The Battle for America 2010: Something Stinks in California’s 47th Congressional District
Sanchez campaign spokeswoman Caroline Hogan told the Orange County Register that the mailer was “in bad taste” and, even worse, “ill-smelling spam.” Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, putting up the political fight of her life against Van Tran, took things further, stating: “We have been here trying to talk about the issues … and he’s sending scratch and sniff ad stuff. People are disgusted.”
I wonder if she scratched it, much less sniffed it, herself. And for someone who insists she is confident of winning on Tuesday, it seems that Sanchez is walking on eggshells.
Last Friday I visited Van Tran headquarters to film a PJTV interview and profile of the candidate, to be released this week.
The folks in the Van Tran campaign were a pleasant bunch. After meeting them I could sense that they are having fun (easily evidenced by the humorous mailer too), working hard, and ready to win. At the same time, I gathered that they are perfectly able and willing to go back to normal life if the election doesn’t go their way on Tuesday.
Central command for Van Tran is set up in a foreclosed Blockbuster building in Garden Grove, a city of 175,000 in northern Orange County. The building was essentially stripped of most things that one would associate with the past life of movie rentals such as shelving and other interior structures. Although the sign had been removed, the outline of the letters B-L-O-C-K-B-U-S-T-E-R were still clearly discernible on the building’s stucco exterior.
It was somewhat dirty inside, a proverbial makeshift campaign war room with folding tables set up for walk-in volunteer phone bank folks. Van Tran signs were strewn graciously and haphazardly across the walls, and there was a constant buzz of activity. The accommodations were functional but not flashy.
Van Tran campaign manager George Andrews took me to a back room to discuss recently released polling showing Tran and Sanchez tied. I gazed around the room: among political paraphernalia were burned-out and crusted-over coffee makers, empty pizza boxes, and coffee cans stacked in a corner. On the other side of the room were piles of Van Tran signs and banners — things that no doubt soon found a home on the front lawns of Orange County GOP faithful.
Home base for the Van Tran team is not exactly the portrait of an ascendant campaign featured in a typical Hollywood production or West Wing-esque production. But like the candidate himself, it was real, tangible, and emblematic of the “normal folk” running for office this year, especially tea party candidates from various walks of life.
As I spoke with Van Tran, campaign workers in the building kept about their business but watched the mild-mannered Vietnamese American candidate with obvious respect. As the cameras rolled, they continued their business. When our filmed chat came to a close, he thanked us and then sat down with volunteers across the room.
“Probably making calls for the campaign too,” I thought.
It seemed no one working in this race had a job above or below their job title and that’s exactly how it should be, when the right people are running for office, surrounded by the right people, for the right reasons.
I highly doubt my experience would have been even remotely similar inside the campaign headquarters of a certain seven-term congresswoman fighting for her own very political survival.
And that’s no scratch-and-sniff matter.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Republicans showing signs of creativity, spirit and a bit of whimsy: It almost gives politics a GOOD name.
I agree, Howard, *almost* being the key. Character and ideas matter the most in politics, the Van Tran gang proved to be a great bunch of people – we just need a couple hundred reps like him in Congress to get this nation’s course corrected….
Hats off to the Van Tran team and lets pray together for the future success of Mr Van Tran’s election. Excellent article and Im with you all the way.
It is actually a clever way to get the message out. Of course, there are those humorless souls who will get their panties in a bunch over this. They will get their noses into the air and sniff. Or sniff, then put their noses into the air. Maybe both.
It WILL draw attention to the race. “Dude, you gotta smell this!” “Ooo… dude, that’s nasty!” And people remember smells.
Anyone swayed this base appeal to animal instinct
should not be allowed to vote.
which base animal instinct are you speaking of…”the Vietnamese are coming” low grade social crap, or someone with the balls to throw it back at her for a change..
Van Tran team is moving in the right direction!!
Liberals have a real problem with someone sending their stuff back to them.
conservatives in particular need to fight back for a change.
Amen, Sally!
I’m voting for Tran. Had enough of Loretta’s nonsense.
Mr. Tran used to live in my neighborhood. Years ago when he ran against Sanchez, he had a big “vote for Tran” sign in his front yard. His house got vandalized for it. As far as I know, nobody vandalized Sanchez’s home or anyone else with a Sanchez sign in their yards.
It’s a pretty quiet, nice neighborhood. There’s been burglaries (rarely) but never vandalism like that before or since as far as I know and I’ve lived here a long time.
It made me wonder about the kind of people who support Sanchez.
Sanchez,
Finally Sanchez she knows nothing about how to create jobs and boost the economy. The past 4 terms, she’s pretty much rode on the tails of other experts and been able to hide behind a pretty good economy. Now she’s exposed for what she is, a Do nothing, unexperienced so called Politician that has no real experience or ideas on how to deal with the serious issues of our District.
I think the one good thing about the current recession is that it exposes these kind of politicians for what they are, WORTHLESS!
I didn’t know who Van Tarn was until earlier this year, when I met him at the Strawberry Festival Parade, then I researched all about Van, Which by the Way, EVERYONE SHOULD DO!!! Before they Vote!! He’s an honest business person that actually knows how to take care of our District.
Please Vote for Van Tran and let’s get our District back on track to where it should be. Loretta can then go play around Washington with her silly friends.
–a subliminal sexist tone to the mailer, as it depicts a seductive Loretta Sanchez donning a red dress.
Is the pix something Photoshopped or is really one of Sanchez trying to look sexy?
Bill, I believe that it is actually a picture of Loretta Sanchez. Axiom (the firm that did the mailer) may have airbrushed the look or altered it a bit.
Thanks Tim. It makes you kind of wonder how she allowed something like that to get out.
Government is just a joke and/or party to the Democrats, I guess.
This is brilliant, and speaks volumes. Sanchez has been shoveling some nasty smelling stuff at Van Tran, and she deserves everything she gets.
Best of luck, Mr. Tran. You’re doing a great job, and know you will be successful.