With the election just over two months away, the California Republican Party confab was as much about bashing the big bad Democrats on the ballot as it was cheering their own party nominees.
Sure, many attacks took the typical tone, painting Democrats as tax-and-spenders who would drive the state deeper in debt. But candidates also hit their rivals on some much more serious issues: hair and Happy Meals.
Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado warned of the "ridiculous, horrible and just plain dangerous things" rival Gavin Newsom has done as mayor of San Francisco.
All those dangerous doings were chronicled in an exhaustive video that bashed Newsom for everything from "awkward" outbursts in press interviews to San Francisco "nanny government" steps like taking aim at toys in McDonald's Happy Meals and requiring composting.
To make its point, the Maldonado camp replaced the centerpieces of the dinner tables with bottled water, bagel sections and cans of Coke, three items the campaign said Newsom targeted as mayor
"This is serious, this is really serious," Maldonado said.
Assemblyman Mike Villines, the GOP nominee for insurance commissioner, used his Saturday luncheon speaking slot to mock opponent Dave Jones' mop.
Villines played a video tying Jones and his full head of hair to another candidate with luscious locks: former Democratic Sen. John Edwards, whose 2008 presidential bid Jones backed.
"Look at that hair," Villines cracked as the faces of the two candidates flashed on the screen and morphed into the visage of Barbie's famous beau Ken.
"I'm jealous of that hair, I'll be honest about that," the coif-challenged Villines admitted.
Another jab that drew some laughs? Jones' support of pet insurance legislation: "I love my dog," Villines said. "But that's not the biggest issue for the state of California."
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