Sheriff's Race Update: Bob Alcarez Drops Out, Endorses Hunt

Peggy Lowe at Total Buzz reports that omega-tier Sheriff's candidate Bob Alcarez is dropping out of the race and endorsing Bill Hunt for Sheriff.

Which raises the question: how do one drop out of a race that one was never really in?

Regardless of which Sheriff's candidate one is supporting, no one can honestly maintain this will have anything more than zero impact on the outcome of the June primary. This Alcarez's withdrawal would be equally meaningless if he had endorsed Mike Carona or Ralph Martin (although a Carona endorsement would have made a bigger media splash due to the man-bites-dog character of such an unlikely event). It changes the dynamics of the race slightly more than if my pool guy endorsed Hunt.

The letter is a pretty boilerplate withdrawal statement, although this paragraph is a hoot:

As this campaign progressed, I realized Lt. Bill Hunt and I were more compatible in our thinking concerning the issues and priorities that were needed to get the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on track again. Ralph Martin, on the other hand, echoed the rhetoric of Mike Carona.

I'm sure that's exactly what Robert "Bob" Alcarez was thinking "as this campaign progressed." I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact Alcarez didn't want to spend $100K of his own money and garner the same number of votes he'd get by spending nothing.

And it's obvious from the above paragraph, as Peggy Lowe reported, that the Hunt campaign had been working with Alcarez for two weeks on this letter. "Ralph Martin...echoed the rhetoric of Mike Carona": give me a break.

Comments

Alcaraz was a zero from the very start. I'm not sure what prompted him to run in the first place, but there had to be an ulterior motive becuase it was quite obvious he was never in the running and never would be.

In his letter Alcaraz criticizes Mike Carona and Ralph Martin, yet he has never held a major leadership position within his own agency or any other law enforcement agency. Therefore, his opinion holds very little credibility.

The support he brings to Bill Hunt couldn't fill a thimble. Hunt could use support from anywhere at this point, so a thimble is better than nothing, but still not much.

[Out with da bum]

Perhaps Alcaraz dropped out after an agreement with Hunt that traded inside secrets from the LASD about Commander Martin for a free seat at the Hunt Texas Hold 'em tournament?

[I got robbed!]

Thanks Bob for wasting my vote...I voted for the Nimrod (Alcaraz) absentee last week...Nice timing on dropping out.

[what a bunch of nimrods!!!]

To Out wid da bum, keep dreamin sport....Martin has no dirt....If you are looking for dirt just look at Alcaraz...

Find out how many individuals he personally shot and killed over the years....find out why he had to be moved from the special enforcement detail or about his off duty shooting with a fully automatic AR-15 where he sprayed a gas station....recklessly!!!!

Or better yet find out why he is the only deputy sheriff in the history of the ALADS organization, (LASD's version of AOCDS), to have ever been kicked off of the board of directors and then permanently banned from being a member....THE ONLY DEPUTY EVER TO BE BANNED FROM ALADS....

Find out what kind of retirement he got and why....

No sport, Bill Hunt has scored quite a coup with the Alcaraz endorsement...this guy is a certifiable nut just like Bill is...the two will fit nicely together....they can try and out impress one another with their macho stories of the old SWAT days.....one hell of a team....Bill can pick em just about as good as Carona can...

And you know what the real joke is?? Alcaraz will take votes awary from Carona because he is Hispanic....and Alcaraz can't remove his name from the ballot, so the votes will still go to him....this helps both Martin and Hunt....

What a JOKE!!!! But he will still make a better Assistant Sheriff than Jaramillo because he is too stupid, Bill might be able to control him......Go Hunistas!! vote for Hunt and Alcaraz!!!!! what a fine team they will make!!!! What you think there isn't some deal??? Of course there is, Alcaraz is looking for a free ride!!!!

Oh yeah and to I got Robbed, that's what you get for voting for Alcaraz in the first place....weren't you paying attention over these last few weeks???? cheeesh

[Dump Hunt]

This is BS.

Like Carona or not, Martin is the most legit opponent.

I could see Martin as my Sheriff but I puke at the thought of Hunt...

[No Thugs]

Roger that.

There's a lot of emotional ranting in poorly veiled attempts to spin Alcaraz' endorsement as a negative for Hunt. One can sense concern from Carona and Martin supporters. Hunt continues to gain ground and looks like the likely opponent in the November runoff against Carona. It will be more entertaining with Hunt than with the bland Martin. (Yawn). I think most people will agree, Hunt vs Carona is the card to see.

[Jubal]

I don't think the Alcarez endorsement is a negative for Hunt. I think it will have little or no impact, because Alcarez was having no impact on the race.

Considering the energy the Huntistas are now putting into dismissing Martin (and tearing down his signs), I think the spin is coming from the Hunt camp.

To 1042, ENTERTAINMENT??? What happened to the more qualified leader? You want entertainment go to the movies a wrestling match or a ball game!

This is too important a race to want a run off simply for entertainment value!

We have already had 7 years of a flamboyant egomaniac....and now you are complaining about a calm, extremely experienced, even-tempered candidate with extremely professional demeanor and you are BORED??

No wonder voters elect idiots....they want ENTERTAINMENT....boy I sure have been entertained with Carona'a antics! Can't wait to see what Hunt will do....

[Not L.A.]

It is surprising that the Alcaraz endorsement of Bill Hunt apparently carried such little weight with the Editorial Board at the Los Angeles Times.

Perhaps, the Alcaraz endorsement of Hunt will have more influence in Orange County.

Will the Times endorsement of Martin or the Alcaraz endorsement of Hunt actually have any influence on the voters in Orange County?