Councilwoman Madison Nguyen was spot on when she said that her Wednesday night shindig at Motif restaurant felt more like a holiday party than a fundraiser for her No Recall campaign. Mayor Chuck Reed set a more serious tone when he grabbed the mic from Nguyen (who reminded everyone that there were no contribution limits in this campaign…”keep writing zeros,” she said ) and greeted the attendees, mostly public officials and elected leaders from around the Valley, who had spent the last hour sipping wine and stuffing shrimp on a stick in their mouths.
Reed made a very good point when he said that anyone can sit around and talk about the great things Madison has done during her three-year stint on the council, but let’s face it, it’s going to be the angry people who will go to polls on March 3, the day of the special recall election.
“We have a recipe for good,” the mayor told the crowd of about 50. “It starts with money.”
With so many politicos on her side, Nguyen is raking in the cash almost effortlessly, as evidenced by the $10 grand she raked in last night in less than two hours. But even her most loyal supporters expressed some reservations about Nguyen prevailing in this recall, saying, well, the Vietnamese are just too pissed off.
One of the Silicon Valley’s political fixtures, Larry Stone, didn’t hold back. He compared the Vietnamese recall/Little Saigon peeps to the Miami Cubans. “They’re just bullies.” Stone said. Maybe it was the white wine talking.
While I don’t agree with the recall effort, I find it to be a sad thing when money and power can take precedence over the will of the people, and can affect campaigns the way it does. Nguyen’s arrogant comment, “”keep writing zeros,” seems to speak to the very heart of how and why this mess happened in the first place.
With remarks like that, it is no wonder the Vietnamese community is, “pissed off” enough to recall her. She underestimated these folks one time too many already, and I think she’s going to learn a very hard lesson next year. As a mediator of 25 years, I can tell you that when principle is involved in a conflict there just ain’t no winning, no matter how much money you throw at it.
“Keep writing zeros” doesn’t sound that arrogant when its said during a political campaign. Campaigns are about money—you can’t put your ideas out there without it. Not the best system but it’s the one we’ve got.
If arrogance were a legitimate reason for a recall then just about every elected official would be fighting a recall campaign.
The Vietnamese community (or at least a portion of it) may be “pissed off” but is it really worth insuring the future loss of every Vietnamese candidate in the near future? If they succeed in removing Madison it will be a hollow victory since the damage they have inflicted will take years to recover from.
Hhmm, Ms. Nguyen throws a fundraiser outside her district in a DTSJ club that has had at least one stabbing, and a shooting, I believe.
And I learned something—no campaign limits on a recall campaign. Interesting. You’ve so pissed off your constituents that they mount a successful recall campaign with mucho signatures, and you get to spend unlimited amounts to keep your job.
Major irony.
Kathleen, when you’re right you’re right. Although “little saigon” seems like a tempest in a teapot, Nguyen’s attitude during the whole mess was arrogant and condescending. If she gets booted, she’ll have only herself to blame.
Can you all imagine the fallout at a Santa Clara political fundraiser if someone said, “keep writing zeros!”
I have agreed and disagreed with Larry Stone in the past. Regardless of any particular, Larry is a forthright, decent fellow who is passionate and is deeply sincere. I disagree with him about characterizing the Cuban Americans in Miami as “bullies.” Larry, some of the most committed Democrats in Florida are members of that community.
Madison Nguyen has been arrogant, condescending, and generally out of touch with her district. Sorry, but her antics at this fundraiser show this to be the case. We can remember that Madison made apologies for going over the top as a community organizer, and now, the shoe seems to be on the other foot.
It may have all been said already in just 4 posts. It sure doesn’t seem like there are any good guys in this story, nor a happy ending.
I’ll tell you what will happen in the media if this recall goes through, however: we’ll be hearing the phrase “Politicians have been recalled for less!” for the next ten years.
In a Metro article in 2005 Madison quotes: ““Growing up, I have always been a little more outspoken than most Asian children; therefore, I would often get labeled as a ‘banana’ by my Asian peers,”.
