California GOP chief eyes statewide election strategy to boost initiatives, candidates

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/26/12 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

While blue California is almost certain to go for President Barack Obama come November, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro sees opportunity for the GOP to be a major force from the presidential race down.

Del Beccaro laid out his strategy and expectations for the 2012 election in a Wednesday interview with The Bee Capitol Bureau.

>Can the Republican Party play at all against Obama in California?

The Republican Party historically in California has sent money to other states. So we do have an impact, regardless of whether this particular state is in play. … It will look like a competitive race for a long time and then I think in the last month things will slip away from Obama and it's going to require him to spend money in places he otherwise would not want to spend… So I think its possible that he's going to wind up spending an inordinate amount of time in California trying to get money, eventually spending money in California, which by definition is going to have an impact on Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina and those kinds of states. I'm not predicting to you today that we're going to carry California, but I think (Obama) has trouble here and I think that allows us to provide resources and other things around the country

>Does he have more trouble here depending on who the nominee is? A (Mitt) Romney vs. a (Newt) Gingrich?

I think it's probably too early to tell. … Right now nationally you have a circumstance where Republicans are in the worst of their food fight. This is the worst they are going to look to the electorate… in about three months, this fun is going to come to an end and then it's going to be the nominee vs. Obama…

[SmithL]

Tom Del Beccaro, California Republican Party chairman, meets with The Bee Capitol Bureau on Wednesday to discuss his expectations for the 2012 election.

[newzjunkey]

At least he's not dumb enough to suggest CA would be "in play" only that Obama might have to come to CA for an ATM withdrawal like his GOP counterpart.

Refusing to put the state in play, the CA voter is meaningless on the national or now even statewide stage.

In time FL and enough other states will fall like CA that no matter what Republicans do, they will not capture the White House.

[douginthearmy]

OK, I'll play...

>Can the Republican Party play at all against Obama in California?

No.

>Does he have more trouble here depending on who the nominee is? A (Mitt) Romney vs. a (Newt) Gingrich?

No.

Next question.