(I’m thinking of making the endorsement process the subject of our next BlogTalkRadio show, where we will just take calls on the subject. Would you be interested in such a program, and calling in to discuss it? And if so, what time would work next week? – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

As you may have seen, we got a bit of blowback on our endorsement process. Rightly or wrongly, I did think there was a failure, mostly my own, to clearly annunciate our endorsement process. So, we are at a point where we will be reviewing all of our endorsements, so rather than do this piece-meal, I wanted to try to get this done all orderly-like.

So, here’s what we’re going to do. We are going to have a couple nominating posts, let’s say one for Northern California, and one for Southern California.  We can debate where the dividing line is, but hopefully it will be obvious. So, once we have a list of nominated individuals, we will design and distribute a questionnaire.  We’ll post the responses on the site (along with any youtube commentary from the candidates if they so desire).  Then, for each region we will select 3 candidates, regardless of the office they are seeking.  1/2 of the vote will come from voting on the site, and 1/2 from our editorial board.

Now, for timeline, I’m thinking I’d like to get this process started by the end of the month to allow us time to draw up the questions (through a post in early October) and then send them off to our prospective endorsees.  We’ll then do a multi-vote poll on the site as well as polling the Board.  The top 3 candidates will receive the endorsement, as long as they each have 3/5 vote from both the Board and the larger Calitics community. I’ll be devising a voting process, either within SoapBlox or using SurveyMonkey.com.

Any questions? Let me know.

Also, do me a favor and try the poll system.

( – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Cross Posted at our blog for Steve Young Ca 48th.

This is big and shows that Steve is finally getting some big-time coverage after building a campaign into a grassroots movement.

In its November issue, the national publication made endorsements for all 435 of the coming elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, and for all U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races on the fall ballot.

Here’s the money quote:

…Campbell “blinded” by loyalty, ideology…

It looks like more and more people are catching on to what Steve’s been saying. From the very beginning John Campbell has been nothing but a puppet to the Bush administration. When you look at his web site as pointed out here you know that Campbell doesn’t have an idea what a Congressional Representative is supposed to do.

Esquire gets it and is helping spread the word.

This is no Democrats-right-or-wrong magazine Esquire votes for the person. An email from the campaign points out that:

The magazine did endorse many other California Republicans, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his re-election bid.

We may disagree with some of their choices but we salute their integrity.

In the California 48th, Esquire says that Republican incumbent John Campbell lacks the independence and vision to deserve re-election: “On issues from the war to taxes, he is simply blinded by loyalty to the White House and by ideology.”

Young is the California Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for the United States House of Representatives in California’s 48th District. Born in Southern California and raised in Utah, he is a successful attorney who has spent years representing working families in the courtroom.

And in another paragraph highlighting that Esquire gets Steve they point out that

Young’s campaign is founded on a five-point plan to restore vitality to the American economy and reduce America’s record deficits. His positions include: restoring outsourced middle class jobs, ending the occupation of Iraq with honor, offering a multi-pronged solution to immigration, improving educational opportunities for all, protecting pensions and preserving our environment through conservation and innovation.

Buy the magazine and read the entire endorsement. It’ll be worth it.

(It’s been said that McPherson, the former newspaper mogul, would garner every newspaper endorsement. I guess some papers chose their interest in a well-functioning democracy over industry loyalty. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

(Cross-posted from The California Courage Campaign)

On a blogger conference call recently, Debra Bowen warned us that since McPherson had been a "newspaper man" in a former career, she's been advised not to expect any newspaper endorsements in her race against him for Secretary of State. The Sacramento Bee seemed to confirm this warning when it endorsed, barely, McPherson.

While the case for McPherson is strong, this race is a close call. McPherson's Democratic opponent, state Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach, is smart and articulate. She successfully authored legislation to place state bill information and committee analyses on the Internet.

What tipped the Bee in favor of McPherson? She's a reformer and that’s baaaaaad.

Unfortunately, county registrars complain that her aggressive demeanor as chair of the Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendment Committee has created tensions rather than building the collaboration and trust that are essential between state and county elections officials. 

Today, The San Jose Mercury News has endorsed Debra Bowen for Secretary of State for this very reason. They get that Bowen's toughness with the county registrars is exactly what is required.

McPherson is less likely to challenge county officials. But if county registrars had their way, none of California's landmark electronic voting reforms, like a paper trail, would be in effect today. A secretary of state must be willing to lead the registrars on issues of voting integrity and accountability. Bowen would do this.

They also get that Debra's long career as a legislator fighting for open government perfectly prepares her for the office of Secretary of State.

Bowen…is far more skeptical of electronic systems than McPherson. Throughout her 14 years in the Legislature, Bowen has been a leading advocate for open government. Using technology on behalf of democracy has been her passion. She sponsored legislation that put bills and committee reports on the Internet; she served on a committee that brought the court system into the electronic age. As secretary of state, she would require tighter rules on electronic voting and encourage the creation of open-source software to guarantee security and accuracy.

In addition, the Mercury News's endorsement draws a crucial point of distinction between the two candidates on SB370, the law that Bowen carried through the legislature and Schwarzenegger signed last year that requires a voter-verified paper receipt for all electronic voting machines. McPherson opposed it.

Their disagreement over SB 370, which Bowen sponsored last year, perhaps best illustrates the differences in philosophy and approach between her and McPherson. Now law, the bill required that counties use the voter-verified paper receipt, which touch-screen machines are now required to produce, for recounts and for random audits. McPherson opposed the bill, in large part because county registrars didn't want it. But SB 370 provides a critical check against fraud and machine malfunctioning, which Schwarzenegger recognized in signing the bill.

The San Jose Mercury News thanks Bruce McPherson for his service as a transitional figure in the wake of the chaos that Kevin Shelley left behind. But in the end, they make the correct choice.

McPherson restored stability to the office. Bowen would bring dynamism and skepticism that the position needs. She is our choice.