California’s “top-two” law came into existence because then-State Senator Abel Maldonado refused to vote for the state budget in February 2009 unless the legislature put that idea on the ballot. The voters then passed “top-two” (Proposition 14) in June 2010 with 53.73% of the total vote. Maldonado was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor this year, but on November 2, 2010, he was defeated for that office by the Democratic nominee, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Many California newspapers endorsed Maldonado for the Lieutenant Governor post on the basis that he is the person responsible for “top-two”. Nevertheless, Maldonado only polled 39.4%.
Also on November 2, California voters passed a ballot measure ending the requirement that the budget needs a two-thirds vote in each house of the state legislature. If that change had been made before 2009, Maldonado’s maneuver would not have been possible.
Political Ad, California, USA;
http://usparliament.org/drafts/electionAD_10-11-02.html
One more minority rule Lt. Guv. in a regime.
Top 2 still exists — regardless of any party machination.
i.e. M. is a casualty as much as any American killed or injured in any war against monarchs/oligarchs from 19 Apr 1775 to now.
How about P.R. and App.V. in CA N-O-W ???
Pam Brown, Libertarian for Lt Governor, received ove 420,000 votes, 5.8% – a record for a Libertarian running for Lt Governor in California.
Ms Brown probably received votes from many conservatives who resent Sen Maldonado voting for the Democrat spending plan in the legislature. But all third party voters in California can celebrate the defeat of Abel Maldonado.
20.An Alabama Independent Says [in an earlier post]:
October 31st, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Phil Sawyer: You are right. Too many of the 3rd parties are narrow-based and only want a soap box to spout their views which are never going to be considered by the rank and file American voters. It is only a “pipe dream” of mine that they might come together. Even with the AIP, if it weren’t for the regular “independents” inadvertantly registering with this party, their registration would not be half of what it is – probably not even a fourth. Still, it is smart break for them to get those “unintended” registered voters. Just too bad they don’t know how to appreciate it and use it to their advantage.
I’m still waiting to see how Mr. Seidenberg explains away when Mr. Noonan does not get twice as many votes as Ms. Nightingale does on election night. But I’m sure he’ll come up with some type of nonsense.
Phil Sawyer responds:
“The Sacramento Bee” for this morning (11-3-10) shows Chelene Nightingale (AIP-CA candidate for Governor of California) at 2% with 48% of the votes counted. It says that Edward Noonan (AIP-CA candidate for U.S. Senator from California) has 1% with with 52% of the vote counted. It will be interesting, indeed, to see what Mr. Seidenberg says now.
It is wonderful that all of the qualified “minor parties” in the Golden State have retained ballot qualification. Now, it is up to us in those parties (Peace and Freedom Party for me) to show that we can do something more significant than we have done in the past. Taking the advice of “An Alabama Independent” on certain things would be a good beginning for us.
Good riddance! Adios, Dis-Abel!
Memo to Phil Sawyer: Are you still predicting the imminent demise of the Republican Party?
I’m glad to see that this slimeball lost.
Thank you for your kind words, Phil Sawyer. But your words are so truthful. I am very proud of all the ballot-positioned 3rd parties in California, and I think they all ran good. It appears as many as 500,000 votes total – maybe more – may have been cast for them collectively. Growth may be slow, but it is growth. Just think what they could have done if they would have agreed on a single candidate from each party. The media might be speaking about their potential “threat” today. Oh well, there’s alway hope.
And yes, has anyone seen Mr. Mark Seidenberg? Didn’t he say Mr. Noonan was going to get twice the votes for U.S. Senate than Ms. Nightingale would receive for Governor? I wondered what happened – especially since Mr. Mark Seidenber’s little group met and waved their “magic wand” and said “Chelene Nightingale is not a candidate.” Apparently this message did not get to some 115,000 voters soon enough.
So where are you hiding, Mr. Mark Seidenberg? What happened to all those votes Mr. Noonan was to have received? We’re all waiting!
