Presidential Race Makes a Stop in California

Since the 1969 oil spill, Santa Barbara has not been the place where political candidates talk about increased drilling offshore.  That’s part of John McCain’s plan for energy independence, but when he came to Santa Barbara today, he didn’t talk about it either. Barack Obama’s so-called “dinner” at 4pm today in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was organized by Hillary supporter and friend-of-Bill John Emerson.  Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Quaid, Cindy Crawford and Sugar Ray Leonard were expected to be on hand.  But for a candidate who could fill Staples Center—or maybe the Coliseum—just 500 to 800 people were invited to an event scheduled for an “intimate” room in the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.