I checked in earlier with Steve Poizner as he is doing his campaigning around the state. Our next Insurance Commissioner had this report:
“Hi Jon,
Thanks for checking in with me today. Here’s what I have been doing in the last couple of days:
1. Met with silicon valley business leaders at the annual Silicon Valley Leadership Group policy luncheon and discussed key policy priorities for 2007.
2. Visited Victory 2006 office in silicon valley to thank the volunteers
3. Interviewed with the AP and the New York Times
4. visited with parent leaders of after school athletic programs in the central valley
5. called into radio talk shows in LA, Fresno, and San Diego
Lots of radio interviews set for the next couple of days.
Hope you are having fun on the bus!
Steve”
Go get ’em Steve. Cruz Bustamante is TOAST!
November 5th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Just a general question here: Does anyone know where
Mt. Poizner stands on the Social Issues?
I’m not trying to make a point, I simply don’t know if he has
taken some stands on crime, family, drugs, and related topics.
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
He’s running for INSURANCE COMMISSIONER for crying-out-loud! Why would anyone care what his views are “…on the Social issues?”
And why would you capitalize the word social? It doesn’t make any sense.
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Dana, I would give you two reasons to want to know where a politician stands on all of the issues no matter what they are running for —
The first is that any statewide office becomes a stepping stone to higher office…
But the second, and more imporant one, is Jon’s rule of moderates — there really IS no such thing as someone who is economically conservative and socially liberal or moderate. It never bears itself out. I could use like a few dozen examples, but the Governor would be the latest. He was supposed to be fiscally conservative and socially moderate — yet now we have this massive bond package on the ballot, and spending out the kazoo.
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
When a campaign or their supporters ask WHY we are asking about the socials issues, then we really do have our answer!
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Jon:
Are you saying that if Mr. Poisner opposes the death penalty, thinks marriage belongs in a church, synagogue or mosque (and should not be a function of government) and that we are spending way too much money chasing petty drug users, that we should vote for Cruz who probably would answer those questions more to your liking?
And John, I am neither a Poisner staffer nor associated with the campaign in any way. Therefore your comment is a nonsequitur.
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Dana, I am not saying that at all. I am saying that it is good to know where candidates stand on all of the issues that are important to a voter or an activist. I am also saying that there is a much higher probability that if a candidate is ‘bad’ on social issues, they will ultimately turn out to be ‘bad’ on economic issues (which, by the way, does not mean that there are not plenty of social conservatives who go south on fiscal issues, unfortunately).
But I will say this, there are many people who feel that someone’s positions on “social issues” helps them to judge a candidates moral fiber — because, as you know Dana, on many such issues this is, in fact, a battle against good and evil, right and wrong.
You can also add to the equasion that Mr. Sills question above may be motivated out of a desire to prioritize his time. Maybe he doesn’t want to take time away from supporting someone with whom he agrees 90%+ percent of the time to campaign for someone which whom he only agrees 70%+ percent of the time….
November 6th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Gentlemen:
Thanks for the observations and analysis. Mr. Fleischman nailed this point perfectly.
If Mr. Poizner wins tomorrow, and I hope he does, he IMMEDIATELY becomes a
potential future GOP nominee for Governor or US Senate.
Past experience strongly suggests it is NEVER too early to learn where the can-
didates stand on these vital issues.
That includes the spectrum of concerns for which the term ‘Social Issue’ has been
political short-hand since the 1970 election cycle.
I hope Mr. Poizner may give us some idea of his beliefs on these topics a little
further down the road.