He’s a Former Republican Taking On Dana Rohrabacher. Can He Win?

We have to do this in stages. First we "retire" Rohrabacher, a truly egregious individual. Then we come after Mr. Rouda. There is no such thing as a reformed Republican. Prove it to us, it will be hard to do because you supported Kasich. He would have been a serious problem for "regular people" as President except Trump sidelined all of them to become a migraine.

Orange County used to have an enclave of Vietnam evacuees. What happened? They used to be staunchly anti-communist and therefore tended to be more Republican than Democrat. Have they lost their soul?

Yes Rouda can -- and will -- win. All GOPers in Orange county need to do is look at their neighbor Hunter to see the corruption in their party.

Dear Rohrbacher voters: Do you have investments in Russia? Are you sure you want your hard earned income winding up in R’s hands? Where did you leave your brains, at the front door? He is a conduit to Russian gangsters thieves plutocrats. His first allegiance is to......Russia! Your CD district ....? Why is there even a ? here? Really? Really???

Another voter in the 48th district. I need to type quickly because I am on my way out to canvass for the third time this week, for Rouda and distinctly against Rohrabacher, or we know him, "Russia's favorite Congressperson". It's disgusting that a member of the science committee does not "believe in" (in other words, understand) the clear science of global climate change. He also brags about handing out flags to veterans, but first - he asks if the veteran is a Republican. If not, no flag. As I talk with my fellow citizens in this district, a lot of Republicans are eager to see him go too, as well as 95% of the "no party preference" folks and 100% of the Dems. It's time after 30 years (with only 3 bills to his name even so).

Never forget that House majority lead Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, is quoted as saying "I think Putin pays two people-Trump and Rohrbacker." Paul Ryan swore the other Republicans in attendance to secrecy. Who is the worse traitor Rohrbacher or Ryan? It's a tossup.

This candidate is in my district and he should win handily. Republican attack adds are full of accusations and mean, while Rouda's adds talk about his business accomplishments and what he would like to accomplish. Our current congressmen is fondly referred to as "Putin Favorite Congressmen". Rohrabacher has been carrying the Russians water for years and is way out of touch with the people in the 48th district. He is one of the very few people who voted against the Magnitsky Act back in 2012 which pulled the visas of those Russians responsible for the criminal acts that lead to the Sergei Magnitsky's death in prison. He is a better fit for a Moscow suburb than Orange County. Republicans are always harping about people on the public dole. Rohrabacher is a perfect example of just that.

As someone who has never been involved much in politics other than voting, I have recently signed on to volunteer for the Rouda campaign. I am amazed at how many people I have met who, like me, were never political and are now motivated to get out and canvass, register voters, paint signs, etc. There is such a groundswell of activism in our district that I am optimistic Rohrabacher is well on his way to retirement. For folks that already live in safe democratic districts, you can help districts like ours and others across the country by signing up through MobilizeAmerica.

Will be very interesting to see what happens to Rouda / Bresden figures if they win. I think the whole moderate facade is window dressing: they'll be whipped to vote party line (though will be able to go on CNN and posture about moderating the most extreme wing of the party). The real question is what happens when Rouda goes home in 2020? Does he pay for his obsequies party-line voting? Probably not. If Dems in the mould of Lamb/Rouda/Bresden win, the party will have pulled off a blue dog coup without having to abide them on hot button issues like guns or abortion. Quite a feat...if they can get it

