UPDATED ON NOVEMBER 7, 2015; COMMENTS EMBOLDENED
On October 12, 2015, the Republican Party of San Diego County’s treasurer, Gary Felien, moved to suspend the endorsement rules and endorse the candidacy of Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern for 76th Assembly District (over businessman Phil Graham) and Escondido Mayor Sam Abed’s candidacy for County Supervisor (over Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar). Felien suggested that because the two candidates attend party monthly meetings, they were worthy of early endorsement over the other two candidates. The GOP Central Committee voted against that motion and rejected the early endorsements of Abed and Kern.
Many Committee members think that endorsing prior to the June election, in Republican vs. Republican races, is unwise because it divides grass roots activists and sends a public message of cronyism. I said as much in my critique of last cycle’s endorsement process, here on San Diego Rostra. Early endorsements of one Republican candidates over another are sometimes a useful tool to unseat a wayward incumbent or to protect the brand from an unsuitable candidate, but restraint should be the standing rule.
My guess is that Felien will be up to his old tricks again this Monday night. I expect that he (or a surrogate) will move to suspend the rules and request early endorsements of Kern and Abed.
This is surprising. Neither Graham nor Gaspar are renegade candidates and both appeal to mainstream Republican voters. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a California Republican success story, chose to endorse Graham over Kern and Gaspar over Abed.
Both Kern and Graham seem like solid fiscal conservatives. While Kern has a governing record on the Oceanside City Council, Graham has a much better plan to regain a majority in the California Assembly (Kern offered no plan). Graham has deep pocket connections for statewide fundraising and can leverage those contacts. I expect both would vote identically so it makes no sense to endorse either candidate.
Both Abed and Gaspar have governing records as mayors of their respective cities but Gaspar has a more conservative voting record. The Escondido Country Club debacle will haunt Abed in a General Election (“blocking permitted development because Republican voters live near it” will be the message). When Incumbent Supervisor Dave Roberts sends this message to Republican voters in the District, he will liken Abed to Donald Trump. Rejecting free market principles, and micromanaging other people’s property, will give Roberts ammunition to call Abed an “elitist, centralized planner like President Obama“. Yes… Dave Roberts WILL use that message because he appealed to Republicans in the District in 2012.
Gaspar voted for a deplorable resolution to “ban assault weapons” on January 30,2013 (Encinitas Resolution 2013-03). An identical resolution didn’t even make it out of “Public Safety Committee” in the City of San Diego because both Council members Zapf and Kersey saw it for what it was. The author maintains that the Central Committee shouldn’t endorse either candidate but retracts that Gaspar has a “more conservative voting record” than Abed. One candidate might help people steal your real estate but the other one wants to deny you your God-given right to defend your Life, Liberty, and Property. Neither candidate provides much of a distinction against the liberal incumbent Dave Roberts.
If Central Committee members really think they must endorse early in the Supervisors race, Gaspar has the more conservative voting record to distinguish her against incumbent Roberts. Still, I think the Committee should practice restraint in this endorsement.
Reject Felien and his surrogates’ plan to circumvent the endorsement rules and let these candidates work on their campaigns. They are legitimate Republican candidates and the last thing we need to do is to divide the grassroots … again.
Comments 7
Question: I read some where that Candidate Gaspar is for more Gun Control? Is this true? If it is true, I don’t think we can label Gaspar a Conservative can we?
In Liberty.
Author
I don’t know anything about Gaspar being for gun control but either way, I’m not labeling any of these candidates “a conservative.” All I’m asserting is that Gaspar has a more conservative voting record than Abed does.
After a few clicks on the internet, I found the Encinitas City Council meeting where Gaspar did in fact vote to ban guns. Here is the link on the resolution: http://archive.ci.encinitas.ca.us/WebLink8/DocView.aspx?id=694889&dbid=0
The vote occurred at the January 30, 2013 meeting. In a County where we have a Sheriff who thinks it is ok to restrict my ability to defend myself and my family by limiting my Second Amendment rights by not issuing concealed weapons permits, I would think most Republican voters would be uneasy supporting a Candidate for Supervisors who so easily votes to ban guns. I am not sure how the writer believes that Mayor Gaspar has a Conservative Record when she as a Council Member voted to ban guns.
Perhaps when Supervisor Dave Roberts sends the message to Republican voters in the District, he will liken Gaspar to Senator Diane Feinstein and her attempts at denying the citizenry their SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS! It is none of Mayor Gaspar’s business how many rounds my magazine holds or what weapon I choose to defend myself or my family.
If I were a Republican, I would much rather want to be compared to Donald Trump then the Elitist Liberal Diane Feinstein.
As a member of the National Republican Liberty Caucus, I think it is important to view all the facts objectively. Does a local Golf Course Issue rise to a level that is more of an attack on Liberty then banning guns?
Daniel Yowell, EA
U.S. Navy SEAL [Retired]
Past Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus San Diego
Minutes…
http://archive.ci.encinitas.ca.us/weblink8/0/doc/696117/Page1.aspx
Author
Good find, Daniel. I had no idea Gaspar was a gun grabber.
“Does a local Golf Course Issue rise to a level that is more of an attack on Liberty then banning guns? ”
Yes. Both stealing private real estate and stealing guns are deplorable. An argument can be made that Gaspar’s vote was for a toothless resolution while Abed’s actions actually involved theft of property but I won’t be making that argument.
I just watched the video of the vote and her comments show that she is clueless about the Second Amendment, public safety, and the role of government. My interest in the County Supes race just dropped to zero.
Post amended. The recommendation stands to endorse neither candidate but has been updated to reflect that Gaspar is a gun grabber
Brian- I am going to buy the house next door to yours, tear it down, and build a three story casino with bright blinking lights. I know that you’ll advocate for my “property right” to do this and against the city “stealing” the land from me by prohibiting me from doing this.
You are truly a master-debater.
On second thought I think I’ll build a landfill next door to you, or maybe a liquor store. What do you think?
Author
“I know that you’ll advocate for my “property right” to do this and against the city “stealing” the land from me by prohibiting me from doing this”
You might be new to this debate here; I recognized municipal police power in my original objection to what Abed & Co enabled. The question, in Escondido, is can Councils and/or citizens change land use after its been acquired?
This is why you will hear a real estate broker say that the property has been “grandfathered in”–there are examples of that all over the City of San Diego.
You can’t build a casino, landfill, or liquor store right next door to certain properties because the neighbors did their due diligence when they purchased their property. Other property owners may have seen value (lower prices, location, etc) near properties with more liberal zoning restrictions.
Let me answer your question — I will defend your right to develop a casino, liquor store, or landfill, if the property you purchase has no restrictions against said uses. If the property you purchase is specifically zoned FOR such land uses, and the neighbors seek to change it post purchase…I’ll scream on your behalf…LOUDLY.