Assembly District #72 candidate Democrat John MacMurray gratefully thanked a crowd of supporters gathered at his home last night by acknowledging the importance of their energized get-out-the-vote effort to his extremely strong showing against a host of well-known North Orange County Republicans in yesterday’s special election.
And, indeed, because of Democratic enthusiasm for his candidacy, MacMurray garnered only 3,800 votes less than longtime Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby, despite being outspent by Norby by more than a 10-to-1 ratio.
In fact, Supervisor Norby must be privately disappointed this morning that, after spending $197,000 ($14.03 per vote!), the longtime local politico could muster only 37% of the vote, low enough to force Norby to face MacMurray in a January 12, 2010 run-off election. (In contrast, MacMurray spent only $1.86 per vote, an statistic reflective of the strength of his volunteer effort.)
MacMurray has an uphill battle, though, to win the January 12, 2010 contest: Chris Norby has strong name recognition throughout Orange County. And, of course, the district’s registered voter base is heavily Republican.
And Norby has no qualms about sleazy mud-slinging campaigning, as proven by his stunningly trashy tactics against Republican opponent Linda Ackerman.
Republican Norby commented last night that he expects to pick up more Republican votes within the district, presumably from the 7,400 voters who cast their lots for Ackerman yesterday. But given the bad blood between these two candidates and camps, TheLiberalOC.com wonders if Ackerman supporters will go to the polls for Norby on January 12th.
Given the energy and excitement of MacMurray supporters, North Orange County frustrations with Republican leadership in A.D. #72, and the intense bitterness between Republican rivals Norby and Ackerman, TheLiberalOC.com believes John MacMurray has a genuine chance to surprise the pundits, and become North Orange County’s first Democratic state Assemblyman in memory. Mark my words!
While I think it’s unlikely MacMurray can win this, here’s how he could accomplish it: send supporters to the homes of Democrats who did not vote yesterday, and get them to sign up to be PAVs. If 5000 or 6000 new Dems could be signed up to vote by mail, MacMurray actually could take this seat.
It’s a heck of a lot, but it could be done.
I like that idea. Good project for Nov/Dec. Count me in! Marion, Vandemere?
Vern — you write for a blog that promoted sex between men and young boys; do you really think anyone wants to be associated with a blog that’s resorting to blakcmail of their political enemies via promotion of NAMBLA. And Art had no problem letting us know where you “vacationed” earlier this year…he told us at the FreedomPolitics.com launch party. Watch your back.
WTF, just came back here to copy over Howard’s good comment and send it to Marion Pack… so I just now saw Dan’s comment. Oh OK I get it now.
I don’t agree with everything Art does or says, by a long stretch. But still I did make it clear to him that he didn’t need to keep it a secret I went to prison for a DUI. Anyone could look it up.
For ONE-THIRD the blood alcohol level Andy Quach had, by the way – just over the legal limit! Unfortunately I had had two previous in FEB. 1999, which just barely fell within the ten-year envelope… so the big house for me! (Read a lot of books, wrote a lot of music, will probably write a lot of good stuff on prison reform)
Anyway… I like Howard’s idea here and will pass it on.
Vern —
Since I’m a “Jannie” by my association with other bloggers here, I’m going to turn the mirror around and apply the same rule to you. Mind you, should a blogger from Red County get in trouble with the law, it’s plastered all over Art’s site. You got a pass because, quite franky, most of us in this OC blogsphere have some measure of decency.
But that said, I’d glad you read a lot of books and wrote a lot of music while you piad your debt to society. As the parent of a kid about to get his driver’s license, please either stop drinking or stop driving. The difference between you and Andy Quatch (not that he gets a free pass) is that you had two priors. You should have known better. I’m more interested in hearing about you overcoming drinking and driving issues than I am about prison reform.
But since you continue to associate with someone who actively and deliberately promoted an organization that advocates sex between men and adolescent boys on websites he owns and have done nothing to speak out about it, you’re part of the problem aren’t you? I point out to Art and Paul Lucas on a regular basis, they wrote checks to Janet (I didn’t). Art’s blog was Janet’s biggest cheerleader, until since did the predictable partisan thing and endorsed his Republican opponent for Ward 2 (a real man-bite-dog story if you ask me); Paul asked for and got his check back, but somehow, I’m a Jannie and he’s not.
Whether or not Art knows it, his NAMBLA excercise has made him a pariah of sorts. Even Gustavo chimed in on a comment on Red County that what Art did was “sick” but we haven’t seen a peep about it on Naval Gazing. The only folks defending Art are his co-bloggers. And your association with him taints you. It is what it is.