The guy is probably preferable to the Russophile Rohrabacher. But he's clearly a liar. Nobody gives a thousand dollars to a political candidate whose views they don't agree with because- friendship. Anyways, with dark money infiltrating our system thanks to Citizens United and some other regressions, a thousand bucks is a drop in the ocean. A Republican who only switched parties in 2016, yet proclaims the last GOP candidate they voted for was Bob Dole? He's lying. A Democrat with real estate interests who's opposed to rent control? Democrats may be many things, contrary to popular opinion there are some who are "pro-life" if they're not single issue voters. But opposed to rent control? Why bother? If he's the best the DNC could come up with with Rohrabacher sticking his foot in his mouth while Orange County switches from red to blue, they deserve each other. Why would OC be red when most of the wealthy coastal enclaves of California are solidly blue? Because unknown to most, Walt Disney was a fascist who choose Anaheim as the location for his first theme park precisely because the region resonated with his beliefs. Then it became a chicken and egg thing while its status as the region's largest employer allowed him to personally vet the team of executives to make the place run efficiently. Read the stories about Disney employees who can't afford rent and sleep in their cars. Then keep giving the company piles of cash because your kids demand it.

"He is a real estate executive opposed to rent control." Who, in their right mind, likes rent control? It's the worst way to fix a housing problem.

It's important for both Republican and Democratic voters in this district to dump Rohrabacher, whose foolish statements and Russian entanglements are at best not indicative of good judgment. Roada is a middle-of-the-road something-or-other, and perhaps it doesn't matter too much whether he falls to the Democratic or Republican side of the center line. His time in office is two years; that's enough time for a reset and for people to assess whether this "bridge candidate" represents their interests.

Will The Times do an in depth interview with Mr Rouda so we can learn - we hope - more of what he really thinks and believes he can accomplish in Washington? What he hopes to do for the citizens of Orange County in general and specifically?

Even decent Republicans are evaporating before our eyes. If they remain in the party and don't support Trump, they are marginalized. If they leave the party, they are shunned. But if they do support Trump, they lack the judgment to serve.

Let's do it Orange County!! Come to the blue side!

Amazing how things are changing. As late as a decade ago, the fact that a politician was a paid shill for Russia would have placed his life in danger in that precinct.

Rohrbacher has held that seat for decades, winning it every two years without fail. He has declared that climate change is bunk, has solicited favor with Putin and his corrupt Russians, expressed clearly thoughtless ideas that have been reported in the mass media as gaffs, associated with bottom feeders like Erik Prince, and taken extreme conservative and right wing positions on most issues without ever facing a serious opponent at the polls. He might be beaten, now, but it really remains to be seen.

Repubs and conservatives, soft on Russia. Who'd have thunk it? Dems were tarred with the "soft on communism" label 20+ years ago, and it was an effective tactic. Why the dems haven't been able to make "soft on Russia" an effective label, I just cannot know. But I DO know that it would make military, former military, and most conservatives very queasy about supporting someone like Rohrabacher.

Mr. Rouda's style and tone are in tune with what many voters would like to hear from a politician. But, if style and tone were all that mattered, Donald Trump would probably never have become president. Rouda and others like him also need to center in on the fundamental failure of the incumbents -from both parties- to do their jobs as legislators, to identify important public challenges, fashion policies to help meet them, and hammer our workable compromises that also become effective laws. Otherwise, they will not pick enough votes from people who voted for Trump out of sheer exasperation at the meltdown of competence governance at the federal level, and who still feel a lack of attention by national politicians to real substantive needs and issues. Then, if elected, the task of such newcomers becomes harder still, because they will have to then fight hard against a now ingrained Washington culture of all-posturing and no-action that is endemic in a Congress run by Republicans too scared of Trump's populist and erratic incompetence to function viably, who are ironically supported (in their do-nothing-ness) by Democrats too timid to really put their votes on the line for much of anything not based on politically correct identity politics and unceasing tokenism.

Dana Rohrabacher is the best man in Congress. He stands for peace with Russia, he stands with Julian Assange for the truth against the McCarthyites who are trying to bring down Trump.

Rohrabacher is another Republican traitor financed by Russian cash laundered through the NRA. Once he and the rest of his traitorous party are removed from office, the trials can begin.

