Esther Kim Varet is making the GOP nervous

Look, I was skeptical. But she's now the clear frontrunner to take on Young Kim. And she just might win.

So, if you go back a few months on this website, you’ll find that I haven’t always gone easy on Esther Kim Varet, one of a gaggle of Democrats seeking to take on Rep. Young Kim in next year’s election for California's 40th District congressional seat.

Varet is an LA-based art dealer and a brand newbie to the area—that sorta bothers me. She has a habit of (on occasion) firing off unwise/unfiltered DMs to people (like, cough, me) via social media. Also not so wonderful. At a recent rally, some folks were unsatisfied with her reply in regards to the Middle East. She needs to up her game in that area.

In short, she is far from perfect.

That being said, over the past few weeks I’ve come to the (satisfied, comfortable, even optimistic) realization that Esther is now a very clear frontrunner to wind up going head to head with Kim. And while it’s certainly early, and lots of things can go wrong for her/right for others, I’d place her odds at, oh, 86.79 percent to ultimately emerge.

Here are the reasons:

1. The Field: If we’re being honest, the field is a flawed gaggle of contenders and wanna-be contenders and not-at-all contenders (albeit with good intentions). It is not my goal to hurt anyone’s feelings, but this site needs to be honest. So, breaking it down …

   • I was present when Christina Gagnier recently gave a speech in Mission Viejo, and she was … OK. Fine. A little guarded. A bit defensive. Of the people I’ve spoken with (who are familiar with the 40th), Christina is sorta viewed as the Corn Flakes of breakfast cereals. Not a bad meal. But … missing something snappy.

   • Joe Kerr seems like a nice dude, but—again, just being real—it feels like hoping Kool & The Gang chart with their new album. Kerr’s website literally reads, “Joe was awarded Fireman of the Year by the Cypress Fire Department in 1979, Overachiever of the Year by the Orange County Firemen’s Association in 1984, and Fire Captain of the Year by the Orange County Fire Department in 1986.”—and, while those are (sincerely) fantastic honors … they happened a really long time ago. Like, before 50 percent of voters were even born. Also, not for nothing, Joe already ran for congress—and lost. Whether it was his fault or not, you only get so many cracks at this jar o’ popcorn.

   • I met Christian Ahmed at an event in Fullerton a couple of months back, and he’s a legitimately awesome dude. Fun, funny, smart, a veteran. But, well, he’s not a registered Democrat, and he lives about 25 miles outside of the district. And he doesn’t have a legit money-making apparatus. Again, big fan. But don’t see how it happens.

   • Paula Swift, like Ahmed, strikes people as lovely and cool and smart and worthy of respect. And she did hang with Rudy. But, thus far, her campaign seems to be lacking oomph. Spark. One thing about running in a race like this is you need to give people reason to vote for you. And it can’t just be because you’re a doctor, or you started a non-profit, or you’re nice. There must be more.

   • Nina Linh has a great website. And an inspired back story. But … eh, um … what else are you bringing to the table? I ask that not to be snide: What are you bringing?

2. Money: Esther Kim Varet has it. She arrives with it. She has her own wealth via her career as an art dealer, and if you think that doesn’t matter, or it’s a sad indictment on America … well, to cite Tupac, life’s a motherfucker. But you simply can’t compete—even in local races—without significant dough, and she boasts it both via personal accumulation and also as an apparent result of fundraising). I I hate that this is insanely important. But it’s insanely important.

3. Strategy: This is what has actually given me the greatest boost. Say what you want about Esther Kim Varet, but she’s been taking it to Young Kim like a hard-core G. Check out her Instagram feed, for example. It’s really strong and really smart and really savvy. This, in particular, was stupendous. In the coming months, as Donald Trump surely dips in popularity out here, Esther would be wise to staple Young Kim to the president (and his painfully misguided budget bill from hell). Which she’s succeeded at thus far.

   And what I think is wise (like, really wise) is Esther has decided to behave as if the general election is a presumed destination. She’s 100-percent running as if the primary opponents don’t exist. Lint on her shoulder. And while that might seem rude or uncool, it’s the way you win these things. You carry yourself as inevitable, thereby making it feel, well, inevitable.

4. The GOP is clearly nervous: They’re going after Esther. And only Esther. This is the second Esther-themed article in a week from the National Republican Congressional Committee …

… and, of you’re the NRCC, you don’t waste your time on folks who don’t concern you. There’s a reason they’re not posting Joe Kerr hate or Paula Swift hate. They’re nervous about Esther. As they should be.

5. Demographics: Again, this might annoy some. But if we’re being honest, and we’re looking at both Orange County and the 40th specifically with a clear eye and political mindfulness, it’s not … unhelpful that Esther is a first-generation Korean American. This is a neck of the woods where the Asian voting block matters in an enormous way. Everyone in politics talks about it, analyzes it, craves it. So, hey.

Obviously there are no locks at this point. Where a way’s away, and Esther may well fire off a boneheaded e-mail, or—in her regional inexperience—tell voters that Domino’s is Orange County’s best pizza spot.

But I like what I’m seeing from Esther Kim Varet.

And I’m far from alone.

PS: That said, this just doesn’t work …