Another Day in Tom McClintock's Paradise

Between six and eight weeks ago I became aware of a man who seemed to share my political thoughts and goals. I was assured he did by a number of people on this forum. His name was Tom McClintock, California State Senator and candidate for Governor of California. I was glad to share those forum participant's views of Tom. I looked forward to supporting him thinking he would make a great governor.

My political beliefs don't just touch on ideology, and I don't just say so, I actually care what type of person I'm going to vote for. Unlike others, I'm not so much contented to focus on what childish and sub-human things people did twenty-six to thirty years ago when they were young and stupid. I am interested in who they are today as supposed conservative intellectual adults. Over the last six to eight weeks, I have been shown what type of man Tom McClintock is today.

Late last week, that education process went into hyper-drive. A man that I had said I would vote for if his numbers held up, participated in a conference call with Democrat Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, and Independent Arianna Huffington. The only goal of that meeting was to devise the best method to punish and do as much political damage as possible to Tom's in-party competitor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Politically savvy and all around swell guy Tom McClintock evidently forgot Schwarzenegger was Bustamante's arch rival as well. Perhaps it didn't matter or perhaps that's exactly why it did matter. Whatever the case, let me take this short moment to apologize to Arianna Huffington publicly. Until reports of this phone conference came out, I had thought she had the worst political credibility of any candidate I had ever known. Now it's been reported that even Arianna Huffington and Peter Camejo were smarter than to agree to a policy statement letter sight unseen.

Here's a guy that has been in politics for twenty-two years. He can't claim that he's new to the game. He seriously thought this trial balloon was going to fly. How politically savvy was that? Instead of being a trial balloon, this ill thought out fiasco turned into a two ton ball and chain that had to be jettisoned at 500 fathoms and sinking, within 24 hours. An idea that went critical, was suddenly dropped. I wonder why. This Tom's supporters framed as an excellent press opportunity that achieved Tom great public exposure and new-found admiration and support. One can only wonder what's next for Tom, killing puppies? Where were these people when the logic and common sense genes were being handed out?

What had initially been my intent to voice support for Tom on the forum, play up his strengths and create some nice graphics flattering to him for this forum, possibly participate in some rallies for him, turned into a full court defense of a man who's ideology I was less than exited about to say the least. This was due to the supporters of the man reported to have tons of character revealing that they had none of their own.

I and others on this forum asked these people to please play up their own candidates beliefs and let Schwarzenegger self-destruct on his own. The last thing I wanted to do is defend him against reckless charges. We asked them to please realize that Schwarzenegger might be the only fall-back position if Tom didn't catch on. We asked them to stop posting the same trash half-truths and down-right falsehoods, but that was beyond their ability to comply with. Instead they have continued and others have basically had to spend weeks defending a person they didn't really support, but couldn't afford to see destroyed.

For weeks I have had the McClintock people play dumb about Schwarzenegger policy. If he said he wasn't going to raise taxes, they stated he would no matter what. His first press conference comment on taxes went ignored. His lengthy comments about the taxpayer's burden being too much already went ignored. His comment that he would only raise taxes in the event of an earthquake or an act of terrorism went ignored. His comments that he would rescind exorbitant car license fees went ignored. They could find no proof of any of this. This was laughable to me. Why? The other day I made a few loose comments about Gray Davis and Cruz Bustamante. Within three minutes I had those two candidates views thrust in my face to prove I was wrong with regard to their policies. This from the same person who in three weeks couldn't remember Schwarzenegger's comments at his first press conference or find mention of them anywhere. When confronted with this, this person actually had the ba--s to tell me that Cruz Bustamante wasn't as bad as people were saying he was. Does any of this begin to look like sick twisted support for a man of supposed character, to anyone besides me? When somebody starts telling me that the likes of racist separatist Bustamante isn't all that bad, every alarm bell I possess goes off at level Defcom Level 1.

For about six weeks now the McClintock supporters have gone negative on Arnold Schwarzenegger with a vengeance. Just about every vile thing that could be said about a man has been said about him. He has been compared to Hitler, Manson, Dahlmer, Clinton, Daschle, you name it, he's probably been charged with it or compared to it. McClintock's people got their way. They thought they were smarter than everyone else. They knew the political game better than anyone. Nobody could reason with them. Okay, here we are just over two weeks before the election. Where is Tom McClintock in the polls? What has their despicable tactics gained them?

Tom's poll numbers according to Los Angeles Times were 18% last week. Wow, was that a shot in the arm for McClintock partisans. Tom was moving in on Arnold. Victory was assured. Others on this forum tried to explain to them that the Los Angeles Times had been proven to be fudging the polls, so they should be careful about accepting the 18% as real. Like thousands of times before, we were said not to know what we were talking about. We were just saying this because we didn't like Tom. Now a week later, they have quiety adopted our perception that the 18% probably wasn' accurate, as they quote polls from even farther back where Tom was at 5%. Of course that's because today's 14% poll figure for Tom is not indicative of Tom sinking like a rock, it's evidence of him catching fire and tripling his support while Schwarzenegger remains stuck around 25-26%. If 25-26% is not successful, how is 14% successful? I've never quite figured that out.

