'Post-partisan' or New Deal Democrat? (Schwarzenegger)

SF Chronicle ^ | January 12, 2007 | Jennifer Nelson

[calcowgirl]

(snip)

Many conservatives rallied around his candidacy because they believed that he truly understood the need to control the size of government and reduce the tax burden on businesses and families. Today, many of those early Schwarzenegger supporters feel he has walked away from his commitment to curb the growth of government. His health-care proposal, which proposes a new tax on California businesses, and his State of the State address, which called for more spending and doesn't fundamentally deal with the state's spending problem, didn't do much to alleviate that concern.

Rather than tell Republicans he is abandoning them, and acknowledge his decision to govern as a Democrat, Schwarzenegger - always seeking to maintain popularity - wants to redefine the ideological map, and make partisanship a dirty word. But it is unrealistic to reject partisanship without acknowledging the bedrock ideological difference between the parties, and that people from those parties often come together and hammer out consensus policies.

(snip)

If the governor truly wants the Legislature to come together and establish consensus policies that work for California, and in so doing lead us to something greater, he needs to start by living up to his own lofty rhetoric about post-partisanship. He would go a long way toward this goal if he started by recognizing the core values of both parties and striving to create consensus policies that respect those values.

For the time being, though, Schwarzenegger appears content to fall short of true leadership -- whether non-, bi- or post-partisan and instead just lowers the bar. Rather than taking on the tough work of bringing opposing sides together in a way that moves us all forward, he is poised to simply run to the head of the parade, jump on the Democrat majority bandwagon, and call it a victory.

[calcowgirl]

Jennifer Nelson worked in state policymaking positions in the Deukmejian and Wilson administrations.

[The Blitherer]

They printed this in the Chronicle?!? I'm all agag.

[backtothestreets]

"... he is poised to simply run to the head of the parade, jump on the Democrat majority bandwagon, and call it a victory."

This sure summed up the state of the governor.

[calcowgirl]

LOL. Read the whole thing! It's an absolute miracle!

[calcowgirl]

LOL. Read the whole thing! It's an absolute miracle!

[calcowgirl]

In the second paragraph of the unexcerpted version, she mentions he signed "Democrat-championed global warming, minimum wage and prescription-drug bills...". I looked up the votes.

On the two disastrous global warming bills [AB 32-Nunez(D) and SB 1368-Perata(D)] , there was only one Republican (SHorton) who voted in favor of one of the bills (that's one out of 94 Republican votes). On the flipside, there were 135 Democrats in favor out of 146 votes (only one dem (Canciamilla) voted against one of the bills -- the other were 'no vote'.

Likewise, with Prescription Drugs [AB 2911-Lieber(D)], only 1 Republican (Daucher) was in favor (out of 47 votes), with 71 Democrats in favor out of 73.

On Minimum Wage [AB 1835-Nunez(D)], only 4 Republicans (Daucher, SHorton, Garcia, Maldonado) were in favor (out of 47 votes), with 71 of 73 Democrats in favor.

To try to call this "bi-partisanship" is a total joke.

[Reagan Man]

Excellent article by Jennifer Nelson. After more then three years in office, it should be quite clear to California Republicans that Arnold isn't interested in advancing a conservative policy agenda. The reason Arnold failed in his political quest during 2005, is easy to understand. Arnold never believed in conservatism, and now it appears he has no use for Republicans either. Any doubts that Arnold is not a liberal can now be put to rest. Forever!

[dynachrome]

If the republican party had any cojones, they would remove
Arnold from the party. (and I am one of the fools who thought he might govern towards the right)

[backtothestreets]

I'm ramping up the splitting of the state in two again, along demographic and ideological divides. It becomes more workable now after the November elections results, the proposal to tax California businesses to offer health care to non-citizens, the need for fair redistricting, an opportunity to withdraw from the overwhelming debt the current state is saddled with, and the absence of a conservative contingent that can muster clout. It will need to be a populist movement to succeed. It can be accomplished. It must be accomplished.

[lowbridge]

'Post-partisan' or New Deal Democrat?

Either way, hes a girly-man.

[jocko12]

I'm just waiting for Arnies Recall papers to come around.

[lowbridge]

bump

[lowbridge]

Maybe we can convince the INS into thinking that Arnold is a Nazi war criminal. With Arnold's accent, they just might buy it and deport him back to Austria.

[Amerigomag]

Another Republican gone renegade or a credentialed conservative speaking out ?

There are few of you left. Gather up your wagons. The conservatives are coming and they aren't happy with your tribe.