There seems to be a new trend in California. Republicans running for the State Assembly ….as Democrats.
The first one does not really surprise me much. San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill was a registered Republican for several decades. When he was elected to the non-partisan San Mateo City Council in 1991 he was a registered Republican.
Hill is now running for AD 19.
He was a Republican because years ago he wanted to support former Congressman Pete McCloskey in his run for President. I can buy that. I know some big name Republicans that actually voted for Gray Davis in the 1998 Democrat open primary thinking that he was the only one that the people of California would never actually elect as Governor.
If you read his policy positions it seems pretty clear that he would be far more comfortable in the political party with Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, and gang.
The next two are a little different.
Santa Clara City Councilman Dominic Caserta was actually a staff person for Republican Congressman Tom Campbell. I think he might have even worked for the US Senate campaign committee that tried to unseat Senator Feintstein. Caserta is running for AD 22 (Leiber).
My friends in Santa Clara County tell me this guy is all ambition. If you take a look at his website it is all a bunch of half statements about socially desirable things. He might actually hold some of the limited government principles that he was working for as a Tom Campbell staff person but he might not. In fact, I would argue that his policy positions would allow him to support or oppose pretty much anything.
The candidate that really blows me away is Auday Arabo. He is running in AD 78 — a district that has been held by a Republican for the past six years. This guy used to work for Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray but decided to run as a Democrat for Assembly.
His biography only mentions working for a member of Congress. He doesn’t fill in the details.
It seems to me that this is the sort of guy that would say or do anything to get elected. He stands for one thing…holding office.
Some people run for office in order to make changes in government. They want to see a set of policy changes that would make California better.
When I look at Caserta and Arabo I see two very dangerous candidates for office. It is not about a policy agenda. It is not about their communities. They are candidates that seek to do nothing but hold office.
We don’t need any more of those in Sacramento. A good liberal that fights for what they believe is something I can respect. Changing you political party and potentially your stand on fundamental issues to serve in the Assembly is not.
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