Abel Maldonado had a larger share of the statewide vote than any of the Republican statewide candidates than Whitman, Fiorina, and Cooley.
To Steve Rankin (#5):
Well, I must admit that I was technically incorrect in that my prediction was off by four years. I am now saying that the Republican Party will be a minor-sized party by the year of 2016 (rather than 2012).
To “An Alabama Independent”:
You are most welcome. Keep up with the good advice. I am really listening and I hope that many others are doing the same.
To Jim Riley:
According to the this morning’s edition of the “Sacramento Bee,” three of the GOP candidates running state wide are pulling higer percentages than Abel Maldonado. With 100% of the precincts counted, Carly Fiorina (U.S. Senate) is at 43%; Meg Whitman (Governor) is at 41%; and Steve Cooley (Attorney General) is at 46%. Lt. Governor Maldonado is at 39%. I think that Gene Berkman made a good point when he wrote about Pamela Brown’s showing as the Libertarian Party candidate in that race. She is pulling 6% of the vote now. In addition, Jim King, the AIP-CA candidate, received 2%. That makes a total of 8% and many of those votes might possibly have gone to a different Republican candidate. Since Gavin Newsome won 50%, though, the outcome would have remained the same anyway (unless the alternate GOP candidate was able to win a lot of the Newsom votes too).
#9 Phil, Have you had a chance to read Maldonado’s intervenor brief in Field v Bowen where it explains why one doesn’t have to be registered with a so-called “qualified” party in order to have that preference expressed on the ballot.
Essentially all that the parties qualified for are:
(1) to have a presidential preference party;
(2) have placement rights for a presidential candidate (4 of the 6 parties ignored the preference of Californians in 2008);
(3) have primaries for party office;
(4) have their name on registration forms;
(5) have a contribution letter distributed with the voter’s pamphlet;
(6) have endorsements appear on the sample ballot distributed with the voter’s pamphlet.
To Jim Riley (#10):
No, I have not. However, I do not think that any of that is germane to what is being discussed in this thread. The “top-two” system really harms the smaller parties but there is no point in debating this any further. Your side won (unless “top-two” is rejected or significantly modified in the courts) and my side lost. That is the new reality that we need to deal with.
In the year of 2016, when the Republican Party will be a minor-sized Pary (and it finds itself discriminated against), perhaps Lt. Governor Maldonado and his cohorts will have a change of heart and admit that they were wrong.
I’m not a supporter of the “Top Two” legislation. But if it basically only now gives 3rd parties a guarantee to have their Presidential nominees on the California ballot in the General Election, then I say let’s take that “lemon” and make “lemonaide.” Maybe now the parties there will put more emphasis on finding stronger candidates for President which can have some effect on the overall outcome.
I mean, if Ralph Nader did cost Al Gore the election in 2000, then that could be looked upon as a major victory (depending on your philosophy) whereas having candidates for Governor, U.S. Senator and Congress who poll 100,000 or more votes in California may make us feel good, if such votes have nothing to do with the outcome, then what have we accomplished?
Lemonaide can taste good when it’s made right!
Oh, before I forget it, has anyone seen or heard from Mr. Seidenberg?
Well, I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 (and remain very proud of that vote). However, I think that Al Gore would have made a much better president than George W. Bush.
Phil Sawyer. Just curious. If Al Gore had been elected, how do you feel he would have responded to 9-11?
#11 It is germane. Richard Winger highlighted the fact that Abel Maldonado was the author of the Top 2 Open Primary reform. Part of the basis for Maldonado’s intervention in the Top 2 Open Primary was that it would help his candidacy as a centrist reformer.
Maldonado did finish higher than all the Republican candidates except for two who spend zillions more on the race, and the AG candidate who has been the long time DA in Los Angeles (though he didn’t carry LA County, he kept the margin to 303,000 less than Whitman did).
The evil person behind passing CA’s Top Two “Prop 14” named Abel Maldonado loses his election for Lt. Governor? Awesome.