Re Reagan Republicans: Lest we forget Ronald Reagan made American reactionary conservatism, and racism, safe and attractive. He wasn’t a Bircher or a klansman. His Hollywood charm made it easy and palatable for (too) many to forget or to choose not to see how racist and radical American conservatism had really become. "I think, too, that we’ve got to recognize that where the preservation of a natural resource like the redwoods is concerned, that there is a common sense limit. I mean, if you’ve looked at a hundred thousand acres or so of trees — you know, a tree is a tree, how many more do you need to look at?" Gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan, Western Wood Products Association in San Francisco on 12 March 1966 “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Ronald Reagan, first inaugural address.

Since the comments below are all from the NYT echo chamber, a dissenting voice needs to be registered. The Rouda positions on wages, healthcare and university tuition are not centrist and it would be inconsistent of a Republican to support them. Moreover when a newly-elected/junior Member arrives in the House, he is not free to vote his conscience but must support Democrat policies, and has much less freedom to defy his hierarchy than a senior Member. Rouda will not be able to be a sorta-Republican able to satisfy conservative voters who hate Trump; he will have to follow Nancy Pelosi down the rabbit hole. For these reasons, and because Donald Trump cannot shake the party loyalty of this Buckley-style conservative, I would never consider not voting for Rohrbacher, despite his occasionally wackiness.

Dana Rohrabacher has been my Congressman my entire life. He has consistently shown that he could care less about his constituents, coastline, and country. He blocked me (and dozens of others) on his official Facebook page because I questioned him about one of his policy points. He frequently tweets late into the night, and attacks anyone who disagrees with him using sometimes vulgar language. Harley may not be the most progressive candidate we have ever seen, but he is 100% right for the 48th and a wonderful man, dedicated father, and tireless advocate for sanity. I have been fighting for over 6 years to see a man like Harley represent me, and cannot wait until November 6th!

Anybody but butcher of the world , Putin's buddy Rohrabacher. Voting for a Russian agent may not be treason but unpatriotic. Rohrabacher is a shameless Russia and Putin's agent in our congress. It is total brainless to support him. Liberal or conservative does not matter but you have to be a pro-American. Russia is still our number one enemy and making trouble all over the world.

Rorhbacher has been a disgrace for the district for a long time. From his wife who committed felony election fraud, his pedophile assistant, his embezzler manager, let alone his extreme fondness and association with Russians and his consistently wrong foreign policy (He also supported the Taliban). I have lived in horror that this area was so comfortable because there was an "R" next to his name they forgot to see what the heck he was doing. Like Trump he calls people "thugs" and "enemies of the people" and preaches some crazy conspiracy theories about "leftists taking our freedom" and strums his guitar. He is absolutely nuts! He says climate change is caused by dinosaur flatulence, thought men were living on Mars, thinks homosexuals should be denied housing and fell for the whole "Guns for Tots" thing Sasha Baron Cohen just did. Rouda fits his district....a successful moderate without labels, common sense oriented, problem solver, business man with a heart and articulate and open-minded. It would be amazing if for once in my life I was not embarrassed to say I lived in Orange County. Hope he can pull it off!

in a just and moral country with educated voters of course harley road would win.

The late Senator Goldwater once some political positions that we now consider right wing will be one day be considered left wing and what is now considered left wing will be considered right wing. The way the parties are lining up on the Russia issue demonstrated a certain prescience on his part.

I heard Harley Rouda speak at a candidates forum at a local high school. I was impressed with his articulate message on improving the health care system and the direct way he answered questions from the audience. He did not dumb down his message although there was no need too as his district is a wealthy suburb and mostly college educated. It is a sign of how extreme the GOP has become that former Republicans like Rouda are now running as Democrats. When I hear people support Rohrbacher I wonder if they have heard of the Red Scare of the 1950s-1970s. At that time it was candidates of the Republican party that were telling voters that Russians were trying to infiltrate our country. Still, many District 48 Republicans are concerned about Rohrbacher's cozy relationship with Putin. Although I can't vote for Rouda since I don't live in his district I really hope he wins.

