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Schwarzenegger's Win Puts Democrats In A Tough Place (Was This Written By A Freeper?? ;-)
Los Angeles Times ^ | 10/19/03 | Walter Bailey

Posted on 10/19/2003 1:30:36 AM PDT by goldstategop

Re "Bush, Schwarzenegger Agree to Agree for Now," Oct. 17: President Bush's California visit with our governor-elect Thursday highlighted the rock-and-a-hard-place situation in which state Democrats find themselves. Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide election as a moderate Republican demolishes the belief in California as a Democratic monolith with 55 electoral votes for next year's presidential election.

It is a political impossibility for a Democrat to win the White House without California's electoral votes. For that reason, state Democratic leaders cannot allow Schwarzenegger to succeed or even begin to turn around the state's fiscal nightmare. Should he succeed, his coattails could possibly wrap far enough around Bush to carry the state for the GOP in November '04. However, if the Democrats in the state Legislature appear to be obstructionists, the remaining progressive left could face the same public wrath that banished soon-to-be-former Gov. Gray Davis into political oblivion. What is a Democrat to do?

Walter Bailey

Encino

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: 2004; as; catrans; democrats; gop; letter; presidentbush; recallelection
Indeed what is a Democrat to do?
1 posted on 10/19/2003 1:30:36 AM PDT by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop
Oooooo! I know! I know!!!!! DROP DEAD!
2 posted on 10/19/2003 1:44:51 AM PDT by clee1 (Where's the beef???)
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To: goldstategop
What they always do, of course. Lie, lie and lie some more.
3 posted on 10/19/2003 1:44:52 AM PDT by the lone wolf (Good Luck, and watch out for stobor.)
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To: clee1
lol....
4 posted on 10/19/2003 5:18:04 AM PDT by badmrbunny
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To: goldstategop
> It is a political impossibility for a Democrat to win the White House without California's electoral votes. For that reason, state Democratic leaders cannot allow Schwarzenegger to succeed or even begin to turn around the state's fiscal nightmare. Should he succeed, his coattails could possibly wrap far enough around Bush to carry the state for the GOP in November '04. However, if the Democrats in the state Legislature appear to be obstructionists, the remaining progressive left could face the same public wrath that banished soon-to-be-former Gov. Gray Davis into political oblivion. What is a Democrat to do?

Now, that indeed is a thought worth remembering, and repeating, on the national stage, during the next two years.

p.
5 posted on 10/19/2003 5:54:56 AM PDT by Paul_B
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To: goldstategop
They're screwed. If they obstruct, Arnold will go to the people. The people may not be united on what should be done, but they know who's to blame, and it isn't Arnold.

This explains the sudden rash of scandals just before the election. While most of us were obsessed with the "get Davis" fever, the dems were thinking about 2004. They analyzed the death star's weakness, and it is California.

They can't do anything about it. If they go along with Arnold, he wins; if they try to block him, they lose. Simple, in hindsight.
6 posted on 10/19/2003 6:07:28 AM PDT by js1138
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To: goldstategop
The Democratic Crime Syndicate is in a box. Let's bury it.
7 posted on 10/19/2003 6:11:50 AM PDT by PGalt (I know it's like Freddy & Jason but it's really laughable fiction)
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To: goldstategop
Good letter - but no Freeper would have used the term "progressive left". For instance, the term "loony liberal scum" would come to mind first, if I had written the letter.
8 posted on 10/19/2003 6:12:36 AM PDT by Moonmad27
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To: Moonmad27
Good letter - but no Freeper would have used the term "progressive left". For instance, the term "loony liberal scum" would come to mind first, if I had written the letter.

They would if they wanted to get it printed in the L.A. Slimes. :-)

9 posted on 10/19/2003 6:19:14 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: js1138
Cockroaches and sunlight-- they don't mix. That's bad news for the Dem cockroaches because Arnold can bring to bear great amounts of sunlight.
10 posted on 10/19/2003 6:34:23 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative ("We happy because when we switch on the TV you never see Saddam Hussein. That's a big happy.")
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To: goldstategop; Sabertooth; Joe Hadenuf; Grampa Dave
OK, so long after the October recall election is finally over, the LA Times prints a single letter that outlines the Democrats' dilemma with having re-elected such a sorry Governor back in November. Fine.

But when will the LA Times publish a letter that takes it to task for never having asked Cruz Bustamante "if he would, if elected, refuse to appoint Gray Davis to any position of prominence?"

Lets face it, the LA Times carried the Democrats' water. This paper refused to ask the leading Democrats any of the tough questions (and don't even get me started on the off-the-wall slams that they ran against Simon, Riordan, and finally against Arnold, too).

