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Elite and hip make up new GOP set - Generation Next putting the 'party' in Republican Party
The Orange County Register ^ | June 27, 2005 | Martin Wisckol

Posted on 06/27/2005 4:58:11 AM PDT by calcowgirl

These aren't your father's Republicans.

Paul Makarechian, 31, showed up in jeans to host an event with Assembly GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. That was at Fashion Island's trendy Ozumo Japanese restaurant. Another of the group's events, this one featuring a congressman, was held at Costa Mesa's hip Sutra Lounge.

One of the group's board members, land broker Craig Atkins, is spending much of the year surfing the world's best waves. Makarechian, the chairman, gleefully lists the spiky hair of one favored candidate as an attribute. The group, less Atkins, flew to Vegas this month for its board retreat, which included diversions beyond politics.

Welcome to Generation Next, a group of young entrepreneurial millionaires - and aspiring millionaires - gearing up to shape the GOP of the future. It's about fun. It's about image. It's about power. It's about networking.

Oh yeah, and it's about politics.

"Young people look at Republicans, and it's like a parental thing," said Makarechian, CEO of the company that runs the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort. "We're finding more and more there's a void. ... We're building a network of Gen X entrepreneurs who are taking a progressive, practical approach to business and politics. Who look at what the education system and the business environment will be five, 10, 15 years from now. Who are shapers of culture."

Since forming last year, the Orange County-based group has signed up 20 members - by invitation only, with $10,000 in annual dues. Members include Bill Lyons, the son of developer William Lyons, and Jeff Gehl, the son-in-law of developer and former Ambassador to Spain George Argyros.

The group has had audiences with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Karl Rove's staff and the political director of the Republican National Committee.

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


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: argyros; cagop; chuckdevore; craigatkins; generationnext; genx; gop; jeffgehl; kanatsiz; kevinmccarthy; makarechian; newmajority; rino; rnc; williamlyons
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1 posted on 06/27/2