• CA-26,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

    CA-26: Linda Parks and Her Cable Television ONLY Campaign Strategy

    Screenshot from Linda Park’s latest television ad

    Timm Herdt over at the Ventura County Star interviews Linda Park’s strategist George Gorton regarding her campaign media strategy.

    Political strategists have historically just about all come to the same conclusion about how to campaign in Ventura County: mail, mail and more mail. So it is intriguing to see the approach that Supervisor Linda Parks of Thousand Oaks is taking in running as an independent in the 26th Congressional District. She and her consultant, George Gorton, have decided to put nearly all their resources into cable TV.

    Public documents from Time Warner show that Gorton’s partner Garrett Biggs on April 5 signed a $202,200 contract to air Parks ads on Ventura County cable systems through Election Day. The current schedule shows spots slated to run nearly every day through May 13, presumably with more to be scheduled later. They are placed on a wide range of cable channels, including ESPN, the Food Network, Fox Sports, MSNBC, HGTV, the Discovery Channel and the History Network.

    “It’s a pretty significant buy,” Gorton told me yesterday.

    I know George Gorton from his days with Pete Wilson and his successful campaigns for U.S. Senate and California Governor. All of Gorton’s Wilson campaigns were very successful and almost all of the media was on television, broadcast and cable. So, a television only strategy is not unusual for Gorton.

    And, certainly this strategy is not unusual for Linda Parks who will be campaign cash challenged as compared to Republican California State Senator Tony Strickland and Democrat California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley. A direct mail campaign to all of Ventura County potential voters would be cost prohibitive for Parks – especially since she is a NPP (No Party Preference) and cannot mail to only Republican or Democratic households with the same message.

    Here is Park’s latest ad, embedded below and it features many of her supporters from City Council and Supervisor campaigns (very low production costs and value):

    What is surprising to me, is not the Park’s strategy. This is the same media campaign that her mentor and my former neighbor successful Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski used to beat an incumbent Thousand Oaks Mayor Robert Lewis over twenty years ago. What is surprising is that neither Strickland nor Brownley have responded with ANY cable television ads of their own.

    Parks has been on for over two weeks and nobody has gone “on air.”

    As far as internet ads are concerned, I have seen little activity thus far for Parks. She will likely do some and I will let you know when I see them appear.

    And, I bet when Brownley’s and Strickland’s consultants get around to reading Herdt’s and my pieces, they may actually produce some responding or even negative television ads. At least they should, especially Brownley, if she doesn’t want to finish third to Parks or Strickland in June.

  • CA-26,  David Cruz Thayne,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

    CA-26 Video: David Cruz Thayne Releases First Online Ad

    Daivd Cruz Thayne is up with his first online web ad.

    I have embedded the video below:

    It is pretty much a biography and tells of his early years as a South American immigrant to the United States.

    Thayne is one of four Democrats running for two spots against Republican State Senator Tony Strickland and NPP (No Party Preference) Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks.

    Thayne’s campaign website is here.

  • CA-26,  Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,  Linda Parks

    CA-26: Linda Parks Fights Back Against Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

    Remember on Friday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee dropped an 80 page opposition research bombshell on the Ventura County Supervisor running for Congress.

    The report is here.

    Well, Supervisor Parks is not taking it without a response and a website has emerged. It is here.

    This is an example of what a modern campaign MUST do – rapid response to address opponents and surrogates – this time it is the Democratic Party.

    So far, Park’s campaign has been up to the test.

    But, how this will play out when the direct mailers start to hit Congressional District households remains to be seen.

  • CA-26,  Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,  Linda Parks

    CA-26: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Drops OPPO Bomb on Linda Parks

    Thanks to my fellow reporter, Timm Herdt with the Ventura County Star for the heads up.

    If there was any question which candidate is of most immediate concern to Democrats in the 26th Congressional District, it has been answered on the website of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

    In the section highlighting key races in California, it cites the 26th and promises that a research book on Republican Tony Strickland will be posted in May. With independent Linda Parks, however, the Democrats are in a bigger hurry to go on the attack.

    But, what a bomb – like a 80 page bomb. You can download it here – it is in a .docx Microsoft Word format and takes a while to load.

