The costly OC GOP endorsement

How much does an OC GOP endorsement cost nowadays? About $200 according to this Los Angeles Times article.

Looks like a shakedown, if you ask me.

For the first time, the county’s GOP is requiring incumbent candidates to join a special party association and pay a $200 membership fee if they want to receive the party’s “early endorsement.”

The designation would give the candidates an early edge against Republican challengers in local races, offering them official GOP bragging rights during the campaign and for fundraising. In local elections, where voters are often unfamiliar with the candidates and media coverage is scarce, a party endorsement is a powerful signal to voters.

I’m happy to know that the Orange County Democratic party still hands out their endorsements based on merit and ability.

[Los Angeles Times]

15 Comments

  1. 2 things:

    Forget what I used to be. I’m a blogger now.

    Then, I have to ask, what is inaccurate about my post? The Republican Party is requiring incumbents to join a special party association at $200 a pop if they want to receive the party’s early endorsement.

    I’m just happy to say that my party’s endorsement is free.

  2. No, that’s not what you said. You said that an endorsement costs $200. That’s not how it works. And with your remark about the OC Dems, you directly implied the OC Reps do not give endorsements based on merit.

    The part is inviting incumbents to join a local elected officials groups — not requiring. The cost is $200. That makes them eligible for an EARLY endorsement. It doesn’t purchase an endorsement. It doesn’t guarantee an endorsement. A GOP local elected official can shine on the joining this association and still get the endorsement without giving the party a dime.

    But then your a partisan Democrat trying to make hay out of this non-issue.

    And of course the OC Dems don’t have something similar. Who would pay $200 for it?

  3. No, its a way to get more involvement out of local electeds who only have use for the OC Rep Party when they need something.

  4. Ahh, shakedown!

    Why doesn’t this surprise me?

    I guess this is yet another example of our OC Republican Party’s commitment to “moral values”.

  5. It’s a shakedown. Just read the LA Times article. A candidate was called repeatedly by an intern to join the program.

    In another case a candidate paid the money and then when she asked that the money be returned they (being the GOP) dragged their feet.

    The fact that it is an early endorsement is troubling. Republican candidates are being forced to pay for an early endorsement just to risk losing it in the actual endorsement primary or shutting out their opponents.

    We don’t need a paid endorsement program. Putting a dollar amount on an endorsment just leads to more corruption.

    – Mike Randall

  6. So, am I correct in understanding that an elected official who chooses (for whatever reason) NOT to join this “club” would not be able to compete for this “early endorsement.”
    Doesn’t quite sound fair to me.

  7. OK, geniuses. If it is a shakedown, what are the consequences for local electeds who don’t join what is a fund-raising group comprised of local electeds?

    Are they denied the endorsement?

    No.

    So where’s the shakedown? You guys can be partisan without being dishonest.

  8. It’s a shakedown. Just read the LA Times article. A candidate was called repeatedly by an intern to join the program.

    Goodness! You mean a Republican elected officials was asked — several times — to join a fund riasing group? A political party is actually trying to raise money by asking members of that party to donate money?

    THAT is what you consider a shakedown?

  9. Hey Kool-Aid Drinkers!

    If you have to be a member of a group of donors to the Republican Party of Orange County in order to be eligible to receive consideration for an “early” endorsement that is a pay to play system. I see pay to play as a shakedown.

    Davis haters called his administration “pay to play” because allegedly, the only way to get consideration for state business was to make a “voluntary” contribution to a Davis fundraising committee. A contributor was not guaranteed the business, just the ability to be considered. I seem to recall that that was called a “shakedown.”

    If you have to pay to get in the door, that is a shakedown.

    Requiring a candidate to pay to be considered for an “early endorsement” is a shake down.

    Sorry folks, no amount of lipstick can make this pig look any different.

  10. more proof that the Republican party is the party of rich people,and they arent connected to the real hardworking people of america.

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