Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Another Landslide?

Some are calling Pat Higgins' victory over Charles Ollivier a landslide (or would it be a landslide defeat?). Makes no difference, I suppose.

I can go along with that, but I was wondering about the one race that had me on the edge of my seat: The one between Jake Pickering and Sharon Omey for a seat on the Humboldt County Board of Education.

Looks like Pickering was defeated by a roughly 73 to 27 percent margin, a wider margin than any of the other one on one school district races that took place yesterday. I'd guess I'll call that a landslide, although no way of knowing what sort of thinking was behind the votes.

I'm trying to remember what percentage of the vote Pickering got last time when he ran for the Water District(?) seat. Anybody remember? I'll have to try and find the results of that race somewhere.

I'm wondering if he'll continue to run for elected office, or, do as other aspiring pols often do and try to get appointed to one the various boards or committees with open seats around the county?

What say you Jake?

13 Comments:

At 8:53 AM, Blogger samoasoftball said...

Can't win if you don't run. Oh, don't you all start on me not being able to win an election. I retained my seat this election on the Samoa Peninsula Fire District by a "landslide." (I was the only one running.)

 
At 9:48 AM, Blogger Hank Sims said...

Looks like Pickering was defeated by a roughly 73 to 27 percent margin...

Damn. He got he ass kicked pretty bad. I wonder how come.

 
At 9:57 AM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

I'm guessing most votes were probably the natural(?) tendency for people to vote for incumbents in low profile races with the maybe the extra margin of whooping coming from people weren't too happy with the idea of such a hard left winger sitting in a non- partisan post.

That's the only thing that would explain the wider margin in his race. His very polarizing letters to the editor painting him a fringe candidate?

That said, I can't help but wonder why more of the fringe left wingers didn't show up more for him and even out the margin, but maybe that's who the 27% that voted for him were?

 
At 9:57 AM, Blogger Carol said...

When he lived in Arcata, Jake ran for the HCDCC and won. However, he never showed up for a meeting.

I still would like to meet Jake. I often agree with him, but will not hesitate to correct him.

Like me, he is a frequent caller on Thank Jah It's Friday on KMUD. Jake likes to call other talk radio shows like Peter B. Collins. One has to admit, he can write a colorfully punchy letter!

 
At 11:00 AM, Blogger Eric V. Kirk said...

Hank - I think unfortunately most memories are too short to appreciate the wit. But I like it anyway!

 
At 2:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fred deleted my post 8 times from the Higher Education Moment and then closed it to comments. What a coward.

Do you hate education because of envy or feelings of inferiority, Fred?

 
At 2:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

He's deleting other posts too, the hypocrite. Fred is anti-education because of envy and sour grapes. He's best described as a disgrutled former dropout. He's a vandal, ruining everything he can't have. And that includes successful and prosperous lives for the educated.

KEEP POSTING AND MAKE FRED WORK DELETING AND HIDING THE TRUTH. HE'S A FACIST, CLOSING DOWN HIS IDIOCY FOR REBUTTAL. LET HIM REMINESCE OVER HIS FAILURED LIFE BUT STAY AWAY FROM ANTI-SOCIAL LOWBROW RANTS. ASSHOLES DESERVE A THOROUGH CLEANING UP.

 
At 2:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Of course Pickering won't be appointed to anything. Anyone who takes on the corrupt local establishment and their pathetic cheerleaders like Sims deserves to be crushed.

 
At 3:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

He's deleting other posts too, the hypocrite. Fred is anti-education because of envy and sour grapes. He's best described as a disgrutled former dropout. He's a vandal, ruining everything he can't have. And that includes successful and prosperous lives for the educated.

KEEP POSTING AND MAKE FRED WORK DELETING AND HIDING THE TRUTH. HE'S A FACIST, CLOSING DOWN HIS IDIOCY FOR REBUTTAL. LET HIM REMINESCE OVER HIS FAILURED LIFE BUT STAY AWAY FROM ANTI-SOCIAL LOWBROW RANTS. ASSHOLES DESERVE A THOROUGH CLEANING UP.

 
At 3:56 PM, Blogger Shane Brinton said...

"maybe the extra margin of whooping coming from people weren't too happy with the idea of such a hard left winger sitting in a non- partisan post."

I doubt that. There are enough "hard left" people to give him more votes than he got.

"His very polarizing letters..."

Yeah, that's more like it. His wing-nutishness coupled with the power of incumbency was what sunk him. Left-wing candidates can win, or at least do well, even in conservative areas, even against incumbents, if they get their base out to vote.

But even the partisan base cares about the actual issues. I was considered pretty far to the left when I was running for school board, but I was also talking about district issues. I actually did some research. I actually had positions.

Pickering just signs up to run for things and then talks about totally unrelated issues. He doesn't seem know anything about public education in Humboldt County. Even leftists have children. And nobody with children wants to elect somebody that doesn't seem sincere.

I agree with Pickering on a number of things: The Democratic Party needs a backbone, impeachment is desirable, Mike Thompson could be more progressive etc. But if I lived in his district I wouldn't have voted for him.

And a note to Carol: Pickering didn't get elected to HCDCC. He lost that race, coming in dead last. It was his friend/girlfriend Shannon who was elected and never showed up.

 
At 9:43 PM, Blogger Carol said...

Thanks for correcting my memory, Shane. The Dems need more younger folks like you! Neither Jake or Shannon ever "showed-up".

 
At 9:45 PM, Blogger Carol said...

Hi Fred! I just tried to post, but my comment didn't show. So here is another comment:

Thank you, Shane, for correcting me!

 
At 10:00 PM, Blogger Rose said...

Heh, Eric! Not TOO short - "Why DID Jake Pickering get his ass kicked so bad?" will live forever in Humboldt County history, I think. So-o-o-o-o funny!

 

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