    Just an example:

    Moved Supervisor office to more expensive Downtown storefront location after City of Thousand Oaks decided not to renew her city hall Office lease (2007)

    In 2007, Parks moved her Board of Supervisor office to a more expensive Downtown storefront location in Thousand Oaks, after the City of Thousand Oaks had decided not to renew her city hall office lease. At the time, the city was paying $3,915 for the 1,700-square-foot storefront location, with a 3% annual increase built in the lease. In comparison, the county was paying $2,784 a month for the City Hall office, with no built-in increase. As of 2007, the county reportedly paid at least $34,000 to upgrade the storefront location to equip the office with a kitchen, bathroom and interior walls. The Ventura County Star reported at the time, the initial cost to renovate Parks’ new office was expected to increase. The payment was coming out of Parks’ $711,000 office budget, which also covered staff salaries. (Ventura County Star, “Supervisor Parks liking new digs,” October 30, 2007) 

    You get the idea, especially if you have ever read an OPPO or Opposition Research Report before. It is a treasure trove of information that can be washed, rewashed and spun anyway an opposing POL can manage.

    Go ahead and check it out.

    I am sure you will see many of the points in the coming weeks, especially in your mailbox.

    The fact that the Democrats have so extensively prepared their OPPO research sort of lays waste to the claim that while Parks is much more moderate than Tony Strickland, the Party views her as a suitable alternative in a top two election environment.

  • CA-26,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

    CA-26: Fundraising Totals Show Republican Tony Strickland Far in the Lead

    California State Senator Tony Strickland at January’s Congressional announcement

    Fundraising totals are now available for all of the candidates in CA-26 and Tony Strickland is the big winner.

    Tony Strickland: The Republican state senator from California raised a huge $781,000 in the first quarter for his run at a competitive open House seat in the 26th district, besting both Democratic state Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and independent Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks by half a million dollars. If the GOP can snatch this seat, it would go a long way toward stopping some of the bleeding after a tough redistricting draw.


    Here is more about Julia Brownley, and David Cruz Thayne.

    In CD26, Julia Brownley picks up $256k and has $254k on hand, Tony Strickland raised $782k with $732k on hand, and David Cruz Thayne collected $39k and has $62k on hand.

    And, Linda Parks:

    A clickable link for Linda Park’s fundraising totals is here.

    There is little doubt that Strickland is up and the Democrat Brownley is surprisingly down.

    But, Linda Parks is up first with cable television ads and undoubtedly some campaign cash will be raised and spent by Strickland and Brownley.

    First round of the fundraising wars goes to Tony Strickland tough.

  • CA-26,  Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

    CA-26: Democrats MOCK Linda Parks “Rocky Road” Television Ad

    Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks and No Party Preference (NPP) candidate for Congress

    I love it when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee does the mocking work for me.

    Congressional candidate Linda Parks (CA-26), who has switched her voter registration from Democrat to Republican to Independent, has refused to commit to clear positions on the majority of issues, including the House Republican budget that ends Medicare. Instead, Parks dodges questions with lofty rhetoric about her “independence.” But in her new television ad, Parks gives her most straightforward answer yet — her favorite ice cream flavor is Rocky Road. While Californians finally have an answer to the pressing ice cream issue, they are still left wondering which Linda Parks is running for Congress.

    “The only question Linda Parks hasn’t dodged is her favorite ice cream flavor, but Congress is not a Baskin Robbins. It’s time for Parks to come clean and be honest with California voters about where she stands on the issues that affect them,” said Amber Moon of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Linda Parks may stand with Rocky Road now, but judging by her record she’ll switch camps when Baskin Robbins comes out with its newest flavor, Political Opportunist Sundae.”

    Linda Parks still has not said how she would vote on the policies of House Republicans that harm the middle class and seniors, including the controversial Ryan budget that ends Medicare, extending the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, private accounts for Social Security, and their assault on reproductive rights for California women. Parks has also declined to say which candidate she will support for president.

    You see the Democrats are more worried about Linda Parks and having their anointed party candidate, California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, lose in the June “Top Two” primary election than the Republican California State Senator Tony Strickland.

    And, they should be worried.

    With four Democrat candidates on the ballot, and the fact that Brownley lived outside the Congressional District until a couple of months ago, Brownley may struggle to come in second to the likely top vote getter Strickland.

    I wonder when Brownley will hit the cable television air?

