Varones Voters' Guide to the 2010 California Candidates

Your reform / libertarian / common sense / Tea Party guide to the candidates.

Guide to the propositions is here.

Governor: Dale Ogden (Libertarian). Obviously, this is a protest vote, as he isn't going to win. But the two main party candidates are both awful. Jerry Brown unionized the public employees during his last run as governor. Meg Whitman is a progressive, having supported extreme liberal Barbara Boxer in the past. She flip-flopped on illegal immigration, pretending to be for enforcement in the primary and then running soft on enforcement ads in Spanish. She refuses to support the Prop 23 jobs initiative. Clearly, Meg Whitman would be another Schwarzenegger as governor. Sometimes, the best message to send to the Republicans is, "Screw you. We want a better choice next time."

Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom (Dem). Yes, he screwed his best friend's wife. And yes, he has his own body count, having protected an illegal alien gang member who went on to murder a family in cold blood. But his opponent, Abel Maldonado, is a liar who signed a "No new taxes" pledge and then provided the crucial last vote for the biggest tax increase in California history. In exchange for this treachery, Schwarzenegger gave him an appointment to the Lt. Governor's job. Throw the bum out! UPDATE: Or write in Karen England!

U.S. Senator: Carly Fiorina (Rep). I'm no fan of Fiorina. Everybody who worked for her at Hewlett-Packard hates her, and she's a McCainite RINO. But picking up another vote in the Senate to slow down the Obama agenda is just too important this year.

Secretary of State: Damon Dunn (Rep). Young, energetic, African-American, Tea Partier. Opponent Debra Bowen is an old career Sacramento politician.

Controller: Andy Favor (Libertarian) or Tony Strickland (Rep). Incumbent is Democrat John Chiang, who's fought Schwarzenegger's attempts to furlough and cut pay for government workers by claiming his payroll systems are too screwed up and outdated to change anything. UPDATE: Tony Strickland is a real fiscal conservative running as a Republican. I didn't have the information on him originally, I think because he was left off a Secretary of State candidate statement list because he refused to accept voluntary spending limits missed a deadline. UPDATE2: Andy Favor is good too. Check out his platform in the comments.

Treasurer: Mimi Walters (Rep). Endorsed by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Incumbent is career Sacramento politician Bill Locker (Dem).

Attorney General: Steve Cooley (Rep). Will investigate and prosecute pension scandals and Hien Tran / Mary Nichols CARB fraud. Opponent is Kamala Harris, who lets crime run wild as DA of San Francisco.

Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones (Dem). Opponent is Mike Villines (Rep), liar who signed a "No new taxes" pledge and then provided the crucial last vote for the biggest tax increase in California history (like Abel Maldonado above). Throw the bum out!