Statewide
Arnold Schwarzenegger easily defeated Phil Angelides. I was hoping his coattails could help McClintock or Strickland get it but that did not happen. Steve Poizner was elected Insurance Commissioner but a candidate would have to be pretty bad to lose to Cruz Bustamante.

Bruce McPherson, the only other Republican incumbent lost. I am relatively happy with that, especially after I saw him speak in Political Science 179 last semester. Among my problems with him is his support for in state tuition for illegal immigrants.

I wish a few of the bond measures would have gone down, but that was not the case. I am happy the cigarette and oil taxes went down. Prop 85 lost by a larger margin then last year’s 73.

The National Scene
Republicans did a lot of things to merit losing. Outrageous spending, increasing government programs, and lack of Social Security reform are a few of the culprits. The situation in Iraq swayed a few voters. The scandals including Jack Abramoff and Mark Foley did not help. The cover up by leaders in the house did not bolster confidence either.

I would not call the election results a realignment of politics, as much as the rejection of the current elected officials’ group performance. A lot of moderates picked up seats.

Six years ago I was excited. Republicans had control of both Houses and the Presidentancy. In ‘02 and ’04 they went against the tide and picked up even more seats. Along the way they lost the Republican values that were swept into office so dramatically in ’94. I want a new Contract with America for 2008.

I don’t think Democratic control of the Congress will mean a significant new policy direction. I did not hear a unified plan before the election. They will be contending with an opposing President and his veto. Also both sides will be preoccupied with the ’08 election. The Democrats will look for every possible way to build on their momentum and the Republicans will be looking for a President since no Vice President is waiting in the wings.

What are your complaints about the past and hopes for the future? What do you think the Democrats will get done with Speaker Pelosi and majority leader Reid?

Often local congressional elections are just that; referenda on local issues and the candidate who represents local interests. This year some races that were meant to be local have taken on national attention and importance; the FlashReport has some good commentary. Take for example the fight for the eleventh congressional district. The incumbent Richard Pombo would be expected to have little trouble winning reelection against Jerry McNerney. While there were allegations Pombo was tied to Jack Abramoff, local newspapers have cleared him of wrongdoing.

The national attention has brought national figures in to stump for both candidates. In this picture (courtesy of Josiah Prendergast) from last week a few members of the Berkeley College Republicans got to hear from Laura Bush at a rally for Pombo.

For better or worse the fight for this seat has drifted away from local issues. As a targeted race, millions of dollars from places far away have been dumped into the campaigns. I worry in races like this the constituent’s interests are taking a back seat to national concerns. However, if this is what the voters chose that must be what they want.

So which is more important, a good representative of your district or a party member who will put your party in the majority of the House? The majority party controls the chairmanship of all it’s committees, but the constituent oriented person makes local issues a concern.

If anyone has any thoughts or reasons why Pombo or McNerney would be better for the eleventh district or the country in general, I would like to hear them.

If you need one more reason to vote for Republicans for the House ask yourself,

Do I want her as speaker?

I don’t.

Feel free to share your ballot picks in the comments. My choices:

Governor: Art Olivier (L) - I can’t bring myself to vote for Arnold. He’s such a disappointment.

Lt. Governor: Tom McClintock (R) - I voted for him during the 2003 Recall; my first vote ever, and I don’t regret it. I’ll gladly vote for him again, since he represents a good direction (though not completely libertarian) for the Republicans to take. Since Arnold is certain to win, hopefully McClintock can help push him the right way.

Secretary of State: Gail K. Lightfoot (L) - We don’t need either party in this post, we need election reform.

Controller: Tony Strickland (R) - I’ve always heard his name in a positive, fiscally conservative context. Hopefully I won’t regret my vote.

Treasurer: Marian V Smithson (L) - Never heard of the Republican in this race.

Attorney General: Kenneth A. Weissman (L) - I just don’t agree with either of the major party candidates on the issues that this position will face.

Insurance Commissioner: Dale F. Ogden (L) - Poizner always seemed to moderate to me.

Senate: Michael S. Metti (L) - I knew I would be voting Libertarian for this position ever since the Republican primary gave me no options other than Dick Mountjoy.

House: James Eyer (L) - Here’s our interview with him.

Prop 1A: YES - Anything to limit what government can do.

Prop 1B-1E: NO

Prop 83: NO - Avoid the slippery slope, lest we become like “Big Brother” Britain.

Prop 84: NO

Prop 85: YES - No matter how you vote on this, you’re most likely a hypocrite when it comes to what kids should or should not be able to do. I’ll vote for what seems like common sense.

Prop 86: NO - Oppose the War on Drugs, in all forms.

Prop 87: NO - Don’t interfere with the free market.

Prop 88: NO

Prop 89: NO

Prop 90: YES - Our giant middle finger to the government.

I don’t know if I’ll be marking any of the local positions or measures. Let me know if there are people or measures that I really need to support or oppose.

