SD33 Watch: Sidhu Renounces Negative Campaigning
Posted by: Jubal | 05/21/2008 10:41 AM
A few minutes ago, Harry Sidhu wrapped one of the most interesting press conferences to which I've ever been.It was basically two parts. First, he addressed the "Orange County Grand Jury Report" mailer sent out by the Mimi Walters for Senate campaign, attacking it as deceptive and defending his record regarding working with OCE to screen Anaheim City Jail prisoners for illegal immigrants.
Pretty standard.
Then, Harry went on to discuss the negative tone of the SD33 race, said he took responsibility for his campaign's part in it, and then renounced any further negative campaigning, pledging that henceforth his voter communication would all be positive.
Nearby Harry were boxes of negative mail produced by his campaign, which he then proceeded to feed into a big shredder next to the podium.
A cynical interpretation is that it's easy to renounce negative campaigning two weeks before the election when you've already carpet-bombed your opponent with negative mail and ads, and SD33 voters are likely sick and tired of the hit pieces anyway.
And keep in mind that the independent expenditures committees can still do the dirty work of attacking Mimi -- so it's not as if the attacks on Walters are now going to stop.
And while I'm sure it isn't lost on Sidhu that there's a voter-pleasing political upside to publicly taking the high road, I think Harry is honestly bothered by his role is fostering a very negative campaign and concerned about how it reflects on him and his reputation.
Plus, I've worked for a self-made multimillionaire candidate before. They may be loaded, but they retain the penny-inching habits acquired from the lean financial times of their youth. Physically destroying mail you have already paid tens of thousands of dollars for is not something these guys do lightly.
We'll see how this plays out. I think both sides sense SD33 GOP voters are over-saturated with negative mail, and my guess is the forthcoming Walters mail will be largely positive, with maybe a few more hits thrown in.
The next round of Sidhu mailers and cable ads will likely try to win points with voters weary of negative mail by touting his renouncement of negative campaigns.
In the meantime, the damage has been done. Last night, my mother asked me who I was voting for in the 33rd Senate District.
"Mimi Walters," I told her.
"Isn't she the one who voted for the Democrat?", my mother responded, and I explained to her how that was a misleading attack. My mom relayed how the Sidhu cable attacking Mimi had been on TV a lot, and how it caused her "not to like her," citing the segment showing Walters with a wad of cash in her hand.
So, Harry's decision could turn out to be a brilliant political maneuver, or a fatal example of unilateral disarmament.We'll see.
UPDATE (11:31 a.m.): I'll have video of the presser up later this afternoon.
And Harry, his wife and daughter are still out in front of Anaheim City Hall, shredding away.
UPDATE (3:57 P.M.): When I finally left Anaheim City Hall close to noon, Harry and Co. were still out there shredding, and estimated they had another 15 minutes of shredding ahead of them.
CATEGORY:
SD33 Watch
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
It appears that there has been a mutiny on the Good Ship Lollipop and Harry now has the helm!
Kudos to Walters and her team for beating her opponent into complete submission. She did not start the fight, but boy did she finish it.
I have zero respect for a candidate that starts a negative campaign and then pulls a stunt like this.
I think Harry underestimated the nastiness of the Walters machine, and ended up bringing a knife to a gunfight.
Politics, unlike business, is winner-take-all.
The look on Harry's face in that photo is almost one of resignation. At the very least it's an admission of fault and can be slapped on a Walters mailer to good effect.
It's funny watching you guys here. I wonder how come no one comments on Walters "deceptive mailing that improperly used the name of the Orange County Grand Jury and altered the seal of the County of Orange to mislead you into believing that it was official county business mail. It was not from the Orange County Grand Jury or the Orange County Government." (quote from http://joinharry.com. Web site) Now, that's a hell of a stunt...
As Sen. Dick Mountjoy said "Is winning so important that you need to lie?"
The bottom line here is don't mess with the image of Santa.
The photo also shows that Sidhu is shredding an anti-illegal immigration piece. Is he softening his alleged position on that issue as well?
Looks like the OC Grand Jury has denounced the Walters' Mailer. Total Buzz Post. Here's the link:
http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2008/05/21/grand-jury-complains-about-walters-mailer/
Walters' mailer "deliberately misleading and deceptive" according to Orange County Grand Jury Press Release issued today.
May 21, 2008
GRAND JURY OBJECTS TO POLITICAL MAILER USING ITS NAME
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA - The 2007-2008 Orange County Grand Jury reviewed a political mailer sent by “Friends of Mimi Walters” designed to look as if it were sanctioned by the Grand
Jury.
The mailer referred to a report by the previous year’s Grand Jury calling upon the City of Anaheim to identify illegal aliens in its jail for deportation and mentioned an Anaheim councilman who opposed that recommendation.
This year’s Grand Jury said it respects the public’s right to agree or disagree with its recommendations but was responding to complaints that the Grand Jury appeared to be taking sides in a political contest.
Grand Jury Foreman Ann Avery Andres said the mailer was designed to look as if it came from the Orange County Grand Jury. “The mailer used an envelope and stationery closely resembling official Orange County letterhead,” Andres said. “As such, it was deliberately misleading and deceptive. We want the public to know that the Grand Jury had nothing to do with this political
matter.”
I think people are tired of all the negative campaining that is going on. KUDOS to Harry for taking this stand. Thats one ballsy guy.
Harry Sidhu took no stand at this press conference. He isn't courageous.
He was shredding old negative mail that had already gone out. It cost him nothing.
Most of the votes that will be cast in this election have probably already been cast. So again, the "pledge" costs him nothing.
He just pulled a cheap, weird political stunt that really amounted to nothing more than an admission of guilt, that he was guilty of negative campaigning that he swears has only been carried out by his opponent.
The second photo clearly shows boxes with "Harry Santa" marked on them. The woman is also clearly holding the Santa hit piece. This mail piece was mailed out over a week ago!
How is Harry Sidhu giving up negative campaigning by shredding excess hit pieces he's already mailed out?
Negative campaigning works in some campaigns. In this race, theres been way too much negative campaigning. Glad that Mr. Sidhu is going to focus on the positive. That is the kind of representation I want.
I think it's funny that everyone gets up in arms everytime Harry does something that is not "traditional" campaigning. I personally like both candidates in this race and think they are both equally qualified to hold this seat. Perhaps he just felt bad about the negativity in the campaign. I mean (IMO) his pieces were not half as bad as her's making him look black, and the hindo lotto one about the anaheim tickets. I think it is good and hope both sides go positive.
Who cares what he is shredding. It's all symbolic. Once upon a time the republicans were unreproachable concerning ethics and fair play. Now take a sorry look what it's all about. Looks like a bunch of juveniles attempting to run the Government. What is wrong with that picture.
the point was to let the public know about Mimi's misleading literature that was being sent out...people are tired of the negative campaigning! It's good that Harry decided to stop the negative campaigning :) even if it was just a publicity stunt, who cares?! at least he has stopped with the negative campaigning, unlike Mimi's campaign who wont stop even though this is only a local election, not a presidential election!!