GOP Candidate Endorsements
Posted by: Mr. Murphy | 07/16/2008 8:55 AM
I think it is a sign of future promise when a GOP candidate, who is defeated by a GOP candidate in a primary, endorses the winner and goes to work helping him. Many candidates lose their first time out, so really sometimes you are just looking at the person's behavior to see what they would be like if in fact elected.
On Monday at the Republican Party meeting Marshall Merrifield publicly endorsed Phil Thalheimer for San Diego City Council District 1. Good show. Everyone knows there were some hard feelings in the Marshall camp, particularly among some of his supporters, over the tone of the campaign's final week. Marshall's words, and Phil's words in return, were on point and demonstrated that Republicans would be united in taking back the seat from the labor's own Scott Peters (by the way how shocked was just about everyone who works in the 92101 zip code that Peters didn't win... I had someone actually tell me at 8pm election night that they understood the race was 'in the bag' for Peters). One strike, Marshall, does not a strike out make. Looking forward to you running in the future.
In the City Attorney's race there were two Republicans: Judge Jan Goldsmith and Councilman Brian Maienschein. Goldsmith was the GOPs endorsed candidate and came out on top, Maienschein at the bottom of the list of major candidates after mounting an ill considered campaign which attacked Goldsmith and alienated the Republican Party. I haven't heard a thing about whether or not Maienschein has endorsed Goldsmith, and since Maienschein is not exactly working his fingers to the bone at City Hall where I could get the question asked in public, I wonder if anyone else has heard?
In the Congressional race to replace Duncan Hunter I believe both of the candidates who fell short - Bob Watkins and Santee Councilman Brian Jones - have endorsed Duncan Hunter Jr. for the job. Good show! I was not there, but I understand Brian Jones endorsed the morning after the election at the Republican Party Unity Breakfast in a particularly strong and moving way.
As a Republican who works at City Hall I was surprised at the number of REPUBLICAN staffers who favored Peters... including at least one Republican officeholder's Chief of Staff.
There is a big difference between GOP staffers in most of the council offices and a good % of GOP legislative and supervisors' staff.
Whether it's a good thing or bad thing, City Hall staffers are notoriously non-partisan and non-political. At least they have been in the past few years.
Yes and someone that is non-partisan in elected office and doesn't look out for the party's bottom line, but the wimpy voters bottom line must go!
I left on vacation the day after the county meeting earlier this month and watched Mr. Marshall Merrifield’s very late and rather weak endorsement of fellow republican Mr. Phillip Thalheimer. This is especially true since I witnessed both men say that if the other wins, they will immediately endorse the runner to insure that we win the seat.
While I am grateful that he finally did it, the comments about “hurt feelings” on the Merrifield side was a joke. I live in the district and this campaign was mild at best. On top of that the disgusting mailing and emails came from the Merrifield side, I received all of them, so I should know. In my opinion it should Mr. Thalheimer’s side that should be angry, but I have not heard a work of complaint from anyone inside or outside his team.
What I would have liked to have see; was Mr. Merrifield handing a 540.00 dollar check in front of all of us that night; anything less is just empty words. Hopefully that has happened in my absence and the two teams are working closely together by now; but sadly after watching Mr. Merrifield over the last year, I doubt it.