The Yacht Party wrapped up their convention in Sacramento yesterday, and while they didn't censure the members of the caucus who voted for tax hikes, they did deprive them of support in future elections. There's a problem with this, of course - only Dave Cogdill and Anthony Adams are running for their seats in the next election, as everyone else is termed out. In addition, what this really prevents is slate mailers, not really anything else. It doesn't prevent mailers that candidates can buy a spot on, or funding from individual members of the party, etc. This measure is good for the "heads on a stick" crowd but not for much else. You can already see the Yacht Party trying to run away from the insanity they've enabled for 30 years.
Shortly before the voice vote, a banner reading "The Six Losers" was unveiled listing lawmakers who voted for the budget. State Republican chairman Ron Nehring quickly closed curtains to cover the sign, which was displayed behind the table of party executive officers.
Hilarious.
I eagerly await seeing how the suicide cult reacts to a gubernatorial candidate who will try to buy the election. Meg Whitman is certainly an economic conservative but differs with the base on a few social issues. Unlike with an Assembly or Senate candidate, the state party delegates will have no chance of holding the purse strings over someone like Meg Whitman.
Ms. Whitman predicted that her campaign could cost $150 million, much of it coming from her own fortune. (Forbes most recently estimated it at $1.4 billion.)
This doesn't make her unbeatable, even in the primary - Ms. Whitman, say hello to Al Checchi. But it does mean that the base will have less leverage and less relevance. |
