GOP ads. He has apparently taken all dem votes for granted and is not campaigning very hard. It's not as if he has any name recognition.

[FrenchieCat]

35. Well according to the article ,

"Unions may decide to spend their campaign money elsewhere."

Why don't you ask the unions why they are hesitating? Ask them about "concerted" efforts? :shrug:

[geek tragedy]

48. How can we have a popular Democratic governor

in Montana and put up limp efforts like this in California--against a very vulnerable incumbent?

Are there any gubernatorial candidates in California who don't suck?

[FrenchieCat]

49. Against Arnuld, Clooney or maybe even W. Beatty would have been

good. Star vs. star = evening out the playing field.

Unfortunately Angeledites looks like the 95 pound weakling when pitted against Arnuld.

It's lack of attention to imagery and perception by Democrats that is killing us in CA. It would have seemed simple to have recruited someone who would have garneted a little publicity just based on who they are a la Arnuld considering that we have 36 million people.....but Noooooo; Democrats decided that a totally uncharismatic unknown against a world wide known headliner incumbent would be better. :shrug:

So now, we must play the cards we've been dealt with.....and attempt to smile through the process. A hard thing to have to do, but necessary by all means. Arnuld's really go to go. Again, I'm praying!