What Is the Lorri Galloway “Candidacy” All About?

We have received a request to publish a post written by Friend and frequent commenter Joe Sipowicz and we reproduce it below, verbatim:

First, I want to say that I am not a political writer and have never gotten too involved in city or County politics. But I have done a lot of local political blog reading in order to write this post, and boy have I learned a lot!

I was reading your post a couple weeks ago about the Galloway candidacy for 4th District Supervisor and something just didn’t seem kosher about the whole thing. When I found out that a guy named Matt Cunningham was involved publicizing this news, I immediately got suspicious. Why? Well, first off, he had recently visited the FFFF blog in the role of defender of the indefensible – the gerrymandered 33rd State Senate District. His tactics were those we had been alerted to in our high school debate class: misdirection by stating obviously true, but irrelevant facts, meantime dodging the real, incontestable issue.

I also got suspicious because of what was obviously a slavish defense of Republican Dick Ackerman, apparently just for its own sake. A visit to his own blog and a little time in its archives revealed a Republican establishment toady. A related link on the Orange Juice blog revealed another relationship – that with John Lewis a supposedly conservative Republican political consultant and lobbyist who is backing Tom Daly, a Democrat, for the 4th Supervisorial District. Cunningham’s participation in that dialogue was interesting in that it studiously and lamely avoided explaining why he had failed to post on the subject of the Lewis endorsement of Daly himself, and kept inserting backhanded reasons why Republicans would be supporting Daly. I recognized his technique immediately.

But to return to Galloway and this “announcement” on Cunningham’s blog. I started asking myself why a Democrat like Galloway would even get involved with a supposedly right-wing Republican spokeshole like Cunningham. Why her embarrassing comment about the cute shoes? Why Cunningham’s pretense about wondering whether Daly was still in the race, when a call to his pal John Lewis would give him all his answers in about 12 seconds? Why the subtle comment that if Galloway were in it Republicans would coalesce behind Fullerton’s Shawn Nelson, implying that they wouldn’t if Daly were against him.

A later update on this post included a non-response from Daly and a weird comment by Chris Jones, Daly’s campaign  “consultant,” and yet another Lewis protege. Jones attacked Galloway’s “announcement” and obliged with a comment about her residency issue – but not about her left-wing politics vis-a-vis the supposedly centrist Daly – a fairly obvious approach you would think. This was also interesting since the same carpetbagging issue applies to Anaheim Hill’s Harry Sudhu, another candidate who lives outside the 4th District, and the authenticity of whose campaign Cunningham has been downplaying on his blog. Is Jones just signaling this as an issue to use it against Sidhu?

A final practical fact of interest is that John Lewis is also termed-out Supervisor Chris Norby’s campaign man, and stands to profit from Norby’s attempt to be the next County Clerk – a job currently held by – Tom Daly. No Daly campaign for Supervisor, no Norby campaign for Clerk.

Anyway, the whole thing seems too scripted, a little too well rehearsed.

I think some of the answers to this lay in the fact that Galloway, Lewis and Cuningham were all working together for the SunCal project in Anaheim a few years ago, and we know that Lewis is now willing to back Democrats for office. Was a deal made between Lewis and Galloway to throw up this trial balloon? What kind of a deal doesn’t really matter. But what for? Could the motivation be to try to push Harry Sidhu out of the race and then, after Galloway quietly disappears, preserve the Anaheim vote for Tom Daly in what would basically be a two-man race with Nelson? If the Anaheim vote is split three or even two ways, a candidate from Fullerton gets a plurality in the primary election, but ony one of the Anaheim candidates moves forward into a November runoff. And it may not be Tom Daly!

Somebody on this blog recently opined that the purpose of Galloway was to scare Daly out of the race. It seems more likely to me that her purpose in this race is to frighten Sidhu out and free up his old guard Anaheim support for Daly.

If this is true then we may simply be seeing wheels within wheels – which is what politics is all about, of course. And maybe this Cunningham guy is just being used as a witless tool by Lewis, Daly, and Company. His role hardly matters except as giving away clues.

