by Bob Brigham [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

From California you'll need more than a half pack of cigarettes, but hit it:

DEMOCRATS THROW OPEN DOORS OF CONVENTION,

OBAMA TO ACCEPT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ON

CLOSING NIGHT OF 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF MORE THAN 75,000

read more »

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Steven J. Ybarra, JD

Race, sex and age are always issues in every political campaign.

In every political campaign a successful candidate will confront racism, acknowledge economic inequality, and assure voters of all ages that their agendas will be addressed. For the last eight years I have trained thousands of political activists to address race, sex and age in the fight to get political power. Most intelligent people acknowledge that political power is never given - it is only taken.

The Mexican American in today's society is feared as an illegal alien in his own country. He is not viewed as a contributor but as a tax burden on white and black society, even though he is the one who is a strong part of the backbone of small business in America. He is attacked as the one who is stealing jobs. Mind you the phrase is always about “illegal aliens” but racists rarely are able to distinguish between those who are citizens and those who are not.

The Mexican American is a citizen who is feared by the beltway political bubble because of its inability to pigeonhole this voter into any clear mold.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Obama and Clinton in Trench Warfare in California’s 53 Congressional Districts for Democratic Delegates on Super Tuesday—A Day When 52% of Elected Delegates Will Be Chosen

By Frank D. Russo

Nine days before California votes, along with 21 other states and American Samoa, the race for the Democratic nomination for President is wide open between two candidates: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. On February 5, “Super Tuesday,” 52% of all the elected delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be chosen.

California will send the largest delegation to the convention—441—22% of the 2025 convention votes needed for nomination. While many, myself included, are fascinated by the polls and predictions of who will win California’s primary, the real focus in this state and nationally now turns to a fight for delegates, most of whom will be chosen in each of our 53 Congressional Districts.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Forms Now Available to Run

By Frank D. Russo

Many of the articles written about the California Democratic Presidential primary focus on the horse race of the statewide popular vote, and by the time the ink is dry on this article there will probably be another poll and more prognostications as to who the likely winner is going to be when the votes are counted February 5.

While the statewide vote will provide a candidate with “momentum” and a victory, what is lost with this focus is that we are electing delegates to the Democratic National Convention—and that the bulk of the action here takes place locally, in each of our state’s 53 Congressional Districts. 241 of California’s 441 delegates are elected based on the share of the vote the candidates for President receive in those districts. Only 81 delegates are elected “at-large” and go to the winner of the statewide vote.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party, today issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that California will host one of six DNC sanctioned presidential debates. The DNC sanctioned California debate is set to take place on December 10th in Los Angeles, and will be sponsored by CBS. 

"Today’s announcement by the DNC is a step forward for the people of California and a step forward for the Democratic process. As Senator Perata, Speaker Núñez, and I wrote to Chairman Howard Dean in a letter last month asking for California to be considered to host one of the debates, California is home to nearly seven million Democratic voters, a global economic power, and the most culturally and ethnically diverse state in the nation. With our February 5th primary and now the White House hopefuls set to debate the issues that matter to Californians, it is ensured that our terrific field of candidates will be responsive to California’s great diversity of ideas and needs. For that reason all Americans will benefit."

The six DNC sanctioned debates and the media sponsors announced today are as follows: