[Goreknowshowtocheat]

Jones won't beat Boxer. I think there are too many idiots in California for a pubbie to get a high profile job like that. I would like to be wrong. His lukewarm support of a constitutional amendment on gay marriage ("he will entertain the idea") is typical of the "democrat wanna be" reponses of our pubbies in CA. He looks weak on immigration. When a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who dresses for battle?

[elbucko]

Jones won't beat Boxer. I think there are too many idiots in California for a pubbie to get a high profile job like that...

Right on.

When a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who dresses for battle?

Well said.

The Republican Party of California is not competitive at the federal level. Queen Diane and Princess Boxer will be CA's Senators until THEY decide to leave. California has made a turn to the Left, and the people like it, warts and all.

[Thud]

It was an uphill fight for any potential GOP nominee as of two weeks ago. Jones has to win the primary first, which is a problem as he's not a nutball (I voted for Jones in the 2002 GOP primary for Governor).

President Bush's support for the FMA pretty much terminated the weaks chances of any GOP nominee, though. That fired up the Democratic base here.

I suspect the same is true nationally. Bush 43 is playing the same script of most any incumbent president running for re-election - to hell with my party - ME FIRST! He appears to be going for a partial replay of 2000's state by state wins, with reapportionment giving him a minimum seven more electoral votes.

I was hoping for a GOP pickup of 4-5 Senate seats before last week. It now looks more like 2-3. Bush's support for the FMA encourages ticket-splitting and divided government.

Worse, his letting Congress spend wildly on discretionary domestic stuff, mostly boondoggles, pretty much puts a short-term limit on the beneficial effects of his 2001 tax cut. This helps his immediate re-election, but there will be a long-term price for it.

What most concerns me about Bush's Can't Say No attitude towards domestic spending is that it might reverse the pending economic recovery four years from now. It will be a real problem for the 2008 GOP nominee to face a recession that year.

With Hillary as the Democratic nominee.