Party Endorsements: “A Self-Perpetuating Machine of Incumbency”
By Jane Susskind | 02/21/2012 | California, Electoral Reform | 14 Comments
Independent Democrat Torie Osborn (left) will challenge party endorsed Democrat Assemblywoman Betsy Butler in California's AD 50. Credit: TorieOsborn.com; Benjamin Wong for IVN
Democratic delegates from across the state of California recently gathered in San Diego to participate in workshops, determine the party platform, and ultimately ratify pre-primary endorsements of statewide, State Assembly, State Senate, and Congressional candidates. While the pre-primary endorsement process is not a new practice for the Democratic Party, this is the first time these endorsement have occurred before the March filing deadline for candidates wanting to run. Regardless of the change in timeline, it appeared to be business as usual.
It comes as no surprise that the majority of the endorsed candidates this year were incumbents, meaning that on top of the structural advantages of name recognition, political experience, and campaign funding, these candidates will also receive special designation on the sample voters’ ballot as the party’s officially backed candidate.
As an establishment that prides itself on its commitment to electoral participation, why would the Democratic Party encourage and partake in the endorsement of candidates a month before the official filing period ends?
We asked candidate Torie Osborn, who is running against the California Democratic Party’s endorsed incumbent Betsy Butler for the 50th Assembly District seat. Her response:
“State party endorsement is pretty much rigged. The bottom line is that there is a heavy emphasis on directing the endorsement wherever the main party establishment wants it to go.”
While Assemblymember Betsy Butler received the official backing of the Democratic Party, Osborn has been working outside the establishment to receive the endorsements of Democratic clubs and members of the California Assembly and Congress. With 24% of the population Declined to State voters, 19% Republican, and the rest Democratic, Assembly District 50 is a safe seat for Democrats. Running from Malibu to Hollywood, it has one of the highest voting propensities and as Osborn notes, this is a district that “likes to make up their own mind.” The number of DTS voters, tendency for political participation, and open mindedness of this district’s voters is what makes it competitive for Osborn.
Moving forward without the Democratic endorsement, Osborn remains highly involved in the Democratic Party and its ideals, but admits that it has not been her pathway for running for office. Running a campaign of hope and ideas, fixated on government reform and job creation, she referred to the party’s endorsement process as a “self perpetuating machine of incumbency.”
When asked about the effect of the early endorsements on potential candidates who have not yet filed to run, she candidly responded:
“Truthfully, I see why people leave the Democratic Party. When you see how many resources and how much party leadership is spent on protecting incumbents, regardless of the their political view, it’s pretty discouraging.”
Even as a member of the Democratic Party, she finds fault in the backwards practice of early endorsements and sympathizes with the Independent candidates who have since been shut out of the election process. And while Osborn has not been discouraged, third-party candidates and independents already up against the party power machine, might not be as fortunate.
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14 Comments
Chad Peace
02.21.2012
@Chad_Peace
This is good stuff.
WeHoRick
02.21.2012
Great one-sided report, Bravo! Not a single quote from Richard Bloom or Betsy Butler.
Now, will you report how Torie Osborn bought all her club endorsements with $1,000 checks? I hardly think that is very DEMOCRAT of her.
Dmhowle
02.22.2012
One sided, perhaps, but not as one-sided as the pre-endorsement process. Endorsing candidates before the filing period even opens is as one-sided as it gets. Also, Butler running as the incumbent in a district that has only 1% of her current district. Sounds like your candidate can’t win where she has represented her constituents for the past two years. Top Two Open Primary will give voters in the district a choice in June and likely in November to decide which democrats will best represent them. I doubt the party endorsement will work in favor of Butler. People are tired of party bosses rigging the system.
Lucy Ma
02.22.2012
I’m pretty sure the purpose of the article was to point out how pre-primary party endorsements heavily favor incumbents. This isn’t a pro Osborn piece or even anti incumbent by any stretch. Let’s keep the focus on how early endorsements detract from the democratic process.
WeHoRick
02.22.2012
then why not point out to other races? There were more examples, but this “journalist” decided to focus on his support of Osborn
WeHoRick
02.22.2012
I will give her a pass, she’s a naive reporter who is looking for something to do.