Being a skeptic and new to all this stuff, maybe I am missing something here, but I’ll just end by saying this: a wise person will take nothing in politics at face value – especially when uttered by a politician.

Joe Sipowicz

Fullerton

72 Replies to “What Is the Lorri Galloway “Candidacy” All About?”

  1. All very Machiavellian; could it really be that important to Lewis to have Daly on the Board of Supervisors? If it is, let’s hope Daly stays put.

  2. Good analysis, Joe. There is a lot of conjecture, obviously, but there are a lot of oddities about her announcment. The “cute shoes” comment was so flip and trivial that it almost seemed to be a big wink to those in the know.

    Personally, I would like to see her in the race to stay so we can help Daly finally get a private sector job. Cunningham is right about a Galloway/Nelson polarization. If he meant this as a negative as you seem to imply, he may find that a lot of voters who want the County run by real conservative principles are tired of the go-along “centrists” like Daly even though he may be palatable to some squishy Republicans.

  3. I skimmed through the post – too much “inside Fullerton baseball” for me.

    What I picked up is that the poster is “shocked” that there is politics as usual going on in, of all things, … politics. Imagine that!

    Also some complaint about a gerrymandered district – who gets the blame for that? Oh, let me think, … every dem and reep in the state legislature would be my guess.

  4. There are 100,000 Anaheim residents who deny they live in Anaheim… “Anaheim Hills” they insist. Hey–it’s all one city! Problem is, east of the 57 Freeway is the 3rd Supe. District.

    So, now there are actually 2–and probabbly the ONLY 2–Anaheim Hills residents who claim they live in Anaheim–Galloway & Sidhu.

    Hey, Harry & Lorri–living in Anaheim isn’t enough. You gotta live in the real Anaheim, the flatlands. Daly Country.

  5. Joe:

    For a guy who claims to be schooled in debate tactics, have you heard about citing facts not in evidence?

    You’re entire post is comprised of guesswork, supposition, and leaps of logic. You claim I could have straightened out whether Tom Daly was in the race by calling John Lewis (I called Daly, but you managed to overlook that). take your own advice and call me directly if you’d like some facts to go on, rather than looney-tune imaginings. I’m not hard to get a hold of.

    That is, if you can be bothered to dial 10 digits.

  6. As predictable as the sunset… Cunningham shows up on a blog to say something without saying anything.

  7. And as predictable as the sunrise, Travis and the rest of you clowns can’t separate fact from fiction from your own fevered imaginations.

    The offers stands for you, too, Travis. if you think any of Joe’s hallucinations have merit, you can call me and have them debunked.

    I’m not going to hold my breath, however.

  8. Wow, what a choice: duplicitous creep or unwitting tool of the most principle-free pol in OC. Not a pretty picture any way you look at it.

    Right on Joe! If that Cunningham klown shows up here to defend his honor you know you hit a nerve! I’m moving over to your school of thought.

  9. Wow, another intrepid FFFF blogger, hurling personal attacks from behind the shield of anonymity. I’m sure the Fullerton establishment quakes at such bravery.

    I’ll extend the offer to you, Harpoon, anytime you work up the nerve.

  10. Welcome back to FFFF, Mr. Cunningham. I was pretty sure you’d show up to take your medicine if they posted my little essay – just like last time.

    Why don’t you tell me where any of my suppositions are wrong? Why would Daly tell you the time of day? Lewis on the other hand seems to be some sort of surrogate father figure to you and one of his other step-sons is running the Daly campaign. So why not call them directly? Presumably you believe they might tell you something. All this leads me to believe that you were in on this little passion play.

    No something is real fishy about this Galloway deal. But you lnow what? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Cunningham, and assign you the role of witless tool.

  11. “I was pretty sure you’d show up to take your medicine if they posted my little essay – just like last time.”

    You’re so clever, Joe. Interesting to know you think me important enough to bait.

    “Why don’t you tell me where any of my suppositions are wrong?”