    She raised a few hundred thousand and she better start spending it.

    Here is Park’s television ad again:

     

  • CA-26,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

    CA-26 Video: Linda Parks Up First With Television Ads

    The production value is not very polished, but Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks is first out with television ads – albeit the local cable television channels.

    The end of the ad is a little strange when the Supervisor says she paid for the ad and then declares that her favorite ice cream is rocky road.

    I suppose she is referring metaphorically speaking to this race for Congress because Democrat Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and Republican State Senator Tony Strickland just announced massive fundraising totals that dwarf Park’s for the first quarter of the year.

    I wonder when the first mail will hit? I mean the mail besides the “free” taxpayer paid mailers that all of these POLS will be sending out to their constituent/voters.

    Remember the election is less than 60 days away….

  • CA-26,  Linda Parks

    Updated With Video: CA-26: Linda Parks Avoids Question Who She Supports for President

    Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks and No Party Preference Candidate for Congress

    Yes, she did it again – Linda Parks avoided a political question, just as had earlier.

    Parks, who represents the Conejo Valley on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, switched her registration from Republican to “no party preference” for this race. She also has been a registered Democrat. In the congressional race, she’s resisted attempts to pin down her partisan loyalties.

    At an earlier debate, she would not say which party’s candidate she would support for Speaker of the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Herdt asked her how she planned to vote for president of the United States, and she refused to answer that, too.

    “The reason I’m running is because I’m rejecting the model that pits us against them,” Parks said. “I am truly an independent, and I reject trying to label me.”

    As, I said before, this congressional race IS a PARTISAN one and this will not play well with voters.

    How does one expect a politician NOT to have an opinion as to who to vote for President?

    Her reticence to choose smacks of political opportunism, no?

    Update:

    Here is video of the entire Latino forum from yesterday:

  • CA-26,  Linda Parks

    CA-26: Linda Parks Avoids Question Who She Supports for President

    Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks and No Party Preference Candidate for Congress

    Yes, she did it again – Linda Parks avoided a political question, just as had earlier.

    Parks, who represents the Conejo Valley on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, switched her registration from Republican to “no party preference” for this race. She also has been a registered Democrat. In the congressional race, she’s resisted attempts to pin down her partisan loyalties.

    At an earlier debate, she would not say which party’s candidate she would support for Speaker of the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Herdt asked her how she planned to vote for president of the United States, and she refused to answer that, too.

    “The reason I’m running is because I’m rejecting the model that pits us against them,” Parks said. “I am truly an independent, and I reject trying to label me.”

    As, I said before, this congressional race IS a PARTISAN one and this will not play well with voters.

    How does one expect a politician NOT to have an opinion as to who to vote for President?

    Her reticence to choose smacks of political opportunism, no?

  • CA-26,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks

    CA-26: Democrat Assemblywoman Julia Brownley Picks Up Environmental Group’s Endorsement

    California Democrat Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and CA-26 Congressional Candidate

    This is an important endorsement for Brownley as it greatly undercuts the reason for Ventura County Supervisor Linda Park’s environmental base of support.

    The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV)—the non-partisan political arm of the environmental movement in California—today announced its endorsement of Julia Brownley for Congress in California’s 26th district, which encompasses most of Ventura County. CLCV cited Brownley’s strong environmental record and her courage to stand up to special interests as reasons for the endorsement. Based on her track record, Brownley received an impressive 99% lifetime score on CLCV’s Environmental Scorecard for her votes on priority environmental legislation while serving in the Assembly.

    “CLCV is proud to endorse Julia Brownley to become California’s Congressional Representative for the new 26th district,” said CLCV Political Director, David Allgood. “Julia Brownley has a long track record of leadership on protecting the environment and the public’s health and will be a powerful advocate for the residents of Ventura County in Congress.”

    “I’m honored to have the endorsement of the California League of Conservation Voters,” said Brownley. “As a member of Congress, I will continue to stand up to the special interests that threaten the quality of our air, water and coastline, and fight for a stronger national energy policy focused on conservation, alternative energy development, and green jobs.”

    In Ventura and Oxnard, where Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks is not as well known, Brownley will plaster Democratic and Independent voter’s mailboxes with this endorsement.

    How will Parks respond, if she does not have the campaign cash from any organized party or PAC?