Abram Wilson Redux-2010

I have been hearing that he has not changed his style. Wilson was criticized for not being energetic in his 2008 campaign, and his fundraising was abysmal. One smart thing he has done is hire a woman who has the potiential to be a great fund raiser, one of his former AD-15 opponents, Judy Lloyd. She is also an experienced, campaign hand. If he listens to her he can learn a lot. Lloyd has revived Wilson’s fundraising effort by raising $53,000 in over a month all with local money. Good Show. Wilson also received endorsements from his all of his former AD-15 GOP opponents. Good move locking them down. I am not sure if this is a result of their being financially broke or politically broken after the 2008 primary melee.

Additionally, in 2008, Wilson spent a lot of time going to events as mayor of San Ramon instead of focusing on his candidacy for AD-15. Wilson is running for Mayor of San Ramon again. I think this creates a perceptional problem because of his 2008 campaign.

Abram, are you running all out for the assembly this time or are you hedging and running for Mayor of San Ramon? Politically it is better to stay as Mayor so you can maintain the channel of special interest money as mayor.

I would look to a couple of Republicans on the local and national levels for advice. Locally, former Assemblyman Guy Houston left the mayor’s job and moved into the district (after Dublin was removed from the district because of the failure of a local assemblywoman to protect the district) and ran for the AD-15 seat.

Nationally—just ask Judy Lloyd—Bob Dole gave up his leadership post in the US Senate to run for the presidency. Wilson, by running for Mayor of San Ramon is telling voters about just how serious he is about running again for AD-15. I believe that if Wilson wants to try again he needs to show that he is committed to winning AD-15 with every fiber of his being. This would be a strong and powerful message to his future opponents.

Wilson does have a couple of issues that could bite the mayor. One is the fact that San Ramon has not started on the long awaited city center. Personally I would prefer a bass lake in the middle of town so I can drive down there and go fishing as oppose to another urban monument to sales taxes.

Wilson also did not support the extension of the San Ramon School bonds that were extremely popular in the district and won with 70% of the vote. I would presume this position was taken to keep his right flank in check. But it will be hard to have him tout his support for local education. He should have taken a lesson from Guy Houston who said that “if people want to vote to tax themselves I am all for it.”

To paraphrase the great political consultant Robert Shrum, it has been said that even the best candidates are flawed people and in some respects and that to write about them is to expose their jagged edges along with their positive abilities. Abram Wilson, as I wrote on election eve 2008, is a more than able politician. He was the last best hope of Republicans in 2008. It is my hope that he is going to get over the hump and learn from past mistakes and not repeat them.

I hope to write going forward about this new energetic Abram Wilson who is giving us sound reasons to support his candidacy and replace the current incumbent who could not figure out what job she wanted.

Oh yeah Abe!! Get rid of he Ford Falcon—It’s cute and folksy, but in 2010 Republicans need a Ferrari if they are going to retake Assembly Disrict 15.