What Happened in the 6th? Part III

The larger national trends created greater problems for the Huey campaign. No matter how much party leaders and voters will insist otherwise, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was just too weak a candidate. A record 24 million evangelical voters did not vote in 2012. The white vote was significantly lower this time than in 2008. The GOP turnout out was low, low, low; and the top party brass, which has made winning elections more important than promoting a winning vision to the voting public, trumped their own chances.

President Obama was a lackluster choice for Democrats, but Romney without a record to run on, had an inconsistent platform, with promises that distanced him from swing voters and moderates. The depressed reaction to his nomination, culminating with an octogenarian actor stealing his thunder at the convention, marginalized Romney as a real standard bearer. I am not surprised that a larger number of Republicans did not vote, turned off by Obama but not turned on by Romney.

Still, more outreach to minorities, respect for every voter as a potential supporter, these factors must grab the attention of future candidates. A stronger base of operations for Republicans will also engage voters who do not know or who do not currently care about what is happening to their state. The 2010 Republican candidate for the 36th Congressional District, Mattie Fein,  apparently did very little to support Craig Huey's run for Congress, and there was still less for the Huey team to work with for the 66th Assembly District run. This lack of support is unacceptable. No matter how much we differ or disagree with certain candidates, we need to support are man or woman as much as we can.

Voters in Gardena, West Carson, and Harbor City are people, too! It is appalling to me that the outreach was not there. The party leaders in the South Bay need to set up an office in the area, perhaps along Western Ave. The Republican Party needs to reach out to Michelle Rhee's "Students First" Organization, as well. This district still has a fiscally conservative heart beat. It's time for the Republicans to start playing the right music to get everyone into the groove.