When I met Duf Sundheim in the fall of 2002, it was not a difficult decision to endorse him for Chairman in the upcoming GOP organizing election. I knew I would be a major conservative "defection" and would enable him to more easily seek conservative support, and am pleased to this day with my decision, and proud to have been a small part of his victory in 2003.
All Chairman, whether they serve two or four years, draw the ire of at least 40% of the Party delegates at some point or another. Every Chairman I have ever observed has been accused by somebody of being a liar, game player, weak, untrustworthy or some other name. Everyone has a story about being "screwed" by the Chair. Duf himself has not been immune from these criticisms.
Very few people understand the sacrifice a Party Chairman makes. It is essentially a full time position and in California, where it is nearly impossible to achieve statewide victories, thankless at best.
In his organizational process, he immediately enlisted a fair mix of moderate and conservative leaders to select Party Committees – the best process I have ever seen. As a result, these Committees ran very well, with more collegiality and less suspicion than I have ever seen. These actions set a very good tone for internal Party cooperation.
The recall movement was brewing at the beginning of Duf’s term, and he was immediately thrust into the national spotlight. I can remember talking to him many times as we was walking off the set of another national media appearance. He handled himself very well for a person without that kind of experience. Next came the recall tidal wave. The first third Party governorship in California history, the first Republican Governor to operate as a completely separate entity. Again, very new – nothing a State GOP Chairman had ever seen before.
At the outset Arnold governed from a center right position, making it easy for relations with the Party and the Chair. 2003 and 2004 were good years, although we all knew the President would not seriously campaign or spend money in California for his re-election, relations with the White House were good, and Arnold gave a terrific convention speech in favor of the President. The Governor visited several legislative target seat in 2004 but without a Statewide campaign led by the Presidential race, Republican turnout was insufficient to pick up any seats. In a development noticed by few, the Governor’s budget in 2004 included vast amounts of spending increases. Arnold’s popularity at the time inoculated him from criticism – but it would foretell problems to come.
Duf was re-elected without incident in 2005, and it became the year of union battles, with Arnold taking it on the chin in the November special election. It was the third Statewide election in three years for the Party, an unprecedented pace. Another big budget passed with Republican votes, and the veneer of support was starting to erode – with requisite grumbling from Party delegates.
When the Governor decided to hire Susan Kennedy has his Chief of Staff in late 2005, and then began his "march to the left", Duf was placed in a position many Chairman have found themselves in over the years – having to defend the indefensible. Furthermore, with the Governor on the record mocking several California legislative leaders, and then completely rolling the Republican caucuses on the budget and bond package, Duf again had to defend the indefensible. With Party fundraising linked to the Governor, a left of center re-election campaign, a depressed Republican base, and fourth straight Statewide election, the Chairman was drawing the ire of many Party delegates and activists for cooperating with a Governor who had become openly hostile to Republican principles and ambivalent about helping down ticket candidates.
I argue that any other Chairman would have done the same thing, placed in the same situation, under the "reformed" Party structure. See my earlier post on this sordid subject.
The Governor’s 2006 re-election was a hollow victory, devoid of one Republican backed issue, and now the Party is in debt. I take Duf at his word that the Governor has committed to raise the funds to eliminate the debt, and in itself, debt is not unprecedented. But it does provide the basis for understandable criticism, and the Chairman is accountable.
So it has been quite a ride for Duf – but on balance, I think his Chairmanship has been a success. Party infighting is at its lowest level in years. We survived four straight Statewide elections, and despite the debt, we have an incoming Chairman that will be focused on building Party infrastructure to a new level. Yes, Duf has been criticized. I am sure some of it is justified, and I am sure some of it is just the usual griping. But the man gave the Party four years of his life, endured an unprecedented string of Statewide elections, a left of left Governor – and he leaves Sacramento today with far more friends than enemies. He has my personal best wishes, and congratulations on a job well done.