Where's The Rocco Recall?

I wanted to write about the campaign to recall Orange Unified School District Trustee Steve Rocco, but since this is the stealthiest recall campaign I have ever seen, I'm not sure what to write.

My family lives in Trustee Area 6, which Rocco represents. We are high-propensity absentee voters. We never miss an election.

[NOTE: OUSD is divided into seven Trustee Areas. One candidate is elected from each Trustee Area, but they are voted on district-wide.]

Yet we have had zero contact from the Rocco Recall. Not a phone call, Not a signature gatherer ringing the doorbell or leaving literature. Nothing in the mail.

I haven't seen a single "Recall Rocco" table set up anywhere.

If one Googles for a Rocco Recall website there's nothing. The closest I've found to Rocco Recall contact info is an e-mail address on the Greater Orange News Service blog.

I did hear part of recall leader Terri Rasmussen's recent appearance on KFI's "John and Ken Show." but that's about all I've heard about the recall since it got underway in June.

Maybe they have been busy gathering the 15,000 or so 11,061 valid signatures they need to turn in by December 5 in order to qualify the recall for the June ballot (making the Feb. 5 ballot requires turning in by mid-September). But compared to the other recall efforts I've seen lately -- such as Disney's signature-gathering drives or the 2002 OUSD Recall campaign -- this one has been nigh-invisible.

Possible Rocco Opponents
A couple of names have floated as possible candidates in a potential replacement election. The first was Florice Hoffman, a liberal Democratic activist. Then it turned out she didn't live in Trustee Area 6.

About a week ago, Andrew Davey posted a blurb on TheLiberalOC.com inviting readers to donate to Ms. Hoffman's campaign, so I presume she intends to run in the regular November 2008 election in whichever Trustee Area she does live in. She hasn't responded to my e-mail, so I don't know for sure.

Steve Rocco is a bizarro, but if it were a choice between him and Hoffman, I'd take Rocco. The current OUSD Board is composed of five union candidates, one independent thinker (Rick Ledesma) and one wacko. Rocco seems more like the Trustee from Area 51 than Area 6, but I'd rather tolerate him than put another union Democrat on the Board of Trustees.

However, I doubt I'll be forced into that choice. The Greater Orange News Service reports that according to the Foothill Sentry, Arianna Barrios is planning a run for th OUSD Board of Trustees from Area 6. I haven't spoke to Ms. Barrios yet, but I did talk to her husband today, Brian Lochrie of Faubel Public Affairs.

Brian said his wife would run in the replacement election should a recall qualify, or in the November election if it doesn't. Arianna Barrios is registered as decline-to-state and is the daughter of former OUSD Trustee Russ Barrios -- who himself has been active in the AUHSD special election petition drive.

Rocco Takeout In Recall V. General
Personally, I think the recall is a waste of time and money. If by some chance the recall does qualify, the election would held in the spring -- maybe six months before the November election where Rocco would be on the ballot anyway.

A major motivation behind the recall campaign is that in a recall election, Steve Rocco would be certain to lose, no matter how many candidates were running to replace him, since recall and replacement are separate questions on the same ballot.

Some fear that in a normal election, a wide field of candidates will sufficiently divide the anti-Rocco vote to allow him to win a plurality re-election on the strength of being the incumbent.

I don't share that fear. There may be a number of names, but I doubt more than two candidates will be able to mount an effective voter contact campaign. Furthermore, nobody knew who Steve Rocco was in 2004, other than he wasn't the union candidate.

This time around, my guess is OUSD voters are aware of who Rocco is -- and to the extent they know who he is, that recognition is uniformly negative: "Steve Rocco? He's the crazy guy, right?"

Comments

[The Firm Lives]

I predict Rocco gets re-elected by a landslide.

[Jubal]

I think you mean "The Partnership."

[Guns and Rose]

Rocco is no Diane Harkey.

[Flowerszzz]

That is odd with how recall happy the county is right now....why not throw another one in?

[Bladerunner]

Barrios has been active in Orange as a Board member of the Community Foundation. Her Nixon Library stint may turn off a few folks but she and her family have deep roots in Orange and many in the Latino community are anxious to elect a Latina to the Board. So if she can raise some $$ she would be a strong candidate.

But Rocco is looking pretty formidable. He was seen a few days ago on his bike going down Grand Avenue with his French Foreign-style hat ready to do battle with the Partnership.

As I've said before I am not a big fan of most recall's. However don't be so sure most of the electorate now knows who Rocco is--off year, special and recall elections(except Arnold's mother of all recalls)tend to turn out voters well educated as to the local issues and those people will know who the Area 51(lol on that one jubal)candidate is. In a general, the incumbency label in that district might just work for voters who don't dial up the school board meetings on their cable. Otherwise, your analysis about the utility of the recall is sound.

[Jubal]

BR:

I just got off the phone with Arianna. I was very impressed and believe she will make a formidable candidate. I'll write a follow up post soon.

[redperegrine]

"Steve Rocco? He's the crazy guy, right?"

Not necessarily a disqualification for public office.

[One Flew Over the...]

"Not necessarily a disqualification for public office"

Disqualification my foot. It's almost a prerequisite in OC.

[Bill]

Hey Jubal,

Give me your address and I'll stop by for your signature.

It's tough to motivate for sigs during summer when everyone's busy on vacation or just lounging around and there's always something more fun to do than go door-to-door. There were quite a few people out yesterday (Aug 29) at elementary school locations on class posting day.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who still have never heard of this nutcase and criminal waste of time. As they say, we are the most entertained and least informed country (and county?) in the world.

Anyone who wants to help (on principle or for any other reason), feel free to email the recall.

recallrocco@cox.net

[Art Pedroza]

Matt,

Maybe they read what you wrote the other day when you said you would vote for Rocco over that Democratic lawyer whose name escapes me at the moment.