    Because it takes ten times as long to debunk false accusations as it does to hurl them.

    Tell you what, Joe. Instead of wasting my time typing out answers to all of your loaded questions and conspiracy theories, you can just call me before you post them.

    Like I said, I’m not hard to get a hold of, and I could multi-task and do something useful like cleaning my garage while I illuminated you. It would be quicker, and then you could follow up with an FFFF post about me that actually bore a resemblance to reality.

    1. Sorry but I don’t think you are capable of shedding any illumination – except the indirect kind where people have to make supposition on the partial truths you are permitted to write about.

      Instead of cleaning out your garage I suggest you clean out the confused morass inside your noggin. There is a hazardous waste collection center over on Blue Gum and La Palma.

  12. Mr. Cunningham, your response is downright pathetic. Tell the man why he is wrong. This circular argument of “I’d tell you but it would take too much time” is reminiscent of “i know you are but what am I”. How about “stupid as as stupid does”. True they are words but they have no meaning.

    Kick Joe in the teeth with the facts or shut yer yapper. Spending time telling folks you really could out debate them, you just dont feel like it is for the 1st grade school yard.

    1. Lemme see: Joe writes a long post consisting of supposition and uninformed speculation, then demands I respond, in writing, to a bunch equally ill-informed, loaded questions.

      And since I don’t want to waste my time responding to Joe, I’M the one who’s pathetic?

      Call me crazy, but the burden should be on Joe to substantiate his accusations, rather than on me to disprove his conspiracy theories about me. At least, that’s how a grown up would go about it.

      Like I said, Joe is welcome to call me if he’s interested in the truth. I’m happy to e-mail me phone number to him.

      You guys like to yammer and bellow, but when a man invites you to pick up a phone and get answers to your questions, you get your panties in a bunch.

  13. Joe,

    You can no longer say you are not a political writer, or knowledgeable of City and County politics!

    You nailed it!

    Relationship$ mean more than party politics even here in the formerly red county. The SunCal saga was a great example of selling out one’s principles for some consulting cash.

    In spite of all your well founded theories, I still like Daly and Lori, although I hope she does step aside after Harry drops out.

    While the Fullerton vote is still a conservative one, it is much less in the last two cycles. Nelson is not universally appreciated in his hometown. Think Daly or Galloway would do well there with Quirk and Keller support.

  14. “The SunCal saga was a great example of selling out one’s principles for some consulting cash.”

    just…asking: you again? Still talking out of the back of your head, I see. Please remind me what principles I was “selling out”?

  15. Cunningham, the pathetic part is that you take more time for this “why should I answer him” circle jerk than it would just take to answer.

    You are right, he picked the questions. You could have just ignored him like Daly evidently does you. But you didnt. You have chosen to get in to the discussion so, for the last time, shove it down Joe’s throat with the facts.

    1. No, I took the time to call bunk on Sipowicz’s rant and challenge him to call me directly. I believe he’s more interested in pot stirring than actually getting a hold of the truth, so I seriously doubt I’ll ever get a phone call.

      For the last time, the burden of proof is on Sipowicz, not me. You know that as well as I do, but your bile gets in the way to admitting as much. The proper application of the term “pathetic” is to your pal Joe’s post.

      “You could have just ignored him like Daly evidently does you.”

      I called Daly and talked to him after I wrote the Galloway post, and posted his response the next day. Apparently, none of you sleuths saw it.

  16. Thus speaketh the Lord:

    “Wow, another intrepid FFFF blogger, hurling personal attacks from behind the shield of anonymity. I’m sure the Fullerton establishment quakes at such bravery.

    I’ll extend the offer to you, Harpoon, anytime you work up the nerve.”

    Nerve? Mr. Cunningham, you’ve got your nerve alright. According to the boys at the OC Weekly, you lurked in anonymity under the lame-ass name “Jubal” for three years while peddling your “establishment” crap – so don’t pretend some sort of courage over here.

