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Allen Hoffenblum, a ling time California political consultant, pundit and author asks the question.

But the NPP candidate that will get the closest attention is Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, who is running for Congress in an open district (CD26) where GOP state Sen. Tony Strickland and Democratic Asm. Julia Brownley are running (three other Democrats are also expected to be on the ballot).

Parks is a moderate Republican who has long feuded with the area’s hard-core conservative activists. In her Nov. 2010 race for reelection to the Board of Supervisors, Park’s opponent was former Asm. Audra Strickland, wife of Tony. Though both were registered Republicans, the state GOP got involved, donating $50,000 to the Audra Strickland campaign. Parks, however, won, 61% – 39%.

Statewide, independent voters – which the Secretary of State now labels as No Party Preference – comprise 21 percent of the electorate, just nine percent behind the Republican statewide registration of 30%.

How well Parks performs in the June Primary may well determine if state voters, in sufficient numbers, are ready to cast a vote for an individual without a political party label.

If she does well, along with continued increase in NPP registration and the continued decrease in GOP registration, the NPP label may evolve into being the serious “third party” alternative so many voters have been clamoring for.

Linda Parks has been really a Democrat cloaked in a Republican registration for many years. Parks supporters have always been from a anti-business, slow-growth populist constituency. She never before has run for a partisan office, nor one based out of her geographical base of Thousand Oaks.

When Parks beat former GOP Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, she beat a carpetbagger POL who had to move into the Ventura County Supervisorial District to challenge Parks. And, the incumbent supervisor had the overwhelming support of the Democrats and the Ventura County Public Employee Unions in the district.

A smaller (smaller than a Congressional District) Supervisorial District, a challenger who was absent from the district most of the time and who was from Moorpark (not Thousand Oaks, where all of the voters are) aided Parks in her re-election effort.

The top two and partisan June Primary election will be a whole different type of election.

The Democrats will have a candidate in Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and will throw resources behind her.

The Ventura County Employee Unions, a Democratic supporting constituency will have to stay either neutral or support both of them.

Campaign contributions for Parks will be harder to obtain ( Democrats and Republicans should tap more sources of special interest money) and she will need to communicate to other areas of the Congressional District – stretching campaign resources, especially to respond to attacks from the Dems and GOP.

I think Linda Parks will be lucky to be in the top two in June and go forward to the November general election.

But, she has surprised before….

Audra Strickland made it official today. She is running against Linda Parks, the incumbent Ventura County Supervisor, for the Thousand Oaks area supervisorial seat.

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland announced this afternoon that she is running for 2nd District Ventura County supervisor.

The district includes Thousand Oaks and nearby areas and is currently represented by Supervisor Linda Parks. She will be up for re-election on the June primary ballot.

Strickland’s Assembly district includes the Conejo Valley, but until recently she lived in Moorpark, outside the 2nd District.

At a news conference today, Strickland said her family moved to Thousand Oaks a week ago. Seeking to head off criticism of district-shopping, or “carpetbagging,” she called Parks “a single-issue candidate” focused on environmentalism, and said she “might as well be a carpetbagger from Berkeley.

“There seems to be a resounding message about the lack of true representation of our community on the county Board of Supervisors,” Strickland said.

Watch for a bruising, rough and tumble campaign. Linda Parks has been a nominal Republican at best having supported Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson for California State Senate against Audra’s husband, Tony. The full force of the Ventura County Republican Party will be for Audra.

Moreover, Parks has been an anti-business environmentalist while on the County Board and as a City Councilwoman in Thousand Oaks.

Will the anti-incumbent mood of the voters and a well financed campaign against Parks be successful?

My bet is Yes.

Stay tuned……

Here is an updated news story from the trial.

Joel Angeles, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark, was acquitted Friday of misdemeanor charges that he roughed up three demonstrators outside a June 2008 fundraiser for Strickland’s husband, state Sen. Tony Strickland.

“I’m very happy,” Angeles, 45, of Sacramento, said after the jury’s verdicts were announced in Ventura County Superior Court. “I just wanted to get a fair shot from the jury, and I believe I did. They weighed the evidence and listened to everything fairly, and I’m just appreciative that they did great work.”

Angeles said he felt “a big relief” to have the case behind him.

Audra Strickland, who was in court for the verdicts, said she was “very, very pleased. I knew all along that my chief of staff was innocent, and I’m very pleased that a jury of his peers agreed.”

