Now that U.S. Representative Joseph cao, the only Vietnamese American in Congress, has voted for the Democrats’ health bill, his fellow Republicans are calling for his head.
Viet voters have been loyal Republicans for years, but they waited a long time for one of their own to ascend to the U.S. Congress. How do you think they are going to react to the attack on Cao by his fellow Republicans?
The GOP’s leaders have assumed the Viet vote – and it has been there for them. I have a feeling however that Viet voters are now ready to bolt the Republican Party. And why not? The Republican party leaders are clearly taking them for granted.
What do Viet voters get out of being Republicans? The President and both houses of the Congress are in blue hands. Viet voters can do the math. There really is no reason to stay in a GOP that doesn’t appreciate them and doesn’t support their only Congressman.
Why are some O.C. Republicans backing this clown instead of supporting Assistant County Clerk Hugh Nguyen?
Here in Orange County viet voters were thrilled to see one of their own, Hugh Nguyen, jump into the race for Tom Daly’s Clerk-Recorder’s office. But as soon as Chris Norby exited that race we saw a number of unqualified Republicans jump into the race, including Daly’s assistant, Renee Ramirez. Other GOP candidates include Orange Councilman Jon Dumitru and political consultant Laura Saucedo Cunningham.
Why aren’t these Republicans supporting Nguyen, who worked for beloved Clerk-Recorder Gary Granville for 12 years? Nguyen is now the Assistant Orange County Clerk – and he has a lot of bipartisan support. But once again, the Republicans are taking him for granted. Viet voters won’t be happy about that! If Nguyen prevails he will be the only Viet officeholder at the County level, with the exception of Supervisor Janet Nguyen – who also has failed to support Nguyen. No surprise there – everyone knows Janet is only for Janet.
Janet has also failed to endorse Quang Pham and Long Pham. And of course she is not helping Van Tran. The only Viet candidate she has ever helped in the past few years has been her Chief of Staff, Andrew Do, who carpetbagged his way onto the Garden Grove City Council last year.
And why are any O.C. Republicans backing Allan Mansoor over County Education Trustee Long Pham?
Janet’s longtime nemesis, Assemblyman Van Tran, is terming out – and sure enough the OC GOP didn’t even try to recruit a Viet candidate to replace him, even though his district includes Little Saigon. Instead, they are backing nutter Allan Mansoor, a Councilman in Costa Mesa. I hear that County Board of Education Trustee Long Pham is running for Tran’s seat. Pham is a lifelong Republican but his party leaders are lining up behind Mansoor. Again, they are taking the Viet vote for granted.
But Orange County viet voters have a choice now. They can register as Democrats. And the local Democrats are putting out the red carpet for them, even though the same Democrats backstabbed Hoa Van Tran when he ran against Janet Nguyen.
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez does not take Viet voters for granted…
Perhaps they have since learned their lesson. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who is being challenged by the aforementioned Van Tran and his fellow Republican Quang Pham, is going to be speaking at the kick-off event in celebration of the creation of Orange County’s first-ever Vietnamese American Democratic Political Action Committee.
The brunch will take place on Sunday, November 22nd from 12:30PM to 3:00PM at S Vietnamese Fine Dining Restaurant, locaated at 545 Westminster Mall Drive, Westminster, CA 92683.
$100 – Individual Tickets in Advance ($75 applied to VADPAC Membership)
$125 – Individual Tickets purchased at the door ($75 applied to VADPAC Membership)
Make a secure on-line contribution by clicking on the link here.
For further information or to RSVP, please contact Karen Hinks at (714)848-9395 or email at khinks@verizon.net.
And, as reported here on the Orange Juice by our blogger Jim Benson, Phu Nguyen, prospective Democratic Candidate for the 68th Assembly District, is going to be speaking to the 68th Assembly Democrats on Monday November 16th 2009 at 7pm, at their monthly meeting at Carrow’s Restaurant at the corner of Magnolia and Warner in Huntington Beach.
Phu Nguyen, Art Moreno and Tammy Tran at Lou Correa’s recent fundraising event
And let’s not forget State Senator Lou Correa. His Chief of Staff, Tammy Tran, is Vietnamese. And his recent fundraising event was attended by dozens of loyal Viet supporters. Click here to see pictures from that event.
Young Viet voters in particular are leaving the GOP in droves. The Republicans already lost the Latino vote. Will they now lose the Viet vote too?
Interesting post Art.
I have been wondering when the pardigm shift might occour. Latino’s historically democratic voters swayed toward the Texan Bush.
Many of the up and coming Viet voters know little ort nothing of the history that pushed thier parents right. To boot, many OC kids were educated at CSUF and UCi, not exactly bastions of the GOP.
As these kids who graduated from Bolsa Chica and University High School begin to raise thier own families, or (prior to that)begin to assemble and take an interest in the political scene, who are they going to pick? OBAMA or a 70 year old man?
The face of the OC voter is changing as fast as the face of Western Europe.