Down the coast with Dana Parsons

I had a funny feeling that Debbie Cook could knock off Republican incumbent Dana Rohrabacher in their 46th District U.S. Congressional race this year.

Based on what?

Good question. In barely breaking a political sweat since first winning the seat in 1988, Rohrabacher has consistently scored vote percentages in high 50s and low 60s in his GOP-dominated district that includes northern Orange County coastal towns and continues up the coast into Long Beach.

Rather than the usual token opposition Rohrabacher has faced, however, Cook is the real deal and appears to be his most formidable Democratic challenger ever. A veteran councilwoman and mayor in Huntington Beach, which accounts for a goodly chunk of the voters in the district, Cook has also raised a fair amount of money.

Plus, wasn’t there supposed to be change in the air? And didn’t Rohrabacher’s nine terms in Congress and his unabashed friendship with discredited and convicted former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff make him especially vulnerable this year? Especially to a woman with a certain amount of star quality to her?

That’s what I was thinking.

Until the 800-pound moose entered the room.

An 800-pound moose named Sarah Palin. John McCain’s vice presidential choice is coming to Orange County Sept. 25 for a fundraiser and she’s already made a difference, says George Andrews, executive director of the Orange County GOP.

“The minute the announcement was made [about her visit], our phones have been ringing nonstop,” he says.

Why should that bother Cook? Because grass-roots activists do the door-to-door precinct walking between now and Election Day. “From Congress all the way down to dog catcher, they will naturally get that bump because we’re canvassing Republican households and making sure they get out the vote,” Andrews says. “Having Palin on the ticket absolutely helps out everyone because more volunteers equals more households hit.”

Andrews isn’t about to concede that Rohrabacher was in trouble. But he predicts that the Palin effect will push the GOP turnout higher than it was in 2006 “and that will negate the inroads that Debbie Cook is making.”

Andrews talks about Palin awakening “the sleeping giant” of GOP activists in Orange County. While the giant slept, Cook had a shot.

Now?

Let’s just say I’ve lost that funny feeling.

Comments

[Zeek]

Sarah Palin wants “Creationism taught in Public schools”! She also tried to ban mainstream books from her local library!
We can not afford as a Nation to have our Science education fall any further behind the international standards of minimum competency!
This really is a important issue especially to women.
She is wildly out of step with the mainstream of American thought and opinion. We can not afford another ultra-reactionary and anti-science administration.
We need to finally elect a mainstream visionary leader like Debbie Cook to save our economy and our environment. Don’t get fooled again! Republicans and Independents as well as Democrats need to vote for their own best interests and get the Washington insider like Rohrabacher out of office. He has been in D.C. far too long!

[Kick Out Rohrbacher]

Debbie Cook IS the real deal--pragmatic, smart, a mayor, an energy expert. She has cross-over appeal for California women--Palin voters should give her their votes if they really want a great woman in office. It's time to shake up Rohrbacher with his sleazy Abramoff connections, anti-environment, cozy Washington connections. Conservatives like me in Palos Verdes are tired of Rohrbacher. It's time for someone new--Debbie Cook!