What I am sure of at this point, is that Tom's campaign is not catching fire in a good way, unless you consider going down in flames to be a good thing.

On Free Republic just about everyone is in agreement with Tom's supposed platform. Strangely enough we've heard very little about that platform in the last six-week effort to destroy a person reported to have no character. Even here, the conservative equivalent of Mecca, Tom can't wipe the floor with what he describes as Schwarzenegger's lifeless political body. Now he has to settle for barely eeking out a poll win even here. Welcome to reality folks. You may not accept it, but it is still reality. Tom McClintock is not a viable candidate. If he can't win a decided victory here, what the hell is he going to do in the general election where almost nobody is as conservative as people on this forum are?

When I read that Tom had been a maverick over the life of his career, never willing to play the game by the party's rules, I assumed the best for Tom. Today Tom himself has convinced me otherwise. Arnold Schwarzenegger might not be the perfect candidate in my eyes. I may not agree with him on all issues. I may have grave doubts about his candidacy. But Arnold is not the candidate who is self-destructing before my eyes.

After all the negativity, last week Arnold asked this one question in public. Which side is Tom McClintock on? Is he on the side of democrat Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante and the indian casinos or is he on the side of the republican party? He then said, Tom is going to have to figure that one out for himself. In my opinion, Tom will have the remainder of his life to do so. As for me, I'm through pondering.

Tom has been in politics for 22 years. What has he accomplished in 22 years? I know, I know, he's got the best ideals around. Please, read my lips, what has Tom accomplished? Wouldn't you think that during a 22 year career there would be enough positives that those would take weeks to relate to the voting public? Wouldn't you think there would be story after story, legislative victory after legislative victory and that just the telling would win converts across the state. Where are those stories Tom? Why are there nothing but endless stories about your opponent to tell? I'm sick of your shtick Tom.

The indian gaming concerns gave millions to Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante. They have also donated a small amount to Tom and produced some spots for Him. I wonder which of these two candidates they want to win. Evidently Tom is not sure. Millions to Cruz, $50k to Tom and a few spots. Hmmm, I wonder... Does Tom really think the paltry sum he was given is going to turn the election for him? Well he seems to think the television spots are a good idea. If it helps Cruz a little by creating more competition for Tom's chief opponent, that's a good thing in Tom's estimation, because his face will be out there. Never mind if it's his face facilitating a Bustamante victory. That's principled!

Tom thought taking Schwarzenegger down was a good thing for republicans even if he couldn't win. He thought plotting with Cruz was good for republicans. He thought playing along with the Indian donation shell game was a good thing for republicans.. Evidently Tom can't look at the democrat party today and see something that is worse than the republican party. I frequently have issues with the RNC, and particularly with California Republican leadership. This doesn't convince me that the likes of Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante would make a good governor. It doesn't convince me that when Hillary or some other diseased rat infested democrat runs for president next year, that our nation will be better off if a democrat is at California's helm.

For all you naysayers out there who think the republican party sucks and deserves to lose, please tell me why the closest thing to a viable conservative party losing, is a victory for conservatism. I share your disdain for much of what the republican party does. You seem to think Arnold is their man. Well your man had the opportunity to present his ideas on the public stage, you tell me why he's floundering. It certainly hasn't been for the lack of doing his damnedest to destroy Schwarzenegger via his foot soldiers. Tell us whose fault it is that Tom's candidacy is a dismal failure. Has the party been trashing McClintock's ideology? Have they run spots taking pot shots at him? When is the mysterious plot to take Tom down going to materialize? No, it is Tom McClintock who has submarined his own credibility. During the debates he has taken time to chum it up with Cruz Bustamante, Peter Camejo and Arianna Huffington, in an effort to smear Schwarzenegger. Why was that necessary? Why didn't Tom take that precious air-time and tell his story? If Tom isn't taking off today, who's fault is it?

It is said by some that McClintock owes nothing to the party. Okay fine. Tom McClintock is now the charter member of the McClintock party. If my name ever appeared anywhere in that party's list of supporters, please excommunicate me. Please never tell anyone that I was stupid enough to give this chump my willing support.

Tom has convinced me that he does not have what it takes to be governor. It's one thing to be a maverick. It's another to be a rogue. You're a loose cannon Tom. Your poor judgment and flawed campaign strategies have betrayed you over and over again. If you didn't have anything to offer the state but trash about your opponent's past and taking down the republican party, why didn't you just publish a book and leave the corrupting of the election process to the Ninth Circuit Court? They can handle the job without your egotisitcal help.

I know Tom, this is just so unfair of me. How could I do this to a man of principles, a man of character, a man content to run on his own record?

You wanted your debate Tom. We'll see how that debate sparks new life into the deflated she-doll that is your political campaign. Any guy who professes to be the second-coming to the world of conservative politics, that can't mow down the competition on this forum has gone down the rabbit hole to self-dillusional paradise.

Welcome to another day in Tom McClintock's paradise.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.