This is how they try to convince us, that these policy-lite heads full of mush are supposed to sway the "McClintock supporters" otherwise known as Conservatives?
Besides, I thought most of (R)nold's cabinet was more 80's rap fan's than glam metal.
Posted on 09/18/2003 2:42:37 PM PDT by FairOpinion
California Republicans converged upon the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel last weekend for the California Republican Party Convention. According to regular attendees, this convention was the biggest one in years, and by far the most exciting. No doubt the upcoming recall election was the main draw, because it dominated conversation. The convention took on historical significance, both for the Republican Party and for California, because of the split in the party between supporters of candidates Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock. If the vote remains divided, Republicans could lose the election, should Gray Davis be recalled.
While McClintock supporters held firm, the majority of the convention attendees rallied behind Schwarzenegger and what they saw as a winning, moderate platform. A straw poll was taken and although such polls tend to be unreliable, the results were still startling: 82% for Schwarzenegger. On top of that, by Sunday, various groups were publicly endorsing Schwarzenegger, including the Hispanic 100, who actually asked McClintock to step down. And perhaps most telling of all, in a memo distributed the same day, 33 out of 34 county chairs backed Schwarzenegger. There seems to be a real hunger among Republicans not only to win, but also to try and repair the damage done to the state by one-party Democratic rule, and Schwarzenegger’s candidacy provides them with a glimmer of hope.
Nowhere was the excitement surrounding Schwarzenegger more evident than at his rally in the hotel parking lot on Saturday morning. It was attended by a huge crowd of enthusiastic supporters wearing ''Terminator for Governor'' T-shirts and waving ''Join Arnold'' signs. Schwarzenegger gave a crowd-pleasing speech, in which he detailed his fiscal priorities, as well as promising to repeal SB60 (the bill Gray Davis just signed that gives drivers' licenses to illegal aliens), and the car tax.
The crowd really went wild when the rally ended with the 80’s heavy-metal band Twisted Sister’s ''We’re Not Gonna Take It.'' Even several members of the press, who seem to pride themselves on their glumness, looked as if they were having a good time. A few protesters, both from the right and the left, expressed their opposition to Schwarzenegger on the outskirts of the rally, but they were clearly in the minority. Even Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno made an appearance, handing out flyers that attempted to raise questions about Schwarzenegger’s stand on gay rights.
Last weekend’s convention conveyed a lot of energy and optimism, which would be a real shame to squander by continuing to split the vote. McClintock supporters often argue that Schwarzenegger backers are ''giving up their principles.'' But isn’t it better to institute some of your political principles, rather than none? And what of the fate of California, a state that clearly needs a change of direction. If McClintock could see past his own candidacy for a moment, he would opt out for the sake of the party and the state. Despite the circulating rumors about backroom deals leading to him eventually dropping out of the race, he showed little inclination for doing so at the convention. He certainly will not find himself very popular within the party, should the Republicans blow it in the recall election.
If the Democrats do retain the governership, at least the Republican Party will have added thousands of new members to its rolls and energized its base for the next election, so all will not be lost. Only time will tell, and at this point, the wait could either end in October or be extended until March of next year. To quote Bette Dave in the film ''All About Eve,'' ''fasten your seatbelts, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.''
¨ ¨ ¨ Cinnamon Stillwell, who attended the convention, is a contributing editor to ChronWatch. She lives in San Francisco and receives e-mail at: cstillwell@chronwatch.com.
" While McClintock supporters held firm, the majority of the convention attendees rallied behind Schwarzenegger and what they saw as a winning, moderate platform. A straw poll was taken and although such polls tend to be unreliable, the results were still startling: 82% for Schwarzenegger. On top of that, by Sunday, various groups were publicly endorsing Schwarzenegger, including the Hispanic 100, who actually asked McClintock to step down. And perhaps most telling of all, in a memo distributed the same day, 33 out of 34 county chairs backed Schwarzenegger. There seems to be a real hunger among Republicans not only to win, but also to try and repair the damage done to the state by one-party Democratic rule, and Schwarzenegger’s candidacy provides them with a glimmer of hope.
Last weekend’s convention conveyed a lot of energy and optimism, which would be a real shame to squander by continuing to split the vote. McClintock supporters often argue that Schwarzenegger backers are ''giving up their principles.'' But isn’t it better to institute some of your political principles, rather than none? And what of the fate of California, a state that clearly needs a change of direction. If McClintock could see past his own candidacy for a moment, he would opt out for the sake of the party and the state. Despite the circulating rumors about backroom deals leading to him eventually dropping out of the race, he showed little inclination for doing so at the convention. He certainly will not find himself very popular within the party, should the Republicans blow it in the recall election. "
Absolutely I totally agree. That's why I am opposed to Liberal Arnold. That's why I'm opposed to Cruz Bustamante. They support none of my political principles. Tom McClintock supports some of my political principles. Better still, Tom supports most of them.
So my choice is most or none. I'll take the former thank you.
If there is an election. A huge struggle for interpretation of the "equal protection" clause is still not resolved.
Punch-card ballots, so far as I know, are still legal in California, as there has been no legislation outlawing them. Of course, that detail will not trouble the 9th Circus Clout-Court in the least, as they have arrogated the entire responsibility of legislating for California and all other states in the 9th District. Stroke of the pen, law of the land.
I guess those are all RINOs.
Again. I totally agree. Splitting the vote is terrible. It was nice of Liberal Arnold to think of the Republican Party and show up at the last minute, but now that it looks like we can't win this with two candidates, he needs to take some time and come back when he learns what it means to be a Republican. He needs to leave it to the proven Republican leader and lifelong fiscal conservative to put things back in order.
This race is too important to let one man's ego get in the way. Arnold has got to realize that he is just helping to get Bustamante elected.
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Which part of "82% of the REPUBLICAN Convention delgates supported Arnold" and "33 out of the 34 REPUBLICAN county chairmen supported Arnold" are you having trouble understanding?
82% Wow! Why didn't you guys make up the 99% number that would be more convincing, and just as silly.
If Liberal Arnold really had the support of 82% of the convention his people would have passed an endorsement. My understanding is that he had over 135 paid staffers register. I wonder what the proprotion of actual delegates was. We'll never know. But if it was 82%, the "idiot" was Arnold's campaign manager for not taking advantage of it.
Which part of "lie" do you fail to understand?
"And perhaps most telling of all, in a memo distributed the same day, 33 out of 34 county chairs backed Schwarzenegger. "
Let me clear it up for you, that means that 33 out of 34 of the REPUBLICAN COUNTY CHAIRMEN supported Arnold and put out a memo stating it.
This is how they try to convince us, that these policy-lite heads full of mush are supposed to sway the "McClintock supporters" otherwise known as Conservatives?
Besides, I thought most of (R)nold's cabinet was more 80's rap fan's than glam metal.
It wasn't delegates. It was people there. That's a big difference. Arnold's campaign paid for hundreds of people to register and hang around the convention. I'm sure many of them weren't even Republicans.
Anyone can register and attend a convention, but delgates (party members) were determined nearly a year ago. I personally rounded up about 100 proxy forms for McClintock's people. Add those proxies to the conservatives in attendance and there is no way Arnold could have gotten 80% to agree that he makes good movies, let alone would make a good governor.
You don't even have to register to attend. There were tons of people there with no ID tags. In other words, you didn't need a "ticket" to get in.
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