Pombo: "He Will Not Talk With Us"

I have alluded somewhat obliquely in past posts to the polling done by MyDD in the wake of Francine Busby’s special election loss. The results of their MyDD/Courage Campaign survey demonstrated that the one message that provoked a strong response among voters in CA-50 was the Iraq War. While the Democratic candidate, Busby, focused intensely on the DCCC “Culture of Corruption” talking points, the Republican candidate, Brian Bilbray, strongly emphasized his conservative stance on illegal immigration.

But MyDD’s polling showed that the voters were not very interested in either issue. What they were looking for was a candidate who would counter-balance George W. Bush on the Iraq War. They were not looking for a candidate who placed blame, nor were they terribly concerned about a clear plan for the future. They simply wanted a representative who would stand up and demand honesty, responsibility, and accountability from the Bush administration.

In that vein, I shared a video in a post a few weeks ago that arubyan wrote about on Daily Kos and posted on YouTube. Arubyan’s approach to messaging in his/her video was succinct:

I did this video on my own because I wanted to illustrate a simple formula that I've been preaching about for weeks:

1. Bush = Bad
2. Republican Incumbent = Bush
   
Therefore...
3. Republican Incumbent = Bad.
4. Had Enough?
5. Vote for Change, Vote Democratic, Vote for McNerney

Well, I don’t know if the Democrats have fully embraced the strategy outlined by MyDD and arubyan, but apparently Richard Pombo and the Republicans are paying attention. Yesterday, San Francisco’s ABC affiliate KGO7 News ran a lengthy segment entitled “War Politics: Running Away From The President” (check link for video footage).

Sep. 5 - KGO - Support for the war in Iraq has reached an all-time low. Nearly two-thirds of the country is now against it. A new poll shows 60-percent believe the war has made us more vulnerable to terrorism here in the U.S. For some Republican candidates, the war has become a political third rail.

A new Zogby poll shows Iraq is the number one issue in the country. The polls' chief says no other concern is even close. So I wanted to talk with Republican candidates in California about how much of an issue it is for them, and how they're handling it.

In the 11th Congressional District, Congressman Richard Pombo is arguably the only Northern California Republican incumbent congressman facing the possibility of a serious challenge in November. But he appears to be keeping the president's wind up for the war on Iraq about as far away as possible. He will not talk with us on the subject. On his campaign Web site there is no mention of the war -- no pictures of Richard Pombo and the president. [Emphasis added]

Interesting. Apparently, Richard Pombo’s refusal to explain himself extends beyond just refusing to meet with his constituents. Pombo is running like mad from anybody, media included, who might try to demand honesty, responsibility or accountability from him.

Tags: CA-11, Richard Pombo, Iraq War, Jerry McNerney