THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

As of the last census, California had an estimated 2015 population of 38.8 million, and if it were a country, it would rank 35^th in the world, with a larger population than Poland, Canada, Australia, Cuba and 160 other countries. California’s population is more than twice that of 139 other countries.

California has two female U.S. Senators (Boxer and Feinstein), both of whom are Jewish, and 53 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, of which 39 are Democrats and 14 are Republicans.

The important June 7^th Republican Party Primary will result in having 172 delegates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland July 18-21, including three per Congressional District, 10 at large delegates, and three others: the State Chair, a National Committeewoman, and a National Committeeman. There will also be 169 alternates. Including 159, three per Congressional District, as well as 10 delegates at large.

California is expected to have 548 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia July 25-28, and of this total, 475 will be “pledged delegates,” who are allocated in proportion to the primary votes he or she receives. The remaining 73 delegates are “unpledged,” and not selected by the results of the primary, but by their status within the state party.

HACER UNA AMÉRICA GRANDE, OTRA VEZ

The mail just brought me “Nuestra Boleta e Guia de Informacion para el Volante” regarding ‘eleccion primaria presidential, Martes, 7 de junio de 2016,” and that “Las mesas electorates abren de 7am a 8pm.”

I am then told that “Lugar de vootacion en la contraportada,” and then there’s not only a phone number for further information in English, as well as “informacion en Español,” also available “impormasyon sa Tagalog,” and Chinese, or is it Vietnamese?

The above is found on the cover of the thick “Sample Ballot and Voter Information Guide.”

English and Spanish information was found throughout the Guide, in many cases side-by-side, starting on the inside front cover where half a page was devoted to me as “Estimado Votante,” — Dear Voter. More than half of the next page was in Spanish, as were all of pages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and fifteen. For clarification, those were pages nueve, diez, once, doce, trece, catorce and quince. The next two pages were half in English and half in Español, as were the descriptions and qualifications of four candidates.

Ballot measures for both the Cabrillo Community College bond issue, for the parcel tax for my school district, and for the library bond, were also described in the two languages.

The booklet concluded with a Boleta de practica, which listed the candidates for president for three parties I was able to vote for as a registered Democrat — Democrata, Independiente Americano, and Liberario.

I was disappointed not to find the name of Enrique Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Part (PRI) and others, who may be running for Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

WHO CAN FIGHT LIKE A BOXER?

There are thirty-four candidates on the ballot to replace retiring Senator Barbara Boxer. Each candidate is trying to become one of the two who garner the largest number of votes, for they will run against each other in November, regardless of their party affiliation.

There are 12 GOP candidates on the ballot, seven Democrats, two Libertarian Party members, one each from the Green Party and the Peace and Freedom Party. Ten said they weren’t representing any party.

Each candidate listed her or his qualifications in a thirty-two page booklet entitled, “California Presidential Primary ***** OFFICIAL VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE,” It included a short paragraph by Democratic candidate Akinyemi Olabode Agbede, who used up his allotted number of exclamation points as he started his pitch with, “Rescue America! Rescue America!! Rescue America!!!” Republican Jerry Laws simply wrote “Constitutionalist. Americanism.”

Ling Ling Shi, with No Party Preference, wrote that she would, “Run for God’s Heart and America’s Freedom,” while Democratic Massie Munroe is “practicing Christ consciousness,” and Tim Gildersleeve, with No Party Preference, starts with “I am a follower of Jesus Christ.”  Jason Hanania, with No Party Preference, lists his one qualification as “01100101.” It’s an admirable number. Republican Greg Conlon notes that he was both a pilot in the US Air Force, as well as being an Eagle Scout.

The first name listed on the official ballot is a Democratic candidate by the name of President Cristina Grappo, who if elected, would become Senator President Grappo. Sounds a bit confusing, but so is this election thus far.

Although the entire guide was in English, on the final page there were phone listings for additional copies in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese. This is what is sure to hacer una américa grande, otra vez.

BE INDEPENDENT, BUT NOT AMERICAN INDEPENDENT

Thousands of California residents elected to stay independent, but when they registered as such, they inadvertently became members of the American Independent Party (AIP). The platform on the AIP website begins with, “The American Independent Party gratefully acknowledges God as the Creator of all and appeals to Him for help in protecting all He has graciously given us. With all these gifts comes the right to use them justly. Hence all such rights are the gifts of God as affirmed in our Declaration of Independence. These include the right to life and liberty.” 

A poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times indicated that 73 percent of those who registered as an independent, did not know that they had registered for a political party. Once they realized this, 31,772 AIP voters left the party in the two weeks prior to May 1.