☆ Election roundup (11/14): Common-sense voters break it off with Proposition 5, crime-lenient DAs

Elizabeth Bennett rejects the self-righteous Mr. Collins' marriage proposal in Pride and Prejudice (1995), telling him they cannot make each other happy. But it takes a few tries for the message to sink in...

Prop 5 may have been a wealthy, well-dressed suitor (boasting millions in campaign funding), but SCC voters were smart to decline its tax-raising proposal, say Opp Now contributors in this exclusive. More analyses, below (on Election '24 flubs, surprises, and encouragements)—from Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio, Midcoast Community CM Gus Mattammal, and CFABO's Steve Heimoff.

Biggest surprise this election?

Pierluigi Oliverio, SJ planning commissioner, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association board member: I thought Prop 5 would pass because people don't always make the connection between these propositions and their monetary impact on taxpayers. Congrats to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers' Ass'n for an efficient opposition that delivered their message without massive ad spends.

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Gus Mattammal, Midcoast Community councilmember: The extent to which even the bluest counties in California shifted to the right. Even in my home county of San Mateo, which is one of the bluest counties in the country, there was a roughly 6-point swing. At the national level, a 6-point swing is a major wave.

Can the Republican party capitalize on that movement to the right and deliver some results that keep the trend going? Or will things just snap back?

Worst policy idea in campaigning?

Steve Heimoff, Coalition for a Better Oakland president: Namely, Thao and Price blaming "outside MAGA billionaires" for their recalls. It was a direct insult to the Oakland/Alameda County residents. We know we're not "billionaires" or "MAGA," and we know we're not outsiders!

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Related:

• They just keep winning: Grassroots organizers saved the Bay from RM4, then helped topple Prop 5

• Election roundup (6/14): Local pols overlooked voters' actual wishes when falling for Prop 5

• Tom Rubin: Beware the Son-of-RM4, another plea for MTC to spoil its constituents (2/2)

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