This fact has not escape the Vietnamese community , where, in positioning herself as the leading voice for the Vietnamese community – even though she did not grow up in San Jose and only came here seeking higher office in 2002- she tackled the us (Vietnamese community) against the establishment (City of San Jose) with the Bich Cao police shooting to win over the mantle as an emerging leader of the Vietnamese community. She rode that all the way to the Council seat touting herself as the humble Vietnamese “golden” child of the community full of promises and hope. While the true Vietnamese community leaders in many forms and shapes, like the college professors, the county counselors, the non profits, the former armed force leaders advocating change in Vietnam as well as here and many outstanding members that selflessly serves for the betterment the community for years since their arrival in San Jose watch in amazement how a smart, well spoken Vietnamese councilmember are so ignorant of the simple yet important fact, serve your community well and you will be recognized, respected and loved.
My, my, how the table have turned. Madison is now the establishment, with the major, political bigwigs and most of the council on her side. If you watch the video of last night’s fundraising (http://www.vietnamdaily.com/ ) , there is just 2 remaining Vietnamese supporters, Trung Lam and Dr. Ngai Xuan Nguyen. The rest are just Vietnamese press watching her put on a show for her mainstream audience. Her banana analogy is complete.
To quote a Vietnamese war analogy, Pencils (read computers for today, and further read journalists) do not win or lose wars. Governments and armies win and lose. War may be lost in conference rooms or presidential suites. However, we win or lose wars on the battlefield. We lose wars when the will to win vanishes.
What is a Vietnamese first elected council woman doing fighting this battle with a room full of generals? Where is her silent majority? Where is her foot soldiers? Is she expecting to win this recall with the will of the elected official and their deep pocket cronies? Will all these political bigwigs replaced the will of the people? Did all the deep pockets and infinite political resources help Hillary Clinton all the way to the White House? Or was it the will of the voters that prevail for Obama at the end of the day?
All and all, it is still the condescending council woman and her Vietnamese supporters (thinning every day like Jenny Craig diet program) selling to her mainstream peers that she knows what’s good for her Vietnamese community, has the goods and can deliver the votes. Somebody please reminds her that she have shed her banana peel and left it with the Vietnamese community once she came to council in 2005 and never wanted it back. For that fact alone, her main supporters that worked hard to get her elected wanted their votes back through this recall.
Madison has many chances to redeem herself by reaching out to her core constituents. When force to choose, the white side of her banana prevails and the consequences of her action are playing out for the next three months. Just like any newly minted college kids that think they are better than their parents, Madison need to be reminded that her uneducated parents of this Vietnamese “golden child” saved every political pennies to put her through her political college. If she does not value that gift, then “good riddance”.
The will to win of her supporters are vanishing…
Larry Stone, see you in 2010…. We’ll see what this group of Vietnamese bullies can do…
Arrogant? Condescending?
Look whose talking!
#8 “Larry Stone, see you in 2010…. We’ll see what this group of Vietnamese bullies can do…”
Yeah good luck with that one…
What are you guys going to try and take out every elected official supporting Madison? That’s gonna be quite the task.
An election for County Assessor isn’t like an SJ district election where your faction can throw their weight around, threatening anyone who doesn’t support a particular neighborhood name.
great postings! I hope she realizes her roots and how neglecting them can turn into disaster! good luck in the recall, you will need it Madison…
I do have to agree with #10. It just confirms the assertion, shile finding common ground that you and Mr. Stone can reach, would show a lot of people how sincere those of you in the recall campaign really are.
There are examples of some people wishing elected officials’ careers like a Twilight Zone character played by Billy Mummy, even resembling him, for their support of things, encouraged by Heads of the Dark Side.
Best to say, a) we do not agree with your assertion; b) we want to support you in 2010, but we need to resolve this.
#10
What # 6 meant is that unlike the Madison 2005 election and the 2006 Mayoral election, our precious votes will be steered toward a candidate best suited for our community. No different than Labor and Chamber of Commerce when vetting candidates for their point of views. NoSo the comment is not directed at Larry Stone in particular, but any candidates in 2010 looking at the Vietnamese community to be the deciding votes.