Schwarzenegger fueling GOP angst

Orange County Register ^ | 01-29-06 | SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON

[Amerigomag]

SACRAMENTO – Is recent Republican teeth-gnashing over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger "healthy dialogue" or is the Republican governor in danger of hurting his state party and its candidates seeking office, as Schwarzenegger critics contend?

Whatever the case, one thing is clear: clashes between some GOP activists and Schwarzenegger are nothing new in a state where Republican governors need the votes of Democrats and independents to get elected. That means doing things that don't resonate with hard-core Republicans who are often the foot soldiers in campaigns, some political analysts say.

"As Richard Nixon once said, 'If you don't have a chunk of your base angry at you, you are not doing your job," said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College. "If you were the kind of Republican who would meet all these tests of the party's right wing, you would not be the kind of Republican who would win in fall 2006." At a 1991 party convention, for example, then-Gov. Pete Wilson was hanged in effigy for proposing a tax increase to shrink a $14B deficit.

But some analysts and other key Republicans say the arguments over Schwarzenegger have a sharper edge than those over past Republican governors in California. Unlike past GOP governors, Schwarzenegger did not come up through the party and had no political track record to suggest what kind of leader he would be. Yet his fame and popular appeal quickly propelled the movie-star-turned-governor to the head of the party.

"One of the major difficulties for the different Republican factions within the party is seeing the governor ... taking the party in a direction they are philosophically struggling with," said Mark Chapin Johnson, a Tustin businessman who helped found the New Majority, a powerful Republican group in Orange County.

[NormsRevenge]

"One of the major difficulties for the different Republican factions within the party is seeing the governor ... taking the party in a direction they are philosophically struggling with," said Mark Chapin Johnson, a Tustin businessman who helped found the New Majority, a powerful Republican group in Orange County.

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A difficulty a few here seem dedicated to overcoming. ;-)

Just Win, Baby! Don't sweat the details!

[FairOpinion]

Fortunately the CA GOP isn't going to let the fringe elements who are trying to get a Dem elected, while telling everyone how conservative they are, to hijack the GOP.


CA: State GOP faithful dismiss rift(Gub can expect party's full support, despite in-house criticism)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1567429/posts

[FairOpinion]

When will THIS sink in?

"a state where Republican governors need the votes of Democrats and independents to get elected. "

[FairOpinion]

"Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College. "If you were the kind of Republican who would meet all these tests of the party's right wing, you would not be the kind of Republican who would win in fall 2006.""

===

Very sensible person, this Jack Pitney.

[SierraWasp]

I read the whole article and it doesn't change one danged thing! He's still about as much a "Republican/Conservative" as a whore in church!!!

[Vladiator]

Whores in churches are conservative Republicans?

That explains a lot!

[NormsRevenge]

fringe element?

You wouldn't happen to be trying to hijack FR, a conservative forum, for the New Majority by chance.

The same folks that are trying to establish an inclusive party and kick conservatives to the curb at the same time by being pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-gay, pro-environment, sounds like a Pro-stitute of a party to me.. not owing anything to anyone except those it embraces without regard for the diminuation of the family at the same time.

Oh yeah, that'll go over real big here at FR. LOLOL

Your cover is so blown, in my "pragmatic view" of things, it hurts, I'm laughing so hard. lolol.

[Amerigomag]

Very sensible person, this Jack Pitney

Agreed. But so was Karl Haushofer from a partisan standpoint.

[Digger]

I, a stong true conservative could care less what now happens to Arnie. I took a poll in my household & a 3rd party candidte won all of the votes. He & the baffon dem candidate don't deserve a vote from this family. Go sell him to some moderate.

[Amerigomag]

let the fringe elements

Those fringe elements were polled as about 15% of the participating electorate amounting to almost 35% of the Republican votes cast in the last California, gubernatorial race.

I'm assuming that the CAGOP has ignored those statistics and is in possession of a "partisan" set, not contaminated by the CSS's office, which clearly provides comfort to the partisan faithful that conservatives constitute only fringe elements of the CRP.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Once again, the point is made that getting elected as an "R" is more important than conservative principles.

If this is what the Republicans have become, then the Republican party has disenfranchised itself from true conservatives.

[b9]

the fringe elements who are trying to get a Dem elected, while telling everyone how conservative they are

the few
the loud
the DICCs

[calcowgirl]

...Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College. "If you were the kind of Republican who would meet all these tests of the party's right wing, you would not be the kind of Republican who would win in fall 2006."

Ah, yes. Professor Pitney. Once an RNC^NM mouthpiece, always an RNC^NM mouthpiece.
Hey Jack! No one is talking about all the tests.
I'd be real happy with an 80/20% ratio. The record we see is more like 20/80%--and that is generous!

[Amerigomag]

I'd be real happy with an 80/20% ratio. The record we see is more like 20/80%--and that is generous!

A salient point. The CAGOP/RNC subscriptions on this forum frequently invoke Reagan's remakes extolling the utility and acceptability of political compromise but conveniently overlooks the 75% floor predicating his viewpoint.

Assuming that Reagan's 75% reference was a +75% measurement of the success in achieving conservative goals let's rate the Wilsonegger gang on that same scale.

1) Reduction in government spending: -35% over three years.
2) Reduction in the size of government: -2% since taking office.
3) Expansion of personal rights: -200% since 2003.
4) Decreasing taxes: -8% in just the last two years.
5) Decreasing governmental indebtedness: -300% since 2004.

I'm not convinced that Reagan would come within a country mile of supporting the Wilsonegger gang's accomplishments through "compromise" were he alive today in that small, ranch, bunk house nestled above the Santa Ynez Valley.

[MillerCreek]

Yep. Agreed. Ardently so.

[MillerCreek]

I doubt that Schwarzenegger will be re-elected. I'm sorry to be the voice of perhaps here, but if I was a betting fool, I would not bet on Schwarzenegger. OR, I'd bet on him to win for the Democrats.

[NormsRevenge]

The surest way for the Gub to lose is for me to vote for him.
I voted for Ford, LOSS
I voted for Bush1 against clinton and perot, LOSS
I voted for Dole, LOSS
I voted for Simon, LOSS
I voted for McClintock, LOSS
I foeget who ran against Davis the first time, LOSS


yet all these Moderate ilkers keep telling me I must vote for the Gub.

OK. Twist my arm. :-)

[Amerigomag]

My method, the most conservative candidate despite party registration, had only one success since Reagan. Bush in 1999 and I've lived to regret his pandering. That incident of poor judgement was not repeated in 2003 resulting in another loss notched on my belt.

But, I lack four personal inconveniences that Republican partisans must endure.

1) I don't have to explain the clothespin to acquaintances at the local polling place.
2) I sleep comfortably each evening.
3) I'm not haunted by the image in the bathroom mirror each morning.
4) Friends can review our archives without embarrassment.

[NormsRevenge]

to your 4 personal inconveniences you lack.. ;-)

bump
ditto
hooyah
whew