    If you have any doubts about how the “Fullerton establishment” reacts to our blog why don’t you follow some recent events and see what’s happening on the Fullerton Fox Block and the Redevelopment expansion. Of course if you lived in Fullerton you’d be cheerleading these “establishment” disasters.

    1. I assume “admin” is none other than Tony Bushala, the Leader of the Tin Foil Pack here.

      Yes, i blogged under a pseudonym for a couple of years. You don’t need to rely on the OC Weekly and that factually-challenged article to know that. Although, my identity was an open secret well before the OCW hatchet job came out.

      But I didn’t abuse that pseudonym by hiding behind it while calling people names, slinging mud, making personal attacks, attacking people’s character or presenting fantasy as fact.

      That’s the difference between how I blogged anonymously and how twerps like Fullerton Harpoon abuse it.

      You’re one of the worst, Bushala. You hardly know me, yet you post lie after lie about me without ever bothering to pick up the phone or send an e-mail in even the feeblest attempt to determine the facts. You may pout your name to your posts, but you behave in a cowardly, bullying manner nonetheless.

  17. Of course if you lived in Fullerton you’d be cheerleading these “establishment” disasters.

    Only if he could somehow make a few bucks on the side as a consultant …

      1. But yet you bother to make a token response — and pretty speedily, too!

        The whole SunCal debacle made it pretty clear that there’s a thin, thin line (if there’s one at all) between ‘news’ and ‘advertorial’ over at Red County. If your clients need shilling, you’re the go-to shill.

        After that mess, is it any wonder that people are suspicious that you’re so willing to serve as a mouthpiece/defender for Galloway? Going by your stated principles, she’s someone you ordinarily wouldn’t give the time of day — a liberal Democrat who’s big into unions and subsidies. Yet she seems to be your favorite Anaheim pol. Is it uncashed favors, the smell of future business, or just affection for a former ‘co-worker’?

  18. I’ve seen this thread before… it will go on and on with Matt telling everyone to either call him or they’re not worth his effort. Matt WILL have the last 3 comments on this post, as everyone else will have given up, dizzied from Matt’s circular debate technique.

  19. Admin, please pull the plug on this Cunningham person. The circle talk is a waste of all our time.

    Cunningham, this is not a court of law. Some of are interested in your version which for reasons that are your own you wont share.

    Joe may or may not be an idiot. We will all judge him individually as well. Your insistence to punt every time you touch the ball, however, prevents you from wining any fans or just plain educating people that want to know the facts. If you have them and wont share them we have no ability to learn from or side with you.

  20. admin, dont pull the plug on cunningham , im enjoying it. there is a story maybe even a novel in this blog. the soap bubbles are flying in this political soap opera

  21. Well, well, well. It looks like we’ve got us a 3 year old, meltdown tantrum being thrown here.

    “me thinkest the Gerbil doth complanith too much”

  22. Joe, “I think some of the answers to this lay in the fact that Galloway, Lewis and Cuningham were all working together for the SunCal project in Anaheim a few years ago, and we know that Lewis is now willing to back Democrats for office. Was a deal made between Lewis and Galloway to throw up this trial balloon?”

    Funny how Mr. C. insist a phone call will straighten this issue out. Talk is still cheap, but the written word is here to stay. The facts speak loud and clear. Great post Joe!

  23. Wow, this post is getting a lot of traction. Yet we stray from the point which was never supposed to be this Cunningham/Jubal guy, except as a front (witting or otherwise) for this John Lewis character whom I have learned a bit about lately. So after this comment I’m finished (for now) with Mr. C.

    I never said I was certain of Galloway’s role and who was behind her. I just wrote what I thought were peculiarities about the whole thing. I did call Mr. Cunningham a toady – and so he is.

    I will say this too: after Matthew Cunningham’s return engagement here I’m really starting to think my original supposision was right: Galloway is working for Lewis too – just like MC and this Chris Jones guy – even if they aren’t getting paid by him.

