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California Dreamin ...
part 1
By Tanya K. Metaksa
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Santa Barbara, CA, December 2, 1998. I have been in Santa Barbara, California for approximately 10 days and now understand why so many people have moved to this state. Most of my previous trips, although some were for an equivalent period of time, kept me constantly on the go without a chance to catch to smell or view the beauty. This time it's different. One of my daughters has moved here and is expecting her second child anytime. So the ambiance is one of happy anticipation, plus the work of moving into a new home with a very active two-year-old in tow--quite different from the hyperactivity of an executive in the gun rights struggle with a staff of 75 in tow. Yet, I have been keeping abreast of the California political scene. Governor Wilson appears to be trying to ensure his legacy and making appointments before his term expires, while all the policy supporters of Grey Davis are lining up with their hands outstretched in anticipation of the spoils of victory. And, as many California gun owners have pointed out, this does not bode well for millions of law-abiding gun owners in this state. Even CALPEEK's November 16, 1998 issue stated, "Gun control issues surfaced in 3 races: governor, U.S. Senate and for AG. In all three races, Demos who favor tougher controls on assault weapons & Saturday Night Special cheap handguns beat their rivals." CALPEEK's analysts predict that with the bigger Democrat majority next year some version of both bills that were vetoed by Wilson in 1997 and 1998 will be passed by the legislature again. Yet, they issue a warning--"sources say Demos will be very careful after passing those two bills to avoid angering white male Demos." So what happened on the way to November 3, 1998? There has been much hand wringing and teeth gnashing by not only the California GOP, but the national party as well. Interestingly, no one in that party really saw the handwriting on the wall. This year, reminiscent of 1996, the party of the elephant decided to nominate a candidate who was deserving of the honor of the nomination, not necessarily capable of winning the election; a political version of the Peter Principle. Dan Lungren, as the anointed heir apparent to Governor Wilson, forgot that politics is a team sport. In order to march the ball down the field and cross the goal line, cooperation with and support of your fellow team members is key to a Super Bowl win. Even the highest paid NFL quarterback understands that he needs blockers, tacklers and receivers to put the points on the scoreboard. But Lungren's political history is full of stories about his inability to work with others to advance the whole Republican team. All through 1997 and 1998 I met many people who were very, very supportive of Dan Lungren. And yet, it appeared that he never worked with other candidates to build a Republican team that would and could win in November. Lungren had the luxury of a non-primary, while those seeking to become the Democratic nominee for governor spent millions attacking each other during that bitter primary. It looked like it should be a slam-dunk for Dan. Gray Davis emerged from that bitter primary with very little money left in his bank account, while Dan still retained millions. Yet, for too many precious weeks Dan did not listen to the citizens of California. He stayed on the "crime" message, as though he was still running for Attorney General. In a way, he signaled to the electorate that he knew better than they did what was important this year. And the electorate tuned him out and forgot to listen all the way through Election Day. We all know that Dan lost to Gray by 20 points, 58% vs. 38.4%. That spread should not happen in California. Why the great disparity? In L.A. County, a dead Sheriff, Sherman Block, received 61,000 more votes than Dan. Well, you might say, Sheriff Block, was a popular fellow. Well, leave L.A. and move way north to Siskiyou County above Sacramento. In Siskiyou Matt Fong beat Boxer by 55% to 39%, Republican Tim Leslie took 53% of the vote in the Lieutenant Governor's race, but Dan Lungren only received 29% of the vote, coming in behind the candidate for the Peace and Freedom party. Even in a very Republican county, Dan trailed the ticket. It appears that California voters were looking for a governor who would listen and also would be part of a team effort. Gray Davis and the Democrats sent that message. Dan Lungren and the Republicans did not. He failed to bring together the Republican candidate team under his leadership. When he did not address the concerns of a large percentage of the electorate, he doomed the party to failure. Every political candidate yearns for a strong top of the ticket. But when the top of the ticket is behind the whole slate, the rest of the candidates are fighting a lonely, uphill, and losing battle. Tanya K. Metaksa is the former Executive Director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). Author of "Safe, Not Sorry", Mrs. Metaksa has appeared on many TV and radio shows such as "Crossfire", "Nightline" and "This Week". |
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