Over the past few weeks, one of the candidates in the race for CA48 has decided to intervene in Darrell Issa’s lawsuit against the state of California over mail-in vote counting. This candidate has even shared videos of themselves proudly describing their fight against Issa, ignoring the fact that California is the primary defendant, not them.

Now, I’m not exactly here to attack the candidate, but let’s be clear: if this intervention actually mattered, every candidate would be doing it across the state.  To the best of my knowledge, this individual is the only one.  By all accounts, any of us candidates are horrifically outmatched by the resources of both Issa and the state of California, and though this candidate IS a lawyer, this sort of work is far from their focus.  So, what are we doing here?

In short, this candidate is a quokka in a bear fight. You’re left with all the questions: what exactly brought the quokka to the fight? Is it going to be okay? And what else could it be doing with its time? Posing for pictures?  Or, better yet, focusing on improving the lives of their ‘shaka’, the people they’re running to represent? 

(Fun fact: a group of quokkas is called a “shaka”.)

The state of California doesn’t need a candidate’s help in a legal battle like this. The intervention may seem like an attempt to stand up for fairness, but realistically, it won’t change the outcome and at worst, adds unneeded complexity. What it WILL affect is that candidate’s time and energy—time better spent building a solid platform that speaks to voters’ concerns.

This intervention gives us a peek into that candidate’s decision-making. What are their priorities? There are so many important issues right now that require us to focus as best we can. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on any of these?

• Healthcare costs continue to soar, and the recent Republican spending bill will make it worse.
• Wages are stagnant, and families are struggling to make ends meet.
• Our education system is under attack, and people with student loan debt are getting crushed.
• ICE is attacking local businesses and tearing apart communities with racist immigration policies. 

I’m not a quokka in a bear fight. I’m not here to be cute and fuzzy. When I step into a fight, it’s because I’m going to put in work. I ask my fellow candidates to rise to the occasion, to respect the intellect of voters, and to use their skills to fight for the well-being of the people—not distractions.

If you want to see how I’m doing that, check out my vision and plans at briannash.com.