These days "real estate executive" sends a chill up my spine in conjunction with politics. But when the opposition is a man far, far too closely associated with Russia, at least it's California real estate and not somewhere in Moscow. The Never Trump Republicans and former Republicans are a welcome addition to the Democratic Party and to independents. In many ways, they see the dangers most clearly, and they have the template for how much has gone wrong in the Trump era. Like Catholic converts, they are also in many ways the most devout. Good luck to Mr. Rouda. This is definitely all hands on deck time before Trump sinks the U.S. ship of state, and while the other Republicans may -- just may -- fleck a minute particle of dust off their Titanic deck chair rather than providing any semblance of a check on Trump.

Rohrabacher is my neighbor of many years. He is always pleasant and enjoyable. However, I have voted against him for the last 20 years because of his conservatism. I am hoping for some success this time around.

It continues to amaze me that what should be mainstream policy ideas like a livable minimum wage, universal health care and free tuition at public colleges are treated in our politics and media as some sort of radical leftist plot. These are the basic minimum standards of living that EVERY other modern, affluent country provides its citizens, through reasonable taxation in which the wealthiest share the burden of paying for a functional society. Only we, the richest country in human history, deny these essentials to ourselves, in service of tax cuts for billionaires. It is truly crazy.

The distance from Rouda to Ocasio-Cortez may seem huge, both in miles and in mindset. However I'd remind anyone thinking about this that the distance is much smaller than the Democratic party endured for about 100 years: the distance between the "Southern Democrats" and Jim Crow, vs the Democrats elsewhere. Rhouda is advocating "progressive" goals (Medicare for all, $15/hr federal minimum wage, free public-college tuition) that Ms. O-C and her like-minded party members should find attractive ... nevermind the extraordinary benefit to all of America of getting rid of Rohrabacher. The Democratic "big tent" can hold them, particularly so when Trump is president. It is the GOP alliances that are shattered, and cannot stand much longer. Trump is the face of the old Southern Democrats who morphed into Jesse Helms Republicans and have now morphed into an "authoritarian" (read "neo-Nazi) white-people's identity oligarchy. Transiently the Evangelical/religious-right support Trump. Together they are about 80% of the GOP voters, and the sad fact is that old-school Buckley-ite conservatives (like Rhouda before conversion) amount to less than 20% of the GOP voters. The Republican coalition is a three-legged stool where the only thing holding the legs together is that they will collapse if they part ... yet each of these three subgroups has agendas that fundamentally conflict with the others, and Trump's efforts to force all the others into blind Trumpismo are failing.

Rohrbacher loves Russia; he does not even hide it. Russia is our enemy; period. Vote Rouda to save America. Republicans are pro Russia; pro business and anti people. Vote out Republicans for living wage jobs and to save our health care; Medicare and Social Security. Ray Sipe

This guy is like me - registered republican to 2016 who has voted Democratic in the prez race since 2000. Has decided to try to change things, can't take it any more.....my kind of guy.

Would have been interesting to see some discussion on whether the new "top two, regardless of party" primary system was instrumental in getting Rouda on the ticket here. If so, great with me. I think the country is hungry for a "big tent" coalition of moderates. And if by chance the next congress finds itself dealing with impeachment, Democratic moderates in the Senate (e.g. Dianne Feinstein) capable of persuading moderate GOP counterparts will make the difference.

Rouda sounds like a reasonable man, and I hope he wins. Interesting that he felt he has to distance himself from the moderate Kasich. Moderate voters and politicians, and people who think of themselves as independent generally do self-sort into the Red or Blue camp, and these tribes can distort the extent of our similarities with each other. We need more reasonable people to speak up. There is an interesting recent Quilette article called "Political Moderates Are Lying" that explores how hardliners are often in the driver's seat of political parties. The partisan purist may automatically reject someone like Rouda because he doesn't check every box, but that is a mistake. We need to learn how to listen to each other, compromise, and realize there is a lot of common ground to be found with a lot of our fellow citizens.