Probably not, but today’s LA Times story about Rep. Young Kim bumping up her spending to prevail in the top 2 of the June 7 primary raises questions.
From the story:
Kim has unleashed $1.3 million in advertising as the primary approaches. Outside allies are coming to her aid with more spending.
Most of Kim’s focus is on fending off Greg Raths, an underfunded GOP opponent who has been a staple on the political scene in Mission Viejo, the district’s largest city. After years of touting her bipartisan bona fides, she is upping her appeals to the GOP base, emphasizing her conservatism and hard-edged rhetoric on illegal immigration.
The explosion in spending may just be a cautionary measure, or a sign of a suddenly rattled front-runner. More broadly, Kim’s tilt further to the right reflects redistricting’s influence on politicians. With a shift in district boundaries, Kim’s campaign style has shifted too — vying for a constituency that is more conservative and less diverse than the residents she now represents.
“We think she is the heavy favorite to win reelection, but you can’t win re-election if you don’t make it through the primary first,” said Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan campaign analysis. “I don’t think campaigns make these sort of moves unless there is a concern she isn’t going to make the top two.”
On Facebook, the Raths supporters are foaming at the mouth. See the ad at the top of this piece and do read the comments.
So some questions for our conservative friends. $40 billion to aid Ukraine is bad? Why? Because they wouldn’t give Trump what he wanted in 2020?
Advocated for the censorship of President Trump? The First Amendment only applies to government no censoring speech; Twitter and Facebook were right to purge Trump from their platforms because of the January 6th insurrection, or do you think that was wrong?
Approved the Electoral College for all 50 states…well, yes because Trump’s side lost almost every legal challenge to the election. There was no fraud. Trump lost. And if you’re really saying Raths is a Trumper, then he ought to be run out of the county on a rail.
A digital database on those not vaccinated is bad? People are in all sorts of digital databases. Can I speak with you about your car’s extended warranty?
Voted to censure Marjorie Taylor Greene? Q-anon Barbie? Well after I polish off that fake meat grown in a peach tree dish, I’ll call Nancy Pelosi’s Gazpacho Police and have them drag MTG to the Goulash like they have in Siberia. Gee whiz.
Raths is hosting a fundraiser tonight at a theater in Mission Viejo — a screening of Top Gun Maverick. I sort of wish Rep. Kim’s campaign buys one of those ads for her you watch before the trailers run.