My election rant:

Let’s face it, a large portion of conservatives and libertarians would like to see the Republicans lose big tomorrow. They truly deserve it. Though some polls are showing the GOP catching up in the polls, I’d rather they not pull through. If they do, the party leadership will take it as a sign that they can get away with whatever they want. And conservatives and libertarians will continue to be ignored, at no political cost. Sorry Republicans, but I support limited government. It’s taken me a couple years to realize that most Republicans don’t. I hope the party (that I am still a member of) goes down in flames tomorrow.

I hope the Democrats go down in flames too. Your party’s candidates may win tomorrow on the sole virtue that they are not Republicans. If you have anything to celebrate, it will be the fact that it is now your party’s turn to screw over the country. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the voters will want to be screwed by Republicans again in a couple of years. This is how it has been for over a century, and this is probably how it will continue to be.

Here’s a poll for you guys to ponder:

Among those saying they will vote for the Democratic House candidate, twice as many say it is because they want a change in leadership (54 percent), while others say it is because they agree with the policies of the Democratic Party (21 percent).

And another poll:

Queried about their views on the role of government, 54 percent of the 1,013 adults polled said they thought it was trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. Only 37 percent said they thought the government should do more to solve the country’s problems.

And finally:

Many adults in the United States believe there should be a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 53 per cent of respondents believe there should be a third major political party in the country, up three points since June 2004.

Guys, we obviously hate the two choices that we are presented with each and every election. But why do we continue voting for them? And why do we vote for someone we disagree with in an attempt to punish the other side? It makes absolutely no sense. You should vote for someone who shares your values. And if both sides are equally bad, don’t vote for either one. I’m surprised that this isn’t how everyone else operates.

So on to why I’m voting Libertarian and why you should too:

If you’re a libertarian, registered Libertarian or not, you will be helping a growing political movement. I predict that in the next couple of years, the party will reach a tipping point. In some places, the party is polling double digits, and may even win a few seats in state legislatures, as well as playing the “spoiler” in many races. Check out Hammer of Truth to see how far the party has come, in terms of professionalism and polling. Vote for liberty.

If you’re a conservative Republican who wants to punish the GOP, why help the Democrats in the process? What looks better for conservative values? A 60-40 Democrat advantage? Or a 50-40-10 Democrat win, with 10% for the Libertarians? At least with the Libertarian buffer, the Dems can’t imply that they have a mandate. Plus, you’ll force the Republicans to move libertarian and not left, which would be the result if it appeared that much of the country supports the Democrat agenda. Vote for small government.

If you’re a progressive Democrat, then you can help destroy the Republicans. If you just help the Democrats achieve an overwhelming majority, you are essentially supporting the political status quo. The Republicans will just take a few years to recover, modify their message slightly, and return to power. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again. However, if you support the rise of an emerging party, you will give the Republicans something to worry about. Throughout American history, parties have come and gone. It’s not unprecedented that, in just a couple of years, a party could fall from grace so quickly. Imagine elections where only the Democrats and Libertarians were serious contenders. Whoever wins, at least you’ll come out ahead on social issues and foreign policy. Vote for a better alternative.

If you’re a partisan Republican or Democrat, you’ll avoid being a hypocrite. Your parties do not live up to what they supposedly stand for. Check out these wonderful ads by Washington’s Libertarian Senate candidate Bruce Guthrie, a politician I wish I could vote for. Though these ads expose the hypocrisies of partisan Democrat voters, a similar series of ads could be made about partisan Republican voters. Don’t vote for a politician that doesn’t share your values. Vote your conscience.

Here’s hoping for a Republican loss tomorrow, and for the coming libertarian victory.

Hey look, a new Patriot. As always, read it online or pick it up on Sproul.

Highlights:

Chris Page on Student Action nonsense. And also on the campus’ sometimes-overlooked memorials to veterans.

Rohit Joy gives us his picks on the statewide propositions, while Alex Marlow takes on the Berkeley measures. James Fullmer writes about why we should re-elect Arnold, while Sunthosh Madireddi and Aditya Kashyap argue over whether we should punish the Congressional Republicans. To wrap up our election coverage, Derek Yee interviews John den Dulk and Matthew Vasquez interviews Mike DeNunzio.

James Fullmer thinks that USC should be our new rival, not Stanfurd.

Sid Radhakrishnan closes the magazine with a piece on an Iraqi hero.

This past week, we have been spotlighting the candidates running to represent Berkeley, along with other parts of the East Bay, in Congress. Republican John Den Dulk and Libertarian Jim Eyer kindly took time out of their busy schedules to share a few words with our readers. Surely, the incumbent Barbara Lee (or an aide) could spare a few minutes and engage her constituents…

Attempt 1, emailing the address listed on her campaign site:

From: mailer-DAEMON@leeforcongress.org
To: rodriguez@californiapatriot.org
Subject: failure notice
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:38:29 -0400

Sorry, unable to deliver your message to campaign@leeforcongress.org for the following reason:

552 Quota violation for campaign@leeforcongress.org

Attempt 2, trying the only other email address I could find:

From: imaca09reply@mail.house.gov
To: rodriguez@californiapatriot.org
Subject: Thanks for writing
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:20:31 -0400

Thank you for contacting my office. This is an automatic reply to the message you sent to our office.

