California Primary 2018: Thoughts on the Governor's Race

I was a Travis Allen supporter the moment that he announced his bid to run for governor. I had met him at the Winter 2017 CAGOP Convention in Sacramento in mid-February. He had submitted legislation which would defund all sanctuary jurisdictions in the state of California. I gave him the contact information for Robin Hvidston of We the People Rising.

He reached out to them and invited them to speak on behalf of his legislation. Even though the committee killed the bill (no surprise there), at least someone was willing to introduce measure. Decisions like that made Allen my first choice. It was an affirmative vote of support.

I even walked precincts for Allen toward the end of the primary season. I was committed to helping him cross the finish line to take on Gavin Newsom. In debate after debate, he was the only candidate willing to take the strongest stance against the former San Francisco mayor. Allen was outspoken in his support of President Trump, while John Cox had to make up for the fact that he didn't even vote for Trump in the general election.

Then came the Trump endorsement two weeks before the primary:

California finally deserves a great Governor, one who understands borders, crime and lowering taxes. John Cox is the man - he’ll be the best Governor you’ve ever had. I fully endorse John Cox for Governor and look forward to working with him to Make California Great Again!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018

Like many conservatives across the state, this endorsement dismayed me. Didn't Trump know that Cox had voted for Gary Johnson for President? Didn't he know that Cox did not roll out as robust a program against illegal immigration, illegal aliens, and for border security?

Cox didn't have the heart of the grassroots, that's for sure.

Then the reports began rolling in that Cox was polling second place for the Governor's race. This was actually welcome news, even though I was voting and supporting Travis Allen. I talked with a Travis Allen supporter over the weekend before the primary vote. He and I agreed that it so vital to have a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the Top Two. The worst case scenario, Newsom vs. Villaraigosa, would have been beyond devastating. With no Republican candidate at the top of the ticket, the rest of the GOP ticket would have suffered, too.

Then we agreed that Travis had some issues. He was "too perfect". He had prepared statements in every event. He didn't really respond to the specific concerns of voters in different areas. The last time I heard him speak, I attended a function at UC Riverside. The opposition turnout was slight, with about ten Antifa/Communist members outside. Allen's stump speech got everyone in the room excited. But what he had to say, I had heard him say before.

On top of that, Allen never raised enough money. He just couldn't outdo Cox, who was already spending millions of his own. Name ID is crucial, and even when I was walking precincts for Allen, voters would tell me that they had never heard of him, but they knew about Cox.

While consultants like Aaron Park and Matt Shupe will argue that Allen had a whole bunch of problems, the issue boils down to money and the Trump endorsement. Indeed, the President's nod got Cox into the runoff, and that's a good thing ultimately. Whatever backroom deals may have taken place between Majority Leader McCarthy, President Trump, Newt Gingrich, and anyone else in Washington DC, the fact is that I am happy to have a Republican in the Top Two.

Within a day, friends of mine contacted me, devastated about the news. They were hardcore Travis Allen supporters, and they were made. "I will never vote for that man [Cox]", one lady told me. I quietly responded: "Do you want Gavin Newsom to be the next governor of California?"

I don't. He will turn the entire state of California into a San Francisco-style shithole. I want no part of that. It is imperative that every voter get behind John Cox and Make California Great Again.

There are other thoughts worth sharing about this race.

1. Antonio Villaraigosa's political career is finished. This guy was the Brown Supremacy/Democratic Party equivalent of the Swamp. Did we really want a left-wing, progressive echo in Sacramento? It's bad enough that Democrats have a chokehold on the state legislature. Villaraigosa would have been just as bad.

It's so gratifying to know that We the People Rising shamed him mercilessly in Cudahy last year, and that we will never have to deal with him going forward ever again.

Bye-bye, Tiny Tony!

2. Establishment Republicans, actually RINOs who had gotten behind Villaraigosa, like Meg Whitman, have egg on their fact, and it serves them right. Shame on them for putting their political machinations ahead of the better interests of the entire state of California. The consultant class like Hector Barajas also got behind Villaraigosa, to their everlasting shame. Let's hope that this small victory gives real Republicans an extra boost in taking back their party and the state going forward. Not just Democrats, but surrender-caucus Republicans have been part of the problem in this state. I can't wait to see them all gone!