And the results are in …. 10,000 fewer votes for Pete

Last time:  June 2008 
Fortney Pete Stark                        42,897            97.91%
Write-In                                                    915              2.09%
This time:  June 2010 
Fortney Pete Stark                        32,673            83.54%
Justin Jelincic                                    6,254            15.99%
Write-in                                                     184              0.47%  

Pete received 10,000 fewer votes, and 6,254 of them were given to me. The Democrats in the district have chosen to state that Pete Stark is still their guy who represents their interests.  I wonder if the $19M gift delivered on Monday, for the Tuesday morning papers helped?  I am sure it was timed to help Pete, but it does not appear he needed the help. 

 Some of  The People have spoken.  Turnout was low.  

To those who voted for me   THANK YOU.

 It has been an interesting lesson, and YOU deserved the investment of time, money and privacy invasion. 

 The blog will not go away.

Today is the day

The polls open in less than 90 minutes.  Today the Democratic voters decide if they want to keep Pete, or reject him.   They have not learned much about me.  I have blogged, and created a website.  I have a fan page and a twitter account, but I have very few followers, and not much traffic on the website.  There has been no press coverage.  

Seeking to serve you in Washington D.C.

I did what I could do.  I put my name forward to provide a choice.  I had no money to compete with Pete’s millions.  I was not for sale, and so have no endorsements.  I was not politics as usual, I took a stand.  Pete is the Goliath, I am but a little David without armor.  The battle is not mine, but I have done what I could do.

Today is the day we find out what The People within the Democratic party choose. 

This year, in this primary, they will have made a choice, for there are two names on the ballot.  IF THEY VOTE, they must choose.  What they choose is their choice.  But this year, at least they have a choice.

I hope they choose to reject Politics as Usual.  I hope they choose to join me in rejecting politics as usual.

Taking a stand against Politics as Usual

Well the polls open in 24 hours.  Vote by mail ballots should all have been mailed, or they may miss the receipt deadline of tomorrow in Oakland.   Some will likely drop them off at the polling spots tomorrow.  Others will walk in tomorrow, ask for a Democratic ballot and cast their vote.

Fox news seems to think that I have no chance.  They seem to think that the people in the district would choose to vote for someone who has a poor reputation across the country rather than to vote for an unknown.  While they are likely right, I have done what I could to give myself, and my fellow Democrats a chance to fire Pete, without having to fire the party.

I hope the folks at Fox news are wrong. “Controversial Incumbents Enjoy Job Security Amid Anti-Washington Wave”.

They recounted some of what motivated me to take a stand against Politics as Usual, and that they expect you want to keep Pete in spite of his reputation.

“In California, Stark, a liberal Democrat, is expected to crush his lightly regarded opponent, political newcomer Justin Jelincic, who describes himself as a conservative Democrat. Stark earned his primary challenge after he slammed a constituent who voiced his opposition to Obama’s healthcare plan last summer at a town hall . “Mr. Congressman, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining,” the constituent told Stark, referring to what he called the smoke and mirrors of the president’s plan. “I wouldn’t dignify you be peeing on your leg,” Stark fired back. “It wouldn’t be worth wasting the urine.”

In March, Stark seized control of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee for one day after Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., stepped aside due to an ethics probe. But Stark was quickly pushed aside in favor of Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., after many Democrats privately complained that Stark was too volatile to lead such an important committee. Stark is known for making inflammatory comments. In 2007, Stark accused President Bush of sending troops to Iraq “to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.” ”

Fox News has spoken, I have taken my stand, now The People have a chance to take a stand at the ballot box.   The choice is available, will you join me in taking a stand against politics as usual.

Some time in the next 48 hours The People will know what the majority of The People have chosen.

Politics as usual? Let’s hope it is time for change.

In Politics as usual nasty ads seem to be the mark of effective campaigns. 

I have chosen not to attack Pete, and am thankful that so far no one has chosen to attack me.  Some may say I did not attack because I did not have money.  But if I had money my ads would be like my YouTube videos.  Not an attack on Pete, but a questioning of the policies, and impacts, of politics as usual.  I have said it is time for Pete to go home to Maryland, and some may see that as an attack, but its intent was to say it is time to leave Washington D.C.   After 38 years it is time to go home, and his home today is on a lake in Maryland.

Seeking to serve you in Washington D.C.

I try to seek to avoid saying that which might hurt others. Nevertheless I seek to speak the Truth, knowing that at times the Truth is like a sword and will “cut” those who hear it, but have previously chosen to reject the Truth.