    And Travis you are right on the money about Cunningham. I knew a whole slew of Young Republican types just like him in high school. They were certain they knew the way the world worked at age 15 because their daddies, or priests, or Big Brother told them so. They will always have the last word because to do otherwise would be to admit defeat – which you can never do when you are always right. They will keep yakking away until the room is empty.

  24. First of all Joe Sipowicz your poor writing skills are more embarrassing than her cute shoes comment. Understand that Council Member Galloway is not hear to scare anyone, she is just the obvious winner of this race.

  25. Hey Hermes, the word is “here” not “hear.” Why don’t you polish up your own illiteracy before attacking anybody else.

    The “cute shoes” comment was embarrassing. At least to grown-ups.

  26. It’s important to note that Matthew Cunningham left no less than TEN COMMENTS on this blog without a simple denial of his collusion with John Lewis and Lorri Galloway on her candidacy.

    I think we have our answer. Thanks for uncovering this, Joe.

    1. Travis:

      So, if a pack of schoolyard bullies spread lies about a classmate and their target refuses to respond, then the lies are true?

      Because that is precisely the situation we have here – with you, Joe and the rest in the bullies role.

      The burden is not on me to refute Joe’s ignorant accusations, it is on him to prove them.

      But if you are unable to see in my descriptions of Joe’s assertions the “simple denial” you are looking for, that is a reflection on your reading comprehension.

  27. It’s nice that that we provide a place where a guy can come over and insult the intelligence and courage of our bloggers. On his site if you call him gutless you get banned!

    1. Bushala, on my site, this kind of trashy, rumor-mongering post would never have been posted.

      You and your friends uncorked the personal attacks. Don’t whine when I respond in kind.

  28. Please guys, let this alone. The point is what Lorri Galloway is doing in this election. I’m sorry I ever mentioned your name, Mr. Cunningham, and I sincerely apologize for calling you a toady and a spokeshole and I’m sorry I insulted the Young Republicans I used to know. Okay?

    Now please just go away.

    1. Can you be anymore insincere, Joe?

      You’re like many other ankle-biting bloggers I’ve come across in the last several years: you’re brave that keyboard, but when your target unexpectedly invites you to question him directly about the allegations you’ve leveled, you head for the tall grass.

      You and Travis and Harpoon have been invited to call me and fire away about your untrue allegations, but you’d rather stick with the lies you’ve posted about me.

  29. I love you like a husband Joe, but this is really too much fun to let go.

    Well, okay. Let’s get back to work. We have several posts in the hopper about some recent “Fullerton establishment” f-ups of the sort that would make Mr. Cunningham doubtless dress up in a real short skirt, pick up his pom-poms and cheer for.

    See, Matthew, here we are actually making a difference – not just regurgitatig GOP and John Lewis press releases and pretending to be influential and important. Joe didn’t bait you Matthew, you only believed he must have because you believe you matter to him. You don’t.

  30. Joe didn’t bait you Matthew, you only believed he must have because you believe you matter to him. You don’t.

    I didn’t realize Joe was in the habit of posting and commenting about people he thinks don’t matter.

    And we don’t need to pretend at Red County, unlike others in the OC blogosphere.

  31. Thirteen. Fourteen.

    He didn’t post about you except as a a “spokeshole” who gave away clues in an interesting puzzle. And man did he hit that nail on the head.

    And the Young Republicans line was classic. Was that where Lewis found you?

  32. Matt Cunningham, can you point to a single issue in OC where your blog changed a public policy? If so please share it. This blog has already had a big impact – just look at the McDonalds issue, the uncovering of Redevelopment incompetence, the millions wasted on Union Pacific Park.

    You and your bunch of sycophants do nothing but pretend; pretend that you’re relevant to anybody except each other as you slavinshly bend over for people like Mike Carona.

    Also, that bit about your “pseudonym” was pure garbage, and you know it. You were hiding behind that lame name for the better part of three years and everybody knows it. So quit questioning other people’s courage.

    1. There’s an old saying that if a man keeps talking about how honest he is, then he probably isn’t.

      I’ve noticed the same phenomenon with blogs and bloggers — the ones who keep beating their chests and shouting their relevance, usually aren’t.