11 posted on 10/19/2003 6:35:29 AM PDT by Southack (Media bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: goldstategop
Move to France? I think they should all move to France with people of like minded ideas. The USofA should not tolerate the kinds of changes socialists keep attempting to bring to this country.
12 posted on 10/19/2003 6:39:29 AM PDT by MissAmericanPie
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To: goldstategop
This rat has NO concern for the sorry state California is in, only how to keep W from winning it. This is a perfect example of why they will lose. Its almost like this bum's house is burning down and he is worried about saving his rat donor list.
13 posted on 10/19/2003 7:03:07 AM PDT by jmaroneps37
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To: goldstategop
This post has been added to the… California In Transition- Must read Threads!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

14 posted on 10/19/2003 7:34:58 AM PDT by DoctorZIn
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To: Southack
Most of the states lunatic left fish wraps did the same as the LA Slimes. They are still running the phoney Nazi connection. The so called moderate ones were against the recall but for Cruza Busta Our Wallets.

The LA Slimes and the lunatic left fish wraps throughout California may have taken a harder shot when Davis was recalled than the rat party.
15 posted on 10/19/2003 7:52:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Get a free FR coffee mug! Donate $10 monthly to Free Republic or 34 cents/day!)
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To: goldstategop
Mr. Walter Bailey is a very astute Democrat. He is absolutely right the Dems must have CA and NY as well. George and Karl have to be very happy that the new Governor in Sacramento will have an R after his name.
16 posted on 10/19/2003 9:03:14 AM PDT by Uncle Hal
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To: Uncle Hal
OK. California is a little far-out. We all know that. But they do deserve their decades-long reputation of being the trendsetter of the nation. It this case, their wealth and their relative isolation from the rest of the country allowed them to carry out their Liberal dream for 15 years longer than the rest of the country.

As a Texan who recently came back from a few years in Santa Cruz, I just love California and understand the mentality somewhat. It can be very wrong, but it's very sincere. Though now, the obvious is starting to creep into that mentality, and the public--even a top Democratic State Official--recognize that a new leadership must emerge. The State Legislature can't evolve fast enough, so a new Chief Executive comes in to hammer them with the clear change in the will of the people.

So Arnold's a moderate Republican, too RINO for a lot of us true-blue Conservatives--so what? He represents for California a watershed. I bet he gets the State out of it's terrible mess, with a little hard medicine, a little Federal help, and a lot of good fortune (a big pickup in the economy will help HUGHLY).

And what will it mean to the rest of the country? Massachusetts and New York both have Republican governors also now--though they are still quite liberal in a lot of ways. California has been the shining beacon of Liberalism, a dead creed (like Communism) for 20 years. When the L-word crashes here, it will be the end of the Democratic party--which Bill Clinton single-handedly set on it's fatal course. How? By polarization and triangulation. Clinton drove off the centrist Democrats, leaving only the ultra-leftists that occupied election-proof districts. Then Clinton played the deal-maker who triangulated between them and the Republicans, with a veto power that held the balance of power. He often betrayed his own side to maximize his personal power and to get deals done.

When Clinton left office, the Democratic party was dead. They just didn't know it yet. Now it's occuring to them that they will never win the Presidency again--not without a total makeover. But like the California Legislature, they cannot evolve quickly enough. They're fossils. It's inevitable that they will be replaced in the next 15-20 years. Probably by the moderate-wing of the Republican party that shifts the political center to the right but not to the ultra-right.

17 posted on 10/19/2003 9:47:55 AM PDT by DJtex
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To: goldstategop
The Japanese prefer a sharp knife!
18 posted on 10/19/2003 11:19:57 AM PDT by Righty1 (N)
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To: goldstategop
"Indeed what is a Democrat to do?"

Cry :-)


19 posted on 10/19/2003 12:48:57 PM PDT by Tamzee (...This tagline has been tested on animals.)
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To: goldstategop; All
Watching FOX this morning .. Susan Estrich (on Arnold's transition team), said she was at the capitol on Friday. As she walked into the auditor's office, the faces of the staff were very glum. The auditor had just left for the weekend. They were upset because the auditor is saying the deficit is much, much, much worse than the $38 billion. She said it had to do with some of the last minute appointments Dufus has made.

However .. I do think Arnold will be able to counter this. Remember during the campaign, he said that one of the things he wanted to do was disband a lot of unnecessary commissions and groups that were appointed by Dufus. If Arnold is able to do that .. the deficit might not end up being so terrible after all. I guess we'll see.
20 posted on 10/19/2003 12:49:30 PM PDT by CyberAnt
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