What I have referred to as “Entertainment Political Radio” often seems to seek shock value to get a bigger audience.  This focus on entertainment to gain audience appears to me to be adding to the polarization of the country.  At the core, I do not think The People have as great a divide as the politicians.  I do not think the parties have as great a divide as the politicians, but clearly the money goes to the extremes, and so the candidates are chosen from the extremes. 

My candidacy without ads, or news media coverage, would appear to most people to be non existant. And I assume it will stay that way for the next few days.  I go out again today to hand out flyers.  A few friends are doing the same.  On Tuesday the final votes in the primary will be cast.  Perhaps only then will anyone note that Pete had a Democratic primary challenger for the first time in over 12 years.

Perhaps my lack of money, and ads, has helped Pete be confident enough to not spend any of his $500,000+ campaign war chest to run any ads of his own.  In the district we are seeing ads for Governor, US Senate, and a couple of other statewide offices, but I am not seeing much of anything about local offices. I have seen mailings for a couple of candidates for judge, and for county supervisor.  I have to assume voter turn out will be low.

You have a choice. Justin or Pete

Once again, I fear, I will have to say we do not have representative government because most of The People choose not to be heard, by taking the time to vote.   I have taken a stand.  I have invested my time, some money, and my sacred honor into this campaign. I have given the Democrats in the CA 13th Congressional district a chance to be heard.  I hope they vote for me, and make their displeasure with “politics as usual” heard loud and clear.  My election victory would be a very loud shout for a Stark change.

YouTube and other media

One of the outcomes of choosing to run is giving up my personal privacy.  Things that I thought and kept to myself previously, are now content for the blog and YouTube.

I suppose that if I win on Tuesday they will find their way into the media of print and internet.  Right now I remain a nobody.   Very few people know who I am.  The media has not written any article about me that I, or my friends, have seen in print.   A few things have made it to the web search engines.

This blog has allowed me to provide a steady stream of thought, and a preserved history of thought, so that when the media needs to find out more about me they have a source.   I hope next Wednesday to find that access to my website and this blog climb.

I got a note from someone that said they did not expect to meet a conservative Democrat except in the mirror.  I assured them there are more of us than the media and the progressives in the party want to admit.  The heart of the party is far to the right of the progressives who currently dominate the leadership.  Perhaps with this election we will begin to change things, and We the People will take our parties and our government back.

One Saturday to go ….

One Saturday to go …. hard to believe the primary is now almost here. 

March 11 (79 days ago) I took out nomination papers, that I turned in on the filing deadline of March 12 to make certain the Democrats in the district had a choice for the first time in 12 years.

Pete had $500,000+ in the bank.  I knew I would not compete with money. 

He had all the normal support, and the special interest groups lined up.  He had run unopposed for at least 12 years.  I did not have a chance, but my love of democracy and choice led me to get on the ballot to give everyone a choice.

I have not received lots of money, so I can not spend lots of money to make my name known.  But my name is on the ballot, and the voters have a choice. 

Pete has not met with me, or even talked with me. Everywhere I was invited to speak, Pete sent someone to read a letter for him.  I did not expect otherwise.

The voters will make a choice.  If they think Pete has not only been absent at the endorsement meetings, but also absent from the district, perhaps they will choose me.   I would be honored to serve.  Will enough vote for me to give me that chance?  In less than 10 days the polls will close and we will know.

I was out in San Lorenzo handing out flyers today.  Some said they had already voted by mail.  I hope many consider the fact they have a choice, and get to know me.  But I am willing to be elected by those who just want to say to Pete “38 years is long enough, it’s time to let someone else serve.”

Please remember to vote. If we are to have representative government, The People must have choices, and The People must vote to select their representative.

That’s what I think.  What do you think?

Objective #1 is done

Well the election is now only 11 days away.  People are starting to ask me if I am getting excited, anxious, concerned, about the outcome.  I have told some that Objective one is done.  I have been able to offer a choice, for the first time in at least 12 years, to the Democrats in the district during the primary.

Seeking to serve you in Washington D.C.

I have found in the past that when I focus on exactly what I want the outcome to be that I get frustrated.  When I am willing to relax and accept the outcomes that I can not control, then I am at peace.

I can not control the outcome of any election.  The outcome of every election is in the hands of the voters.  Primary turnout are notoriously low.  Citizens who can and should select those they want to represent them fail to do so, by choosing not to vote.  I have said we do not have representative government because less than 50% vote.  In the primaries that number is even lower.