Read it all and pay particular attention to the LACK of CREDIBILITY of prosecution witnesses which persuaded the jury to acquitt.

This politically motivated criminal prosecution for battery against Jose “Joel” Angeles who is Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s, R-Moorpark, Chief of Staff ended with a Ventura County Jury acquitting Angeles of all charges today.

Flap first wrote about the case almost a year ago.

Flap was there and wrote this post after the altercation/protests and the fundraising event for Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s husband, Tony.

The entire Flap was and continues to be a “He Said, They Said” argument. Flap did not see the supposed “smack down”  but did interview one of the female alleged victims. She did have  scratches on her right arm which she said she received by being pushed  into an adjoining hedge.

But, the hedge had sharp prongs, the sidewalk was filled with people  and Flap was easily pushed into it and scratched his own arm.

Ventura County Sheriff officers interviewed all parties and since none of the parties would pursue prosecution or a citizen’s arrest, no arrests were made.

As I wrote previously:

Democratic Party activists of Ventura County tried to sink the candidacy of now, newly elected GOP California State Senator Tony Strickland by creating a row out in front of his fundraising event with Mitt Romney. But, it didn’t work and Strickland was elected by a narrow margin in a closely contested race.

But, this case has dragged on by the outrageous claims of the 69 year old President of the Camarillo Democratic Club and the dogged prosecution by partisan Demcorat Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office.

This case is going nowhere (unless an outright acquittal or dismissal) and does anyone bet that there will be some sort of plea deal on the courthouse steps?

If not, the question will be: Why is Jerry Brown, the Democrat Attorney General who will run for Governor in 2010 wasting taxpayers dollars on a politcal prosecution?

This case was BS and should never have been tried except for the fact that Jerry Brown, the California Attorney General and his minions in the AG’s office are Democratic Party hacks who abuse the law for their own political agendas. Remember when Jerry Brown took the absurd position in the California Proposition 8 case and was virtually laughed out of the California Supreme Court as the moron he is?

The Ventura County Democrats set this whole FLAP up and tried to defeat California State Senator Tony Strickland with a scandal. Their machinations did not work in the election and they could not fool a Ventura County jury.

What a waste of taxpayer money.

This FLAP will rise again when Jerry Brown comes to Ventura County as a candidate for Governor.

Joel Angeles, Chief of Staff of California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R- Moorpark talking with a Ventura County Sheriff Officer during protest rally on June 17, 2008. Photo By Flap

Previous:

Ventura County Political Fight of Joel Angeles Headed to Court

Ventura County District Attorney Refers Audra Strickland Aide Case to California Attorney General

Audra Strickland Watch: Three Protesters File Criminal Complaints Against Chief of Staff Joel Angeles

Audra Strickland Watch: Chief of Staff Joel Angeles Placed on Leave

Hannah-Beth Jackson Watch: Blows More Smoke Over Tobacco Company Protest

Tony Strickland Watch: Taking it to the Streets – Politics That Is

This politically motivated criminal prosecution for battery against Jose “Joel” Angeles who is Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s, R-Moorpark, Chief of Staff ended with a Ventura County Jury acquitting Angeles of all charges today.

Flap first wrote about the case almost a year ago.

Flap was there and wrote this post after the altercation/protests and the fundraising event for Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s husband, Tony.

The entire Flap was and continues to be a “He Said, They Said” argument. Flap did not see the supposed “smack down”  but did interview one of the female alleged victims. She did have  scratches on her right arm which she said she received by being pushed  into an adjoining hedge.

But, the hedge had sharp prongs, the sidewalk was filled with people  and Flap was easily pushed into it and scratched his own arm.

Ventura County Sheriff officers interviewed all parties and since none of the parties would pursue prosecution or a citizen’s arrest, no arrests were made.

As I wrote previously:

Democratic Party activists of Ventura County tried to sink the candidacy of now, newly elected GOP California State Senator Tony Strickland by creating a row out in front of his fundraising event with Mitt Romney. But, it didn’t work and Strickland was elected by a narrow margin in a closely contested race.

But, this case has dragged on by the outrageous claims of the 69 year old President of the Camarillo Democratic Club and the dogged prosecution by partisan Demcorat Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office.

This case is going nowhere (unless an outright acquittal or dismissal) and does anyone bet that there will be some sort of plea deal on the courthouse steps?

