Posted on 02/15/2004 12:43:40 PM PST by calcowgirl
SACRAMENTO – It's the Barbara Boxer paradox.
No one seems to irritate California Republicans more than the liberal Democrat senator running for re-election.
Yet the four candidates seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Boxer in November haven't been able to harness the GOP's antipathy toward the incumbent.
They haven't generated public attention or significant campaign cash for major advertising in their own campaigns for the March 2 primary. The Republican Senate campaign has come and almost gone with little discussion of the four candidates seeking to replace Boxer.
"The people of California are electioned out," said Republican analyst Tony Quinn, referring to the presidential race and last fall's recall campaign that removed Gov. Gray Davis from office. "I think it just got lost."
Seeking the GOP nomination are one veteran politician, former California Secretary of State Bill Jones, and three newcomers to statewide campaigns, former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian of Carlsbad, former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin and former Los Altos Hills Mayor Toni Casey.
Jones, a Fresno rancher and former Assemblyman who ran for governor in 2002, has the most name identification, the most prominent endorsements and a large lead in the polls.
All three of the last Republican governors, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, are backing Jones.
The long-time officeholder said he entered the race late because he didn't believe any of the other candidates could beat Boxer. He said his experience makes him the best candidate, citing his role in brokering water deals, sponsoring the tough "three strikes" sentencing law and operating the Secretary of State's office.
"I would argue that I have the leadership, legislative success, electability and executive branch experience for this job," Jones said.
Further, he believes the short and little-noticed race gives him an edge.
"There's no question that my name identification and my record are a huge help to me in a short, compressed time frame," he said.
Yet, his status as front-runner has also made him the focus of attacks by his rivals. They point out that he finished third in the 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary.
They also criticize him for supporting a 1991 tax increase that helped solve a huge, budget deficit and for shifting his support from then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush to Arizona Sen. John McCain in the 2000 GOP presidential primary.
Marin attacked Jones over taxes at a recent news conference, while Kaloogian launched similar charges against him in an interview.
"Jones has failed the test. He's raised taxes on Californians," Kaloogian said.
Jones said he voted to raise taxes because he was serving as the Republican leader in the Assembly and needed to back Republican Gov. Wilson. "It's necessary to try to provide support for the governor's position at the time when you're in leadership positions," he said.
Marin criticized Jones for withdrawing his endorsement of Bush after Bush lost the New Hampshire primary. "When the president needed him most, he switched. What does that tell you?" she said.
Jones explained at the time that he changed his endorsement because of reports that Bush's campaign was discouraging voting, while McCain was bringing new voters into the process. But, he said, now all Republicans need to work together to beat Boxer.
Marin and Casey are both supporters of abortion rights and they believe that such moderate positions on social issues will help a Republican defeat Boxer by taking the abortion issue off the table.
In past elections, Boxer has portrayed her rivals as abortion rights opponents out of touch with most Californians.
Marin also touts her personal story, saying it can help inspire new voters to support the GOP. She came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 14, went to college, worked in a bank and became a community activist after her son had Down's syndrome.
Marin served as mayor of Huntington Park, worked in Wilson's gubernatorial administration as chief of legislative affairs in the Department of Developmental Services and then served as U.S. Treasurer under the current President Bush.
She has been endorsed by the five Republican Assemblywomen.
"She can appeal to Democrats, Republicans and independents," said Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, R-Chula Vista, at a news conference earlier this year.
Like all the candidates, Marin is a strong supporter of Bush's tax cuts. But Marin said she has an advantage over the other candidates because she personally pushed for the cuts during her stint in the Bush administration.
Casey also worked for Bush, heading up the government affairs office for the Small Business Administration.
A former Democrat, Casey, 59, said she switched parties after meeting Bush when he was campaigning in the 2000 election with Silicon Valley's high-technology leaders. She pointed out that even before that, she has a long history of supporting moderate Republicans, including former U.S. Reps. Tom Campbell and Ed Zschau.
"I've got the business experience and I've got the government experience," she said.
Casey, who once lobbied for the biotechnology industry, said she learned about putting together public/private partnerships while working for Bush.
She argues that she will bring women back to the GOP. "Barbara Boxer will have no advantage over me in women's issues. I have been a car-pool mom, a soccer mom, a single mom," she said.
Kaloogian said the way to defeat Boxer isn't by nominating someone with similar positions on social issues, but by drawing strong contrasts.
"If you want to support a woman who's pro-choice, you vote for Barbara Boxer," he said.
Instead, he plans to stake out the more traditional Republican turf. Kaloogian, a 44-year-old attorney who specializes in estate planning, believes candidates who oppose abortion and support gun-owner right should stand up for their beliefs, not hide them.
"I am pro-life and pro-woman. The number of abortions we have shows how much we have failed women," he said.
Still, Kaloogian places his leadership role in the recall campaign against Davis at the center of his senate campaign.
In the process of leading one of the recall committees, Kaloogian spoke to grass-roots conservatives throughout the state at rallies, over the Internet and on talk radio programs.
His early role in the effort, he said, showed his leadership, especially because so many people said it couldn't be done. However, it was $1.7 million from the independently wealthy Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista that really jump-started the recall effort.
Nevertheless, Kaloogian said his role in the recall sets him apart from his Republican rivals.
"My opponents were nowhere to be seen. They did not lift a finger on it," he said.
Kaloogian said the recall improved the state, even though he supported state Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, over Schwarzenegger, as the replacement for Davis.
"It was the right thing for California," he said of the recall. "It restored hope."
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