Rest assured that your email will be given serious consideration. Please accept this correspondence as an acknowledgement that my office has received your communication, and that my staff will thoroughly review its content, and respond accordingly with more information.

Attempt 3, seeing if her campaign inbox has been cleared:

From: MAILER-DAEMON@leeforcongress.org
To: rodriguez@californiapatriot.org
Subject: failure notice
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:07:37 -0500

Sorry, unable to deliver your message to campaign@leeforcongress.org for the following reason:

552 Quota violation for campaign@leeforcongress.org

Apparently, the congresswoman’s campaign team doesn’t care if their email inbox is full. Interested in asking your congresswoman a question? Too bad, your email bounces back. One would think that keeping an open line of communication would be a top priority, especially during an election. But why bother when you’re already guaranteed to win? We’re just wasting her time. Who cares what we think?

And thus, your incumbent has passed up an opportunity to reach out to a new generation of voters. Voters who are now seeing first hand, the arrogance of incumbency, regardless of party.

Enjoy your victory Barbara Lee. Not that you needed us, or anyone else, for that matter, as your non-campaign so clearly demonstrates. Enjoy your years to come as a member of one of the world’s most exclusive clubs. You represent them, and not the people. You may or may not speak for us, but you obviously could care less about speaking to us. Why bother? You’re a career politician, Barbara. And you’re set.

Yesterday, we spotlighted John Den Dulk, the Republican candidate for the 9th Congressional District. Today, let’s see what Libertarian candidate Jim Eyer had to say:

Describe your core values in 3 sentences or less.

I reject the use of force for political or social purposes.

The common goal: a society of freedom, peace, prosperity, pursuit of happiness, equal treatment under the law, accountability for harm done, and respect for privacy.

Goodness is voluntary, morality is personal, and laws cannot change human nature.

Why would you make a better representative for the 9th district than Barbara Lee?

A. I have a solid and varied professional background including technical, marketing and management along with college degrees in physics and management.

B. For any new law or program I would emphasize the need to define success, specify when success will occur, and to characterize expected benefits, all costs, and possible unintended consequences.

C. I am not beholden to any special interests.

D. I will be everybody’s representative, not one for liberals or one for conservatives.

What do you have to offer to conservative and libertarian voters who are growing tired of the administration’s abuses of power?

I want to refocus our federal government on its core mission:: (1) preserve personal and economic liberty, (2) protect citizens against foreign enemies and from criminals, (3) hold people who cause harm accountable, (4) make judgment calls when peoples’ liberties conflict, and (5) preserve general order.

Finally, is there anything that you’d like to say to the young voters, especially college students, who are reading this?

One of my key messages to younger voters is that I want to reverse the growth of our government that is already too big and getting bigger. For one government is deciding more and more about your personal matters. Second, the spending means that when you are in the prime of your career 35% of your income will be needed just to pay for Social Security and Medicare. I’ll do whatever I can to reduce the 60 trillion in debt and unfunded obligations that our federal government has taken on and that you WILL pay for.

Tomorrow, the incumbent.

There are three candidates vying to represent California’s 9th Congressional District, the district that Berkeley is located in: incumbent Democrat Barbara Lee, Republican John Den Dulk, and Libertarian Jim Eyer. Since this district contains many college students, and many of these students are registered to vote locally, I thought it would be mutually beneficial to expose the candidates to you students and vice versa. I sent each candidate a short list of questions and I will be posting their responses each day this week.

Let’s begin with John Den Dulk, the Republican candidate:

Describe your core values in 3 sentences or less.

I believe that America is a force for good in the world, traditional values best shape the lives of our children and our own paths, and that we must pay more attention to the victims of crime and less to the concerns of criminals or terrorists, for that matter. I feel that the Left of the Democrat Party does not agree with these three ideals.

Why would you make a better representative for the 9th district than Barbara Lee?

I represent the Republicans and the traditional JFK Democrats better than she does. JFK lowered taxes and had a strong foreign policy. She speaks for the Radicals in Berkeley, not the Baptists in Oakland.

What do you have to offer to conservative and libertarian voters who are growing tired of the administration’s abuses of power?

The problem has more been individual congressmen, including those in positions of power, who have not lived up to Republican ideals the last few years. I do not agree that vigorously pursuing terrorists from foreign countries constitutes abuse of American citizens, as this question seems to imply.

Finally, is there anything that you’d like to say to the young voters, especially college students, who are reading this?

Get involved and stay involved! The BCRs are the best thing going on campus today.

A separate interview with Mr. Den Dulk can be found in the upcoming election issue of the Patriot. Jim Eyer’s responses coming tomorrow.