What will the Democratic voters in the 13th Congressional district choose?  I do not know.  I have taken the steps I can to give them a choice.  They may now choose, and having that choice has already made this effort successful.  If they choose Pete, I will get up like I have been doing for a while now, and go to work in downtown Oakland.  My effort to provide the voters a choice has been successful.  My name is on the ballot.  What I wanted to do first, has already been done.  Choice has been made available.

If they choose me on June 8th, then I will spend some time figuring out what do between now and November 2nd to preserve that choice, and let them make the final choice for who they want to serve in the House of Representatives for the next two years.

I have learned much.  I have hope that this great land will continue to move forward and that others, like me, will step forward from the silence to offer themselves as choice in future elections.  I can now help others to take this step.  I wait to hear what the voters decide.   I am at peace.

I have met some who vote by mail who have informed me that they exercised their right to vote by choosing me.  On June 9th we will all know how many choose to vote, and of those how many choose to vote for me, and how many choose to vote for Pete.  The exercise of our freedom to choose at the ballot box will again be seen.

The People will choose.  And objective #1 was to give The People a choice.

The nature of political campaigns

The nature of political campaigns today keep good, honest, men and women from offering to serve The People. 

There are more that are willing to attack candidates then are willing to support and encourage them.  This leads me to check my own natural response to others.   Do I rejoice when someone else succeeds, or do I quietly wish that they had failed? Do I attack, or do I simply state facts?  How do I approach the campaign? How do I approach my fellow human being?

Those who have followed the blog, or have met me in public, have hopefully, consistently, found me to be someone who challenges the status quo, but with respect for the individuals that support it.  I have pointed out the stark contrasts, between Pete and myself, but have not applied names, or labels to the facts.

I hope that those who look at me as a candidate, find my values to be the type that they would be happy to have represent them.  I hope that many choose to fire Pete, and choose to start fresh with a new candidate, but the choice is theirs.

In two weeks and 5 days I will know what The People have chosen to do, and I will be happy with the outcome.

They tell me I can not win

They tell me I can not win.  I imagine they told the young boy David the same thing when he inquired about the battle plan for Goliath.

David’s brothers told him to go home, and not get involved.   The King told him to take up conventional methods, and after trying them on, David took them off before going into battle.  It is tempting to do things the way the world says we should.  It is tempting to not get involved.  But it is obedience to the LORD that is rewarded.

It was not know to me before I started to research Pete that he is a publicly declared and proud atheist.  One of the stark contrasts in my campaign is that I am a man of faith.  I believe in God.  I believe God is entitled to control my life. 

In a political sense my being on the ballot is a David vs. Goliath battle.   There is no hope in a conventional sense for me to win.  All the professional Democratic politicians stood on the sidelines rather than going into the political battle with Pete.  He is the giant.  He has conventional political weapons.  $500,000+ in cash on hand.  The Democratic machine, and full time staff, to attend meetings on his behalf.  He has not actually had to fight in at least 10 years for the nomination.  He just stood forward, said, “here I am” and everyone cowered before him.

Then along I come, I have less than $500 in cash on hand.  I have one banner, I have one box of flyers, I have no one to carry my shield.  I have those who wish me well, but no obvious support.  21 days from now the ballots will be cast.  I have no weapon to fight with. But the voters have their own votes.  And if they want change, and vote for change, I will carry their banner for change.

The People have to decide, and this year, they at least have a choice.  The polls close in 21 days 13 hours and 8 minutes.  What will The People choose?

Campaign update

I spent 8 hours in Hayward today handing out flyers and greeting people.  Some have already voted by mail and were happy to meet me.  It is good to hear that some are choosing to vote for me, even before they know much about me.  As I said before, I am sure some of them are not so much voting for me, as enjoying not voting for Pete.

I have learned much from my life experiences.   I am sure some voters are working off life experiences to decide what to do with their ballots.

I have a better outlook on life because I have experienced hardships and  I can now always say: “I am doing better than I deserve”.  I have a frame of reference that has helped me to see what I truly deserve, and I rejoice that I will never taste what I deserve. 

I live in America.  I live in a land where I still have many freedoms.  If elected I will work to restore more of our freedoms.  

One of the freedoms We the People have is the vote.   Encourage your friends to exercise that freedom.  Failure to vote gives up your opportunity for representative government.