      That said, kudos to the positive impacts this blog has had on Fullerton government. It’s too bad you’re so adolescent you feel you have to build up yourself by trying to tear down Red County.

    2. “Also, that bit about your “pseudonym” was pure garbage, and you know it.”

      Huh? Pal, you really need a reality check. That “bit” was gospel. You’re a prime example of pseudonym abuse.

  33. Responding to Biff / Comment #26:

    Give Lorri credit on the Hotel “W” vote–she was the lone vote against the taxpayer handout for this luxury hotel. Yes, she’s with the unions, but so many of those Garden Grove hotels have gotten tax kick-backs that they should at least pay living wages.

    On the other hand, if Galloway really loved us poor folks, she’d come down off her high Anaheim Hills horse and actually move into the district that she wants to represent!

    1. Old Colonist: true on the hotel tax subsidy, although I have a feeling that project will pencil out for taxpayers in the end. I’m thinking more of the Lorri Galloway who’s never seen a low-income housing project that she didn’t like (as long as it’s located safely in downtown Anaheim, far away from her Anaheim Hills …)

  34. Admin, I made a spelling error, understand that Illiteracy is the condition of being unable to read and write, get it right.

    Biff, Lorri has seen low income housing, instead of staying inside her comfortable office in downtown Anaheim, her main office is in a thrift store in East Anaheim. You should stop by and say hello.

    1. Biff, Lorri has seen low income housing,

      I don’t doubt that, because she’s been all in favor of having it built — where it’s politically convenient. But refresh me: what’s Lorri’s advocacy record for low-incoming housing projects in Anaheim Hills? In the Platinum Triangle? During the SunCal mess, Friends of Lorri got lots of mileage out of the line that low-wage workers deserved housing near their jobs — but surely AH or the Triangle have some low-wage jobs held by people who’d like to live nearby?

      Although low-income housing goals are a citywide obligation, it seems to me that downtown and West Anaheim are always the location for these projects, because a) hey, aren’t all the dirty poor people already living there?, and b) it keeps them away from rich people and shiny things. Despite Lorri’s friend-of-the-poor facade, it doesn’t seem like she’s really thinking any differently.

  35. Has Lorri actually filed to run with the OC Registar of Voters? According to them she has not yet filed a Candidate Intention Statement.

    Daily, Espinoza, Nelson, Sidhu have.

    And what about the rumors flying about Joe Aguirre (Placentia) running? He has not filed the OCRV either.

    This is the new polling, right here on the blogs…

  36. That’s the whole point, Biff. Anaheim Hills isn’t really Anaheim at all. At least the people who live there won’t admit it!

    Joe Aguirre…. wasn’t his house the first target of Fullerton RDA eminent domain back in the 70’s? FFFF oughta look that up!

  37. Look do not worry about Lorri filling out the Registar of Voters, she will fill it out before March 31st. Like Hermes said works in East Anaheim, have you seen Daly or Nelson work with low income people? Never, Lorri is the best candidate, she will blow all the rest of the bozo politicians away!!

  38. Z Man:

    So long as the people that are not low income make up the majority of voters in the 4th, Lori might need to show she can do more than give others people’s money to the indigent. It will be interesting.

    I have actually heard Lucille Kring is thinking about getting in to the race as well.

  39. Willis:

    Poor or rich she will have the support from the 4th district. She is an appealing candidate for everyone. Your correct, the results of this race will be very interesting.

    Really Lucille Kring? I thought she was busy at her restaurant in the Garden Walk. She must not have anything else to do.

  40. Willis:

    I totally agree. Lorri is the best choice, she is the most genuine.
    I also agree that Multimillionaire Sidhu will never move out.

  41. Lorri would be my choice as well, seeing as her 26 years of service to the area trumps these chumps like shidu. As for Kring? Blog comments aren’t always best to gauge her intentions, what makes you think she’s capable of running a campaign for supervisor.?

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