We are almost a year away from the 2018 California primary elections. Most Californians enjoy the respite of an off-election year but, to those of us involved in electoral politics, this is when would be candidates beckon for help and/or endorsements.
Here is the primary condition of the year for me; VIDEO. Signed pledges are worth as much as the paper they are on. I want to watch you on video:
1- If you promise to never raise taxes, I want you on video with Carl DeMaio.
2-If you promise to support the Second Amendment, I want you on video with Michael Schwartz.
3- If you support enforcement of federal immigration law, I want you on video with Jeff Schwilk
4- If you want to run as a Pro-Life candidate, get on video with your priest or pastor.
Here is the secondary condition of the year for me; MONEY. If you are running for office, and you haven’t raised 5 percent of the money required to win your election from friends and family by June 30, 2017, you have no business asking strangers to support you with donations. Let me be as clear as I can with that; you need to have support from the people that have known you most or all of your life, before you ask me or my friends for money. Here is a good guideline:
1- For Statewide races, you’ll need to have at least $200,000 raised by June 30, 2017.
2- For Countywide races, you’ll need to have at least $50,000 raised by June 30, 2017.
3- For Congress, State Assembly, or County District races, you’ll need to have $25,000 raised by June 30, 2017.
4- For City of San Diego races, you will need to have $15,000 raised by June 30, 2017.
5- For all other races in the rest of the cities, you will need to have $5,000 raised by December 31, 2017.
If you’re not on video (or unwilling to go on video) about the issues, I just don’t believe you. I hope you prove me wrong but I don’t consider you strong on that issue if you aren’t on video with someone I respect, about that issue. Expect me to ask you why you won’t go on video, in public, during your campaign.
If you can’t raise the requisite funds by the cut off dates, you are not a viable candidate, you are a vanity or “placeholder” candidate.
A placeholder candidate is someone who is running to “represent the GOP brand” in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. (Think 78th AD or 51st CD). A placeholder candidate has no serious chance of winning but is worthy of support for his/her efforts. A vanity candidate, however, is running to advance his or her name, or to promote their business to “feel good”. It’s a free country so I wish you the best in that pursuit but, if you expect volunteers and donors to support you, you have to convince your family and close friends to stake you.