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Why the exclamation point you ask? Isn’t this just one more boring endorsement post? Am I at long last using exclamation points in every title? Am I no better than Ron and Anna Winship in that regard?
No, no, and no. It really was surprising and good news – to me at least – when I heard that the OC Young Democrats had voted – by 74% even! – to endorse Joe Dunn in the 46th Congressional race to replace Loretta. Last I’d checked, that group was a bunch of aspiring young “business Democrats” enamored of Jordan Brandman and Frank Barbaro. Last I’d checked, their leadership was showing up at desalination hearings talking about how badly we need Poseidon and how it wasn’t really so bad for the environment. I figured they’d be a natural constituency for Lou Correa. (Or maybe get all “youthful” and shit, and go with young Bao Nguyen.)
Pero no, turns out the OCYD have gone through a major sea change and have new leadership, a new and diverse executive board which you can see above, some of whom have agreed with me that they are “progressive.” Wait, again, let’s not just throw around words, what do we mean by progressive? What I mean is VERY AWARE OF, and DOING SOMETHING ABOUT, the horrific INEQUALITY typifying our era. As opposed to the “moderate” or “business democrats” who pay some lip service to that but prioritize making compromises with big moneyed interests, who always seem to get their way when push comes to shove.
Sort of like the difference between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. And sure enough, a check of Young Dems’ Facebook walls shows many of them to be “Feelin’ the Bern.” At Joe’s meet-and-greet in Paul Lucas’ pool yard Saturday, he smoothly declined to express a preference between the two Democratic presidential candidates, stating that the two contenders have “the same goal,” but “different ways to get there.” I think he must know that’s not true, even if it is a tactful thing to say – to take just one example, Hillary has angrily described single-payer – the ONLY affordable way we can have universal health care – as something that “is NEVER going to happen.” Sounds kind of like not a goal.
The new OC Young Dems speak respectfully of Senator Correa pero:
“…both Sen Dunn and Correa have been longtime friends of OCYD. All three candidates were invited to come to the meeting and address their supporters. Mayor Nguyen did not attend the meeting but both Senators did. Joe made his pitch to young voters about the need of electing progressives and not establishment candidates. Since the beginning of the campaign the senator has been courting young voters, showing up at various college democrats events, making them part of the campaign, and meeting with them. Joe had a good ground game and it showed when over 60 votes were cast and the senator more than clearly crossed the threshold mark (74%)…”
Correa, Dunn, Nguyen. Pic by Weekly.
Joe also speaks respectfully of Lou in public, but has a very easy time drawing contrasts between their records and philosophies. At one point Saturday we discussed the problems he has with the TPP and previous similar “free trade agreements” like NAFTA, how at their roots they give more power to corporations than elected governments including our own, and how we are in danger of losing our current “nation-states” to an overarching worldwide “market state.” The state legislature, on which both men served, has no power over such trade deals, but there were always resolutions in favor or against – unsurprisingly, Lou always voted in favor, Joe against.
I’ve heard both Joe and Lou speak a few times in recent months. Lou speaks very emotionally with emphasis on where he came from, who he is, how he is one of us, how he has always been dedicated to getting the people of his district what they need. Joe on the other hand talks about his vision of a new American progressive era which he has seen many portents of, and wants to be part of. I’ll get one of his talks on video next time, I don’t want to get any of it wrong, but it is inspiring.
Joe boasts of having the most appeal to “millennials,” that vast young voting bloc which will also propel Bernie into the White House if anything does. He has the numbers, the volunteers, to prove it – and some of them wave from the other table over there. “Really, even more than Bao?” We all think the world of Bao, but even voters his age and younger agree that he doesn’t have the experience and record to do this Congress thing, that Garden Grove still needs him, and that he should halt this crusade the sooner the better. I will not quote the tactful Dunn on that.
And that’s all I have to say about that today. Thank you Young Dems!
Congratulations on the endorsement. Joe has always been as class act. Petty sniping at opponents is beneath him.
Paul Lucas has a pool party with the young dems and Im not invited? He is dead to me…
hehe no greg two different events. :o)
I seem to remember YOU not allowing Paul to be the Centaur Christchild in your Nativity scene, when you were all too happy to let me be a Viking Magus.
Granted, I don’t know much about Dunn. But I know all that I need to know about Lou Correa. And it would take a flogging for me to vote for him. And I haven’t seen any other candidate on the congressional ballot worth voting for. So by process of elimination right now I would lean in favor of Joe. But his wishy-washy answer on the Clinton/Bernie Democrat nomination left a bad taste in my mouth. That’s the problem with politics today. Too much politics and not enough intestinal fortitude. There’s a vast difference between Clinton and Bernie. It’s almost like being non-committal when asked “Which do you prefer? Diet or regular Pepsi?” Common citizens are tired of that nonsense. We want conviction. Come on, Joe. Take a stand. By doing so you would have a much better chance of gaining my support.
