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Maldonado’s top advisors out

September 14, 2013
Abel Maldonado

Abel Maldonado

Former lieutenant governor Abel Maldonado’s top advisors are no longer part of his team as he explores a bid for governor. [LosAngelesTimes]

Over the past few weeks, his senior strategist John Weaver, media strategist Fred Davis, campaign manager Jeff Corless and deputy communications director Julie Smekalina have departed though the reasons why are under dispute.

Long time Maldonado confident Brandon Gesicki said the advisors were dismissed because they charged outrageous sums while not producing.

“John was let go because he really was in this just to charge huge salaries and never delivered anything,” Gesicki told the Los Angeles Times. “They never presented Abel with a campaign plan — that’s Campaign 101…. They were happy to charge him $25,000 a month in fees for sending out a couple tweets and talking to a few reporters.”

Others contend the advisors left because of Maldonado’s lack luster fundraising efforts.

Reports from late July show Brown had more than $10 million in his reelection account while Maldonado had less than $45,000.

 


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Sorry Abel..If I wanted to vote for a liberal progressive I would find one that was up front about it.


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QUOTING ARTICLE: ” ‘John was let go because he really was in this just to charge huge salaries and never delivered anything,’ Gesicki told the Los Angeles Times. ‘They never presented Abel with a campaign plan…’ ”


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What kind of a plan can a strategist concoct for a candidate who doesn’t show up for scheduled events?


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Maybe now he’ll drop out of the race and then just maybe Brown rot won’t get in by default. I have no idea as to who would run in his place but we need to get OLD Moonbeam out before he decides that we need a high speed rail straight up the coast.


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There is another Brown problem…


I’ve been a long-term Jerry Brown supporter. However, there are a couple of obviously bad moves on Brown’s part which will end up benefiting special interest oil/gas-industry companies at the expense of California’s taxpayers.


One of the concerns is that Brown’s Delta tunnel water-movement plan may actually be diverted to the frackers of the Monterey Shale projects. In other words, we, the taxpayers, will get stuck with the $bill for frackers destroying yet another groundwater basin.


If you look at the timeline between when Brown started pushing for the Delta water tunnel plan and the time the frackers started pushing for rights to frack the Monterey shale formations, it is clear it is a mutually-beneficial arrangement for the benefit of Brown and the frackers, at the expense of California’s taxpayers.


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Hang up the suit Abe. Back to the farm from whence you came.


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Sounds like the ship is abandoning the sinking rat.


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Political consultants getting the message out is the way of the world (or at least our country) but even the best consultant can’t repair the damage done every time Maldonado opens his mouth. I’m not saying his consultants were the best but getting Maldonado elected is going to be close to impossible and consultants won’t want their names attached to a losing campaign, unless of course the price is right.


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I don’t understand how the Maldonado’s campaign could think the huge sums of monies being charged were a problem; isn’t that the Republican (campaigning) way? And not producing anything; again, the Republican (professional political consultant) way …


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Bob remember comments like this, next time myself or others mention your blind partisanship.


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Okay, blind partisanship; did I say that Democratic candidates do anything better? Look at the failed campaigns of Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, and John McCain; it seems like all three of those campaigns were exceedingly poorly run- not a lot of consistency, not able to connect with most voters, and occasionally shooting themselves in the foot, and they threw buckets of money away. Was that the fault of those three candidates or the people who ran those campaigns? My comment about how Republicans seem willing to pay top dollar for campaign managers who don’t have that good of a track record was not directed at the Republican politician for being inept, but perhaps the pool of talent to help elect Republicans isn’t as deep or as broad as it should be.

In the case of Abel Madonado however, the candidate is the problem; no depth, no appeal and willing to prostrate himself for a vote – no one will be able to make him appealing to voters, no matter how much money they throw at the problem. The fact that he calls himself a Republican should be a matter of embarrassment for most dyed-in-the-wool conservatives.


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Couple things. Yes you didn’t say anything about the Dems but you do seem to jump at the chance to start bashing Republicans a LOT here. Again I get it.


Second about conservatives being embarrassed. The only one who should be embarrassed is Abel. He is NO conservative. A moderate at best. Not one conservative I know likes the man. Also look at some people here who say they are conservative and they have no use for the man.


One can call themselves anything they want, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are.


Here is one (Abel) who could switch parties and I don’t think one conservative would say…..I never saw it coming, more likely to say………makes sense.


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Oh and one more. Funny that you also used John McCain as another example. You pick to of the most wishy washy moderate Republicans, that are not popular with the masses, to make your case. I agree, no one stood behind them because no one likes them.


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I actually voted for you way back when…but your ego got too big and you flip-flopped too many times. It’s time to close shop, Abel. The writing’s been on the wall for quite a while. Your political future is over and you should just go back and get a real job now.


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