Monday, April 07, 2008

NOT SO FAST, JACKIE!

As a long suffering resident of California’s Twelfth Congressional District, I get to vote tomorrow to replace dead Democratic hack, Tom Lantos. Mr Lantos had a compelling concentration camp story and a reliable party-line vote.

Jackie Speier, famous for getting shot in the jungle and for being a good looking woman, is assumed to be Lantos’ replacement-for-life.

She is so confident that she hasn’t even asked for my vote. No mailer. No tv ads. Nothing.

Being a reliable Democratic Party hack is not qualification enough for me. I assume she's Pelosi-lite: pro war, pro torture, anti-impeachment.

I’m voting for the Green Party candidate, Barry Hermanson. At least he sent me a mailer asking for my vote.



White guy, about my age. Actually we look sort of alike.

Go Barry. His website here.

The Voter Information Pamphlet for this election has all the boilerplate of a major election, but content specific to this race consists of a Letter from the John Arntz, Director of SF Board of Elections, and a barebones sample ballot.

Arntz explains the open primary: Candidates from all parties appear on one ballot. If a candidate receives a majority of votes cast (50%+1), he or she wins. If not, there will be a runoff election between the top vote-getters from each party. This runoff will be part of the June 3, 2008 primary ballot.

Note: Tomorrow’s vote is to fill the remainder of Lantos’ term, ending January, 2009 (next January).

To make things complicated, the June 3 ballot will also contain a primary election for the term beginning Jan. ’09 ending Jan’11.

Both could appear on the same ballot.

The voter pamphlet contains no information on the candidates, other than what appears on the sample ballot (below).


I expect at least “Candidate Statements” and lists of endorsers. This seems strange, kind of makeitupaswegoalong.

As you see, there are three parties on the ballot. If there is a runoff, Barry Hermanson will automatically be on it, as the top vote getter in the Green Party. I wonder if Barry would be on the runoff ballot even if he had received zero votes in this election.

Anyway, that won’t happen, because I’m voting for Barry Hermanson, even if he forgets.



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9 comments:

Jerry Jarvis said...

Willie I am happy that you posted this here. I had no idea that this was happening. I got no notice from the department of elections.

sfwillie said...

Hi Jerry, CD 12 is Sunset District plus northern San Mateo County. You prob live in Pelosi's district, that's why you didn't get voting info.

KathleenW said...

While you are certainly welcome to vote for Mr. Hermanson, I would suggest you do it based on knowledge - not supposition. She didn't ask for your vote? Would you have preferred she waste tens of thousands of dollars and paper and postage to find you? How about you attend the League of Women Voters debate last week as I did. Mr. Hermanson did a credible job; he;s not bad -- but if you want to get SOME progress, I'd suggest a known effective commodity.
As you suggest she's pro-war; maybe you should check on HER positions,not your suppositions (again I refer you to her stated position at the debate -- My first priority is to get the troops out NOW!. No equivocation; no weasling...NOW. So I suggest that rather than waiting for a candidate to find you...maybe some homework on your part would be in order. (And yes, in case you're wondering...I've voted for Jackie for Board of Supervisors, State Assembly and State Senate...and she'll have my vote tomorrow.)
Kathleen

Jerry Jarvis said...

Thanks willie. I do live on the other side.

sfwillie said...

Dear Kathleen,

I looked at Jackie’s website as you suggested.

Her printed position on the war is:

It is imperative that we remove American troops as soon as possible and refocus our mission in Iraq on humanitarian reconstruction and peaceful diplomacy.

These are the exact weasel words I expected. "As soon as possible" and "refocus our mission" are different (way) from immediate, complete, unconditional withdrawal.

The idea that the U.S. should perform some humanitarian mission in Iraq is like suggesting that a rapist could act as psychological counselor to his victims.

Then I see Gavin Newsom’s endorsement prominently displayed. Gavin is a crypto-Republican. By featuring his endorsement on her website, I conclude that Jackie must be one, too.

Thanks for suggesting that I find out more. Now I won’t vote for Jackie in the runoff, either.

Civic Center said...

That's a good meow, SF Willie. I love that the Sunset District is lumped in with the northern part of the Peninsula. I wonder who arranged for that district, and why, though the name of the recently deceased, warmongering Tom Lantos does come to mind.

Civic Center said...

I want to read the "Thanks for your maiden Congressional speech imploring a withdrawal from Iraq today, which sent some Republican colleagues booing and exiting" post. What a nice surprise.

sfwillie said...

Dear Mike, Speier's district doesn't include all of the Sunset. The hipper parts of the Sunset, near the park and nearer the Haight are in Pelosi's district.

Makes sense, we have more in common with Westlake than with the Haight.

Re: maiden speech booed post--coming up.

janinsanfran said...

Barry Hermanson is one the nicest, most consistent guys around San Francisco politics. Don't imagine he'll ever get elected to anything, but thousands of us like him enormously.