At lively rally, state GOP Chairman Ron Nehring asks Californians to ‘join with us’
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Speaking to hundreds of buoyant Republicans at a victory rally Wednesday in Anaheim, Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring laid out the party’s theme going forward -- that their historically diverse ticket featured new faces with fresh ideas, while the Democrats represented the status quo. “It’s clear this election this year is going to come down to the party of the past versus the party of the future,” he said. “Have you seen the relics the Democrats nominated last night?”
He joked that U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer was first elected when the TV show “The A-Team” was on the air and that gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown’s voter registration card was written in Roman numerals.
Meanwhile, Republicans nominated two women to their ticket’s top spots, as well as a Latino candidate for lieutenant governor and an African American candidate for secretary of State.
“The Republican party has nominated a historic ticket,” Nehring said. “This is a ticket that looks like California. It’s a ticket that embodies our optimism and our energy.”
Nehring was the first speaker at a raucous victory rally. A live, loud rock band sang cover songs, spotlights circled the ceiling and columns of red, white and blue balloons billowed in the ballroom.
The candidates were seated before a diverse group of volunteers from the various campaigns, in front of a sign reading “Jobs are on the Way.”
Nehring pledged to find support in Democratic strongholds, including among Los Angeles and San Francisco residents, African Americans, Latinos and Jewish people.
“This campaign, this Republican party will concede no community in the state of California,” he said.
After mocking President Obama’s foreign policy as involving little more than “the president going around the world and bowing to everyone who he can find,” Nehring invited independents and Democrats to look at the Republican Party.
“We have a message for those disgruntled, disillusioned Democrats who are turned off by what they have seen in Washington, turned off by what they have seen come out of the Obama administration,” he said. “Our message to Democrats is you don’t have to defend Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi anymore. Join with us. Join with us.”
-- Seema Mehta in Anaheim