The Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) voted Monday evening to endorse former Councilmember Lorri Galloway for Mayor of Anaheim. It would have been startling if the DPOC failed to do so since Galloway is a viable candidate, a Democrat in good standing and the only Democrat running for mayor.
Nonetheless, I am told that former DPOC Vice Chair Greg Diamond tried to derail the endorsement. Diamond is a vocal supporter of Mayor Tom Tait, a conservative Republican. At the same time, the DPOC endorsed Jose F. Moreno even though he has endorsed Tait over Galloway.
Dan Chmielewski has more over at the LiberalOC.com:
The party firmly endorsed Lorri Galloway for Mayor. Galloway, who has never lost a race for Anaheim city council, got a rounding endorsement from Party chair Henry Vandermeir and a round of applause from the assembled members. Galloway had to withstand a challenge from ousted Party North Vice Chair Greg Diamond, who all but confirmed a de facto endorsement of Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait by referring to Galloway as “not a viable candidate” and suggesting the real race was between Lucille Kring and Tait and Diamond practically asked Galloway to step aside. The only problem with Diamond’s argument is that the DPOC should be in the business of backing and supporting Democratic candidates for office — not Republicans with a strong track record of being anti-union, anti-labor, hypocritical on votes that affect his city but not his business. Tait and Kring have been beating each other bloody while Galloway raises money, walks neighborhoods and talks to voters. Galloway has a proven ability to compromise on issues where Tait won’t and can’t. Galloway’s endorsement was further evidence that the DPOC did the right thing in ousting Diamond from his leadership post months ago. You cannot walk into the DPOC and advocate for a Republican candidate and expect to win. And Diamond further tarnishes his own reputation with Party members who still had the class to endorse him for a water district race he’s ill-equipped to handle even if elected.
You can read all of Dan’s post here.
Greg Diamond continues to embarrass himself in party circles. You can see people scurry away as he approaches, yet he seems oblivious.
Note to GD: Not everybody in the party (even on the Central Committee) is a Prius driving, pot smoking, free spirit, sworn to save the oppressed and solve poverty. Just the same as not every GOP member is a Bible thumping, Gun toting racist.
Stop trying to instill YOUR values and beliefs on everyone else. Remember, the less you say, the more people listen.
Lorri EARNED the endorsement.
Wouldn’t you expect a “viable candidate” to take public positions on major issues deliberated on by, or even have a public presence at, the public body they feel they are qualified to lead? Like the slogan “MOST of life is just showing up”,WHERE has Ms. Galloway been for the last YEAR, physically or via publicly expressed opinions? WHY have there been only ‘guesses’ as to her positions by second hand sources? Maybe the LACK OF A PUBLIC POSITION on anything CERTAINLY makes “compromise” easier!
Are you the OJBer who drew comment-on-Anaheim-Blog duty this week?
A viable candidate is one who can win. Galloway has a chance to win.
An non-viable candidate is one with little or no chance of victory; for example, Greg Diamond’s MWDOC candidacy.
Diamond takes the main reason a Democrat has a chance to be elected Anaheim Mayor, and uses it to argue to OC Democrats as the reason they SHOULDN’T endorse Galloway?
The city should have no problem beating this guy in court.