Democrats can Ignore the SCNG Editorial Board and its Columnists

For $12, I re-upped by subscription with the Orange County Register last month.  The paper’s news pages and journalists with long intitutional knowledge do good work.  I also appreciate that the Sports Pages provide scores, standings, transactions and other details that the print edition of the LA Times does not.

What hasn’t changed is the paper’s downright shitty opinion desk and columnists.

Wander on over online and call up the recently posted columns and editorials.  Democrats are to blame for high gas prices.  Democrats hate democracy. Gavin Newsom has given up on California, Public Schools are Failing (under Democratic policies), Anti-Semitism is alive and well in Democratic coalitions.  The world is going to hell and it’s the fault of the Democratic Party.  And do see the cheerleading columns urging the GOP to get its act together.  One column on Donald Trump’s speech at the California GOP Convention that was critical of what he said at the CA GOP convention in Anaheim is almost forgiving.  It’s like these writers don’t even live here and for the most part, they don’t.

Take editorial opinion editor Sal Rodriguez (please take him).  A Los Angeles resident who is arguably one of the more powerful print editors in California media.  Except he no longer has the courage to publish his attacks on Democrats under his byline anymore.

Coward.

Rodriguez hates CA-47 congressional candidate and state senator Dave Min with a passion since Min was arrested in May and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of DUI.  Min is under probation which is over before election day, has completed alcohol education programs, and has apologized for his actions to his family, friends and those he represents in his state senate district and to the voters of CA-47.

That’s not good enough for Sal.

From Rodriguez’s column this week with a headline emphasizing “convicted criminal” this:

According to recently published data from the Federal Election Commission, Min’s fundraising in his campaign to represent the open seat in the 47th congressional district has been in a free fall.

From the time he announced as a candidate until March 31 of this year, he raised an impressive $521,000. After his arrest for driving drunk in a California Senate vehicle at night without his lights on through a red light in May, his fundraising totals have plummeted. In them most recent quarter, he raised just $311,000.

Meanwhile, Min has blown through $400,000 as part of his desperate attempt to remain a candidate.

As of this writing, the Min campaign has $825,542.68 on hand, compared to $832,638.54 reported by the Joanna Weiss campaign and $1,374,856.05 reported by the campaign of Republican Scott Baugh. And this is, of course, before the ads and mailers go out highlighting Min’s arrest.

Let’s offer some context for Rodriguez’s poor analytical skills.

Min and Weiss raised about the same amount of money in the same quarter; both have about the same amount of cash on hand.  The difference between Min’s numbers and Weiss’s numbers is that she loaned her campaign another $100,000.  Min has not.  Weiss has loaned a total of $225,000 to her campaign. So to suggest Min is in freefall isn’t accurate.  Additionally, the two leading Democratic candidates combined fundraising totals are greater than Republican Scott Baugh’s total as he’s basically the only viable Republican.  And isn’t it funny how Sal fails to mention the felonies and misdemeanor charges Baugh racked up during his political career.  OC has changed since Baugh was involved in a scam to re-register Voters to the Republican party against their wishes.  And perhaps Rodriguez agrees with Baugh that “wokeism” is a real problem.

Democratic dollars from IEs, associations, and donors will flock to whichever Democatic candidate emerges from the March primary.

Min has apologized for his mistake.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, still needs to apologize for a failed stand-up comedy routine he did in college in 2012.

As a reader of the Register, I don’t want Rodriguez to explain his routine.  I want to know if he still believes women don’t do equal work for equal pay.  I want to know if he still harbors notions of homophobia, racial bigotry, and mysogyny that he uttered on stage as part of his “artistic performance”?  Go back and read the link for all the details you need to know. And emails about Rodriguez’s performance sent to the Register’s editor-in-chief and Publisher have gone unaswered; did they dismiss the event or do they share Rodriguez’s viewpoints?

Rodriguez has written more about Min’s mistake than any of the 91 felony charges racked up by former President Donald Trump.  With the exception of Steven Greenhut’s October 5 column, it’s hard to find any critical columns of the former President.

For Democratic candidates seeking the Register’s endorsement, the deck is stacked against you.  If Rodriguez is in the room for the meeting, demand he recuse himself or explain himself.  Ask why he has yet to apologize.  And ask why he’s throwing bombs at Democratic candidates and electeds from the safety of an anonymous byline.

I’m paying $12 for a year of the Register’s digital subscription.  When I look at the editorial pages, I think I paid too much.