“Jane recently graduated with honors from the University of California San Diego, earning a degree in Political Science with a minor in the Study of Religion”
Jane Susskind
02.22.2012
Hello “WeHoRick”: While I welcome your comments and opinions, the point of this article was to draw attention to the pre-primary endorsement process and how it is affecting the race, not to endorse one candidate over the others. We are looking at these races from the perspective of independent candidates, and the Democratic Party’s decision to endorse one candidate before the March deadline to file creates another hurdle for these candidates.
I would have gladly included a quote from Betsy Butler’s campaign, had they responded to my phone call. I also welcome you to take a look at some of the other districts we have covered recently on IVN: Congressional District 24: http://ivn.us/2012/02/20/appealing-to-independent-voters-key-to-victory-in-californias-central-coast/Congressional District 30: http://ivn.us/2012/02/14/battleground-california-pits-democrat-vs-democrat/
BrennanHartich
02.24.2012
Instead of complaining about her, maybe you should try writing for us and show us what you have got
Jane Susskind
02.22.2012
We picked this district because it is a competitive seat and because we saw a large showing from both campaigns at the Democratic Convention. We are currently working on an article that is outlining the competitive races to watch in California and have already published articles on Congressional District 24 and Congressional District 30.
BrennanHartich
02.24.2012
Hey “WeHoRick”, just thought you should know that this was not a biased article, it was in fact an article which was written to point out how incumbents are favored.
Don’t label the journalist as “naive” solely if you disagree with its content… Learn what journalism is…
Mac
02.21.2012
It’s more Democratic than the paid supporters and/or otherwise members of other campaigns that went to where they were told but knew nothing about Betsy. We met sign holders from San Francisco that thought the 50th was in San Diego.
Markham Robinson
03.15.2012
I just submitted 78 candidate endorsements for the American Independent Party of California in 190 separate submissions to 58 Counties. None of these endorsements will appear on the Ballot, but they will appear without elaboration in the Voter
Guide printed by each County. Unless the Democratic Party has its own version of the California Elections Code, their endorsements will go in the same place and not on the ballot either.
The candidates for their part may indicate their party preference which with their occupation will appear next to their name on the ballot. Those two items of information are the only two items that will appear on the ballot next to their names.
If I could have my druthers, I would like to see endorsements by any individual or organization appear by mutual agreement between endorser and endorsee appear next to the candidate’s name on the ballot. I do not believe that political parties should have any special privilege in this regard.
Right now the candidate and the party have free speech somewhere in the election documentation. This ability to endorse is the result of Proposition 14, which established a Unitary, Top Two primary system for all voters and all candidates of whatever party preference.
Although the American Independent Party is a specially privileged “ballot qualified” party with 428 registrants at latest count with our own special section of the Elections Code along with the Democratic, Republican and Peace and Freedom parties, we aim to be a free political association with no special privileges in regard to the electoral process as long as there is no special status for any other party as well.
Markham Robinson
03.15.2012
Correction. the American Independent Party (AIP) has 428K registrants, making it the third largest and making any national party with whom it affiliates the third largest national party. The Constitution Party by contrast has less than two hundred registrants. When the AIP left the Constitution Party it accounted for 85% of Constitution Party partisan registration. When it left America’s Independent Party of Fenton Michigan it accounted for 99% of that party’s partisan registration.
Markham Robinson
03.15.2012
The objection to early endorsements is misguided and uninformed. Yes, the two major party’s organizations are the pawns of the legislative caucuses, not in any real sense grassroots organizations. But the real reason the endorsements are early is the new-found power of all ballot-qualified parties in California thanks to Proposition 14 to get their endorsements in the Voter Guide.
But in order to do that you have to meet the schedule put in Proposition 14′s implementing legislation which says endorsements have to be submitted to Counties 83 days before the election. That was March 14, 2012. When does the final list of candidates come out? March 14 or later! Not really enough time to make endorsements or any time at all. So what we had to do was get preliminary information from 58 Counties and use that. Out of 78 candidates so far we know one who failed to qualify because of imperfect information. I’m sure that count will increase.
The AIP you can be sure had no concern for Republican or Democrat incumbencies! Out of the 78 endorsed candidates 13 were of neither major party. We picked the best candidate. Our touchstone? Constitutional Conservatism.