The Important California Primary

Two weeks from today, on Tuesday June 3, the all-important California primary will take place, with various Federal, State and local offices in contention. The most important of these primary races is that of the Office of Governor.

Unlike many other primary races in the various states, California is unique in that the top two primary winners face off in the general election, regardless of Party. Presently, Jerry Brown, the Democrat incumbent, is being challenged by two Republicans, Tim Donnelly, and Assemblyman from Encinitas, and Neel Kashkari, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability, from Sacramento.

 Based on the most recent polls, Mr. Brown and Mr. Donnelly are the two top leaders, which appear to be headed for a showdown in November. All other candidates, Democrat, Republican and other third party candidates are far behind, and will not likely factor in to the final result.

It's a funny thing about polls, though. They really don't mean much, since the polls, whether newspaper, television or professional, don't decide the winners; instead, the vote taken on Primary Day is the one that matters.

Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Donnelly. I found him to be an engaging, intelligent and sincere individual.

We talked about many issues, social, economic and governmental. As voters, you know what your issues are and how they affect you on a daily basis. Let me share, instead, my perception of Mr. Donnelly.

First and foremost, I believe he is a Fiscal Conservative, one who doesn't want to continue to throw good money at non-working programs. He recognizes that the taxpayers' hard-earned money is limited at best and is it not fair to waste that precious asset because "we always have."

Then, my next impression is that he is a Libertarian, one who believes in smaller government, you know the one, "of the people, by the people and for the people." Government is supposed to work for the people, not that the people must conform to the wishes of the government; that the government exists with the consent of the governed.

Finally, he is a Constitutionalist. All throughout our conversation, that theme seemed to flow on each issue. He believes that both the State and National Constitutions are documents which must be followed as written, because they outline the law, and not to be taken merely as suggestion lists.

Part of these themes includes the wishes of the voters, whether by ballot initiatives, propositions or other voter-approved measures. Mr. Donnelly believes that in each of these core values, the legislature writes the laws and the chief executive takes care that they are followed. He does not feel executive orders should be used to change or amend law, and that voter-wishes are paramount.

California, in my view, is a microcosm of the Nation as a whole. The political demographic breaks down like much of America.

There is a large rural area, more conservative than the rest of the state, which encompasses not only a huge land mass of the state but includes a substantial part of the population;  then, there is a more moderate business population which includes not only technology, but also  the financial and communications industries.

Finally, the entertainment industry is the most liberal of all, but not a monolith. As with other groups, there are quite a few surprises which are not necessarily evident at first blush.

So to sum up, an important primary is going to take place in two weeks, not the least of which is the primary for the next Governor. I am supporting Tim Donnelly for Governor, and I hope you turn out in large numbers to make a difference in how California will look over the next four years.

Just remember this: the future of California, and probably the Nation, is at your fingertips as you cast your vote.

If you want real change for California, Tim Donnelly is the man who will deliver it to you.