Btw, “nice” doesn’t win elections. Joe needs to pick Correa apart. And there’s certainly more than enough material to choose from.
This was a little bit of a surprise to hear. Some consider Joe just another out of touch white millionare lawyer.
He really hasn’t been involved in the community until he ran for this seat, but I suppose he’s better than Lou and certainly better than Bao, who doesn’t even live in the district.
Good Luck Dunn!
Joe has always been active in the community after he termed out of office. Its just that he wasn’t an elected official so he didn’t get much ink coverage of it because of that. he was behind many major efforts such as establishing the law school at UCI. Founding the Voice of OC. many things that do not usually get much attention form the press.
*Joe is just one of those people that likes to do for others. His whole family is like that. Joe was working various projects the entire time he was out of office. We will be very lucky to have Joe as a member of the United States Congress!
I didn’t know UCI was in central county! I like Joe, We live in his neighborhood. I have NEVER seen him at church, school city council or other LOCAL events in ten years. Lets not pretend that he is anywhere near entrenched in local policies/issues. He is a 5%’r for sure. He lives 1,000 yards from the most densely populated neighborhood in America, yet few have ever seen him.
Good Man…..Sure…Man of the “people”….Hardly.
Joe will make a fine Congressman. But don’t pretend he is not a lobbyist, opportunist, elite politican.
Like I said: Good Luck Joe.
Actually after Joe’s open house a couple months ago, I talked to a few of his neighbors who happened to be out watering their lawns & stuff, between his place and my car … and they all know and like him as a guy that walks his dog every day and talks and listens to them about whatever they feel like talking about … even people who didn’t know he was a politician.
And I have started to think of Irvine as part of central county. Irvine, Santa Ana, Tustin, maybe Orange. For one thing it’s covered by OCWD. The more you see how big SOI is, the more you think of Irvine as central.
*If you have doubts about Joe’s Community Service or his activism on various issues…you might want to ask around and Chairman Vern did and then decide for yourself.
Does anyone, including Democrats who are young, really care what the Young Democrats think? How many young voters even know that such an organization exists? I doubt that many do.
I am pretty confident the Lou Correa cares. This disturbs his campaign narrative.
Lou is said to be lining up the traditional Santa Ana pol’s save the Amezcua/Renya/Benavides cabal to paint himself as the “Latino” candidate.
Have you noticed the whole “Jose Luis” thing?
Despite what Adam E. thinks, Pulido is still immensely popular in central county and if he runs for mayor one last time, you can bet they will slate the shit out of whever the other “top two” finsher is, presumably Dunn.
What jose louis thing? and i thought the whole sa council was supporting him.
*When Lou stopped responding to our e-mails was the last day he had credibility.
Heck, Lou is likeable…..just not worthy to be a Congressman.
And here’s the press release:
Young Democrats Go Big for Joe Dunn for Congress
Santa Ana, Calif. – The Orange County Young Democrats (OCYD) have endorsed Joe Dunn for California’s 46th Congressional District, announced the Dunn campaign.
“Joe Dunn has been a champion on fighting the establishment to help young people get ahead,” said Jesse Ben Ron, chair of the Orange County Young Democrats. “As a state senator, he led efforts to make college credits more transferable and to prevent credit card vendors from preying on students. Joe’s the most qualified candidate to push through the gridlock in Congress to help reduce student loan debt.”
As the official voice for young people in the Democratic Party of Orange County, OCYD is a network of Young Democrat activists that are helping to provide a Democratic presence throughout Orange County communities, colleges and high school campuses.
Joe Dunn has thirty years of experience standing up to the establishment, and holding big corporations and government bureaucracies accountable to Orange County’s middle-class families. He’s empowered communities through the legal system to stop polluters and fought price-gouging drug companies. He investigated Enron and other unethical energy companies manipulating prices. He took on oil companies ripping off consumers at the gas pump and stood up to gun manufacturers to make our neighborhoods safer.
Joe fought to secure millions of dollars from tobacco companies to be used for local health care services and community clinics. While heading the California Medical Association, Joe worked with physicians to help broaden access to affordable health care for Californians.
Joe is currently a law professor at the University of California at Irvine and is helping to expand the school’s labor community partnership into a permanent program that would give workers a stronger voice in the local economy.
Joe lives with his wife, Diane, in their Santa Ana home of nearly twenty years. They have two adult children, Sarah and John. California’s 46th congressional district includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, and Santa Ana.
…But at least Lou has Kerry Condon’s murderous and kleptocratic Anaheim Police Association – backers of Lucille Kring and Kris Murray, haters of Tom Tait!
http://www.theliberaloc.com/2016/02/17/correa-backed-by-anaheim-police-officers-association/
yaay lets all get on board with the Klepto-cratic machine that sells its own people down the river.
I forgot to add DINOs.
How many of these endorsers are under federal investigation or threat of investigation?
I know I’d sure like to have a Congressman in my pocket if the FBI came knocking . . .
Thats a good question.