Blood, Sweat & Large Body Counts (Bob Dornan returns for another run at Congress)

Orange Weekly ^ | Dec. 12, 2003 | Scott Moxley

[RobbyS]

Newt had the I.Q. but not the E.Q. to be a leader.

[RobbyS]

Take a look at his "old" district. A Democratic legislature has had a chance to reshape it. Why do you think Marv Frost is fighting like mad to get the courts to overthrow the plan of the Texas legislature?

[pogo101]

Thanks -- that's what I suspected.

It is too bad that Dornan can't pick a district that is winnable AND that doesn't have an easily-electable conservative incumbent.

I have quibbles with Rohrabacher, but he's hardly at the top of my list of "Arlen Specter - like Republicans who need to be made to move rightward or get the heck out."

[Kuksool]

{Why doesn't Dornan run in his old district?}

Easy answer. Dornan is too scared to face Loretta Sanchez. So, he decides to fight a fellow Republican to prove what a conservative fighter he is.

[NathanR]

Why doesn't Dornan run in his old district? Afraid of little Loretta Sanchez-Brixey?

In a word yes.

B1's problem was that his district changed and he didn't. In the '80s, his district was full of aerospace workers. Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, aerospace went into free fall. Many of the aerospace people cashed out and left. They were often replaced by Vietnamese, Hispanics, Koreans, Chinese and even Arabs. He was blind and did not pay attention.

Having non-citizens vote did not help either, but not paying attention to his district was what killed him. I think his district likes Loretta now.

[churchillbuff]

Why doesn't Dana take on Sanchez? I guess I don't understand this Republican mentality that says an incumbent Republican "owns" his or her seat and may not be challenged by another Republican. Republicans tend to have a royalist instinct, kissing the purple and all that. Of course, Reagan was a bit different - challenging Jerry Ford and all. But then Reagan was bred a Democrat.

[churchillbuff]

Dornan is too scared to face Loretta Sanchez.

Or maybe a sure-lose race in a heavily gerrymandered Democratic district strikes him as a waste of time and money. If he has good sense, that's how he would view it.

[Kuksool]

Does your support for Dornan challenging Dana have anything to do with Dana calling Tom McClintock "nerdy"?

[churchillbuff]

Does your snide response to my thread about Dornan have anything to do with Rorbacher calling McClintock "nerdy"?

[Kuksool]

Yes it does. The Tombots will send lots of donations to a loser like Dornan in an effort to seek some type of validation for Tom McClintock. This is a waste of money, time and effort. Such energy should be used to oust Barbara Boxer instead.

[pogo101]

I'm not saying Rohrabacher or any other incumbent owns his seat. But as I said above, "I have quibbles with Rohrabacher, but he's hardly at the top of my list of 'Arlen Specter - like Republicans who need to be made to move rightward or get the heck out.'"

If Dornan is feeling frisky, and is willing to move his residence anyway, I wish he would pick a district with an Arlen Specter type.

[churchillbuff]

Can't argue with you there.

[Crowcreek]

It's really quite an interesting story, with gerrymandering, ballot-box stuffing, Condit going to bat for Sanchez 'thru Newt -- You really should listen to Dornan tell it.

[Crowcreek]

"Dana Rohrabacher stumped for Ahnold...who will of course return the favor"

Arnold is a hardcore jet-airplane crank who has a hard time staying away from the local USAF base, while Dornan has a background in the movie business.

I wouldn't bet money on a automatic quid-pro-quo from Schwartzenegger.