If not, the question will be: Why is Jerry Brown, the Democrat Attorney General who will run for Governor in 2010 wasting taxpayers dollars on a politcal prosecution?

This case was BS and should never have been tried except for the fact that Jerry Brown, the California Attorney General and his minions in the AG’s office are Democratic Party hacks who abuse the law for their own political agendas. Remember when Jerry Brown took the absurd position in the California Proposition 8 case and was virtually laughed out of the California Supreme Court as the moron he is?

The Ventura County Democrats set this whole FLAP up and tried to defeat California State Senator Tony Strickland with a scandal. Their machinations did not work in the election and they could not fool a Ventura County jury.

What a waste of taxpayer money.

This FLAP will rise again when Jerry Brown comes to Ventura County as a candidate for Governor.

Joel Angeles, Chief of Staff of California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R- Moorpark talking with a Ventura County Sheriff Officer during protest rally on June 17, 2008. Photo By Flap

Previous:

Ventura County Political Fight of Joel Angeles Headed to Court

Ventura County District Attorney Refers Audra Strickland Aide Case to California Attorney General

Audra Strickland Watch: Three Protesters File Criminal Complaints Against Chief of Staff Joel Angeles

Audra Strickland Watch: Chief of Staff Joel Angeles Placed on Leave

Hannah-Beth Jackson Watch: Blows More Smoke Over Tobacco Company Protest

Tony Strickland Watch: Taking it to the Streets – Politics That Is

This politically motivated criminal prosecution for battery against Jose “Joel” Angeles who is Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s, R-Moorpark, Chief of Staff is headed to Ventura County Superior court on June 18, 2009.

Flap first wrote about the case almost a year ago.

Flap was there and wrote this post after the altercation/protests and the fundraising event for Assemblywoman Audra Strickland’s husband, Tony.

The entire Flap was and continues to be a “He Said, They Said” argument. Flap did not see the supposed “smack down”
but did interview one of the female alleged victims. She did have
scratches on her right arm which she said she received by being pushed
into an adjoining hedge.

But, the hedge had sharp prongs, the sidewalk was filled with people
and Flap was easily pushed into it and scratched his own arm.

Ventura County Sheriff officers interviewed all parties and since none of the parties would pursue prosecution or a citizen’s arrest, no arrests were made.

Democratic Party activists of Ventura County tried to sink the candidacy of now, newly elected GOP California State Senator Tony Strickland by creating a row out in front of his fundraising event with Mitt Romney. But, it didn’t work and Strickland was elected by a narrow margin in a closely contested race.

But, this case has dragged on by the outrageous claims of the 69 year old President of the Camarillo Democratic Club and the dogged prosecution by partisan Demcorat Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office.

This case is going nowhere (unless an outright acquittal or dismissal) and does anyone bet that there will be some sort of plea deal on the courthouse steps?

If not, the question will be: Why is Jerry Brown, the Democrat Attorney General who will run for Governor in 2010 wasting taxpayers dollars on a politcal prosecution?

Stay tuned……

Previous:

Ventura County District Attorney Refers Audra Strickland Aide Case to California Attorney General

Audra Strickland Watch: Three Protesters File Criminal Complaints Against Chief of Staff Joel Angeles

Audra Strickland Watch: Chief of Staff Joel Angeles Placed on Leave

Hannah-Beth Jackson Watch: Blows More Smoke Over Tobacco Company Protest

Tony Strickland Watch: Taking it to the Streets – Politics That Is

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Technorati Tags: Joel Angeles, Audra Strickland, Tony Strickland

Yes, in Sacramento today at Gallagher’s for a race in 2010.

For California Secretary of State in 2010?

Maybe but perhaps not.

It is fundraising nevertheless.

As you recall Tony Strickland won a tight race for California State Senate in November. Strickland was sworn into office in December.

Today, Flap was invited to Strickland’s Volunteer Victory Party and the following photos were taken by me (Please see my Creative Commons License for use).

Flap and Senator Tony Strickland

Sentor Tony Strickland and Thousand Oaks Planning Commissioner and Chairwoman of the Conejo Valley Republican Women Federated

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland and daughter Ruby Ruth

The event was small and private on a picture perfect day at a private home in Simi Valley. There was much discussion about the direction of the Ventura County Republican Party and especially online efforts.

Stay tuned for Flap’s interviews with this husband-wife team of California Republican Legislators.