A clear and present party

S.J. CAHN

Chalk it up as the first big move in the Scott Baugh era.

Earlier this month, the Orange County Republican Central Committee

changed its bylaws to create an endorsement committee that can

recommend candidates to endorse in nonpartisan races -- i.e. city

council and school board.

One reasonable initial reaction to this news is concern, given

that nonpartisan races ought to be free of the divisive political

posturing of partisan state or national elections.

But after alighting on that line of thinking for a few seconds,

I’ve turned and now think this is a brave step forward for voters.

Ultimately it comes down to one of my favorite words to hate:

transparency.

Transparency, as used by government types, is a silly way of

saying that policy or procedure or decision-making is open to public

review and scrutiny. And following that silly way of speaking, it’s

the media’s job to ensure that what’s supposed to be transparent

really is.

Is that transparent enough?

Either way, having a GOP stamp on a city council candidate only

makes clear and obvious what fundraising or creative campaign

literature previously have alluded to: This candidate is the choice

of the party brass.

Perhaps it even will help limit any remaining back-room deals.

Voters, I believe, are better off with more information. The most

useful is what candidates believe on different issues, but it also

can be helpful to know what kind of friends a person keeps.

If candidates A and B have the party’s backing, for instance,

you’d have a pretty good idea where they stand compared to candidates

C and D.

And voters can then choose accordingly.

(Of course, if parties really want to back candidates, they could

really steel themselves for a fight and suggest primaries for such

races).

The other main reason party endorsements in supposedly nonpartisan

races are beneficial to voters is that there effectively are no

nonpartisan races. As a UC Irvine political science professor told

the Pilot, local elections are used to groom the next generation of

political leaders.

That political affiliation plays no part in these races is a

fantasy. And it’s why there’s no reason to hold your breath that a

Democrat will win a seat on the Newport Beach City Council.

My one worry about this precedent is that it will encourage one of

the more unsavory hits in local elections: outing a person’s

political affiliation.

In the 2002 Costa Mesa City Council race, a phone survey done

during the last weeks of the election asked people if they were aware

that Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley was a registered Democrat

and (even worse?) an attorney.

About 300 residents received the calls. Whether it played a part

in keeping Foley off the council is anyone’s guess. Whether there

will be a repeat call is, too.

But I doubt seriously that the Republican Party in Orange County

wants to see a young, articulate Democratic woman get a political

foothold here. Rep. Loretta Sanchez is more than enough for them.

So if Foley looks strong in the closing weeks of the election,

pick up your phone with caution.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He may be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at s.j.cahn@latimes.com.