The post mortem assessments of this last election, an ugly one to be sure, are just now being completed, and, like every other election in which we Republicans in California have lost, each faction of the California Republican Party is quick to blame the other factions for the loss. It’s not my fault, they say, it is a conservative message, or cheating by Democrats, or party leaders, or Donald Trump, or Jim Brulte or [insert anybody else’s name but mine here] who are responsible for our losses. The fact is we are a dysfunctional family. We are all to blame for the loss.

Some of my Republican friends who call themselves moderate are quick to blame the conservative message. They are wrong. Conservatives are the heart and the soul of the Republican Party. Abandon the message that brought conservatives to the party, and the party will fall apart. Those in Wrong Way, err..excuse me, New Way California are simply espousing the message that kept the Republican Party in the minority from 1954 to 1980. The resurgence of the conservative message from Reagan, through 1994, through Donald Trump, brought us from a permanent minority to a competitive political… Read More

The campaign to lead the California Republican Party is under way. While the election itself will take place at our party convention in February, the campaign for Chairman is an important process during which the views of the grassroots delegates of our party are heard as candidates travel the state working to build support.

In the wake of serious losses in the 2018 election, there will be much to discuss. One of the challenges facing delegates will be separating out what a California Republican Party Chairman can and should do from issues that are of concern but beyond the ability of the CRP Chairman to effect.

Having served as Chairman of the California Republican Party for the maximum of two terms, and before that as Vice Chairman, President of the County Chairmen’s Association, and a county Republican chairman I’ve experienced first hand the difference between subjects for grandstanding, and what the party itself can actually effect.

We all want to reposition the Republican Party for success. Yet, political parties are defined nationally. The Republican Party and its brand will be defined by President Donald J. Trump for every single… Read More

It is no secret that U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris has her eye on a run for the Presidency in 2020. Yet Larry Wallace, a senior staffer for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) reportedly resigned on Wednesday over the discovery he was involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit and $400,000 payout to the victim whileworkingfor then California Attorney General Kamala Harris. And Kamala Harris claims to know nothing of this.… Read More

The November 6 election results in California were a disaster no matter what way you look at it. For Republicans it reaffirmed that we are on the wrong track, that our messaging is severely amiss. For Californians generally, their choice has been whittled down to a single party, a party that does not resemble anything the Founding Fathers would recognize.

Democrats now hold every Statewide Constructional office, and a Super-Super Majority (not a typo) in the Assembly and State Senate, and we, the Republican Party need to undertake a critical analysis of how we operate; critical triage of just what it is that needs to be addressed. Without understanding where we are and how we came to be in this situation, 2020 will be a further decline of our once great CRP, if that is even conceivable.

We need new leadership and a new direction. But first we must agree that we should go back to basics. And my platform provides this. Amongst other issues, my ‘Back to Basics’ plan addresses:

1. Voter Registration. Since March, 2013, the California Republican Party has not spent a dime for voter registration and in fact has a policy against registering voters.… Read More

On election night, California Republicans were heading for victories. Less than one month later, while ballots arestillbeing counted, half of California’s Republican Congressional races were flipped by Democrat challengers, none of whom have ever held an elected public office.

Republicans lost election night leads for five members of Congress, three state Assembly races, two state Senate seats and a Board of Equalization candidate, Shawn Steelwrotein a column this week.

Assembly Republicans nowtotal only 20 out of 80 members of the Assembly, and Senate Republicans aredownto 11 members out of 40 Senators, for a grand total of 31 elected Republicans out of 140 total… Read More

When Winston Churchill was appointed Britain’s Prime Minister in May 1940, it was his country’s darkest hour. German armies were rampaging through France. Britain faced the likely destruction of its army at Dunkirk, and then invasion.

Churchill rose to the occasion:

In the wake of the midterm elections, the California Republican Party is facing our own darkest hour. None of our statewide candidates reached 40% of the vote. Democrats have a super-majority in Sacramento with seats to spare in both chambers. They have 46 of 53 Congressional seats and have occupied Orange County. GOP voter registration is less than 25%.

I don’t launch my campaign for CRP chair with a cure-all plan or a sound bite. With all due respect to other candidates, the plans and taglines offered so far are like a cavalry charge against tanks: not up to the… Read More

The 2018 midterm elections were a disaster for California Republicans. The Republican candidate for Governor lost in the worst election result in 40 years and half of our Republican Congressional delegation was wiped out in the worst relative loss since 1883.

California’s State Legislative Republicans weren’t spared from the carnage either. Already in the… Read More

Below is my personal electricity bill for the month of October, 2018 — and my history for this past year. Don’t be overly impressed by the low cost bills. It’s the result of a very expensive solar electricity array on our roof.

But DO be impressed (and appalled) by the SDG&E residential electricity RATES I included. Below 400 kWh use, the price is 27 cents per kWh — double or more what customers pay in other states.

But it gets worse. Above 401 kWh usage a month, the price is a mind-blowing (and wallet-emptying) 47 cents/kWh. Above 1,245 kWh the price rises even further to 55 cents/kWh. I might add that these prices are probably similar to the rates of the other two major electricity utilities in the Golden State — PG&E, and SoCal Edison. Folks in other states should look at THEIR electricity bills to get a feel for the ASTONISHINGdifference in CA rates vs. the other… Read More