John J. Pitney Jr. is no stranger to headlines. He writes them, he reacts to them, and without question, he can make them. This month, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of American Politics has been in high demand, which sort of misleadingly implies there's ever a sluggish season for this extremely popular and responsive political pundit. With the California Primary on June 5, came a swift call for his wisdom and wit.
Responding to the GOP's lack of a credible Senate candidate, Pitney mused to a Mother Jones writer on May 30: "This is what happens when a party doesn't have a serious chance of winning. You get some candidates who are intelligent and well motivated, and then you get a whole bunch of wackos who resemble the bar scene from Star Wars Unless Feinstein is revealed to have a secret life as a cat burglar, it doesn't really matter who ends up being the Republican nominee, because he or she is not going to end up a U.S. senator."
Three days later on June 2, he was a featured guest on KCAL9's Saturday morning news to discuss unemployment, politics, the cigarette tax, and the upcoming California Primary. But if anyone needs a warm-up act, it isn't Pitney. Known to respond to reporters at all hours of the day (and night), his Tweets often carry the same degree of quick-witted sharpness that have made him a go-to for television and print. "Aside from Elizabeth Emken, the CA GOP Senate candidates are an organic mix of nuts and vegetables," he wrote on June 5.
On June 7, Pitney popped another sound byte into a Los Angeles Times interview: "Competition is expensive, if you want cheap elections, go Soviet.
That same day, he was interviewed on radio, responding to results in California and Wisconsin.
His Tweet that afternoon hinted at his level of press activity and general expertise in state politics: "If I didn't have tenure, this would be a great time for me to become a CA political consultant."
For those who may have missed it, Pitney also was a featured guest on Geraldo Rivera's New York radio talk show (WABC) on June 15, talking about social class and the campaign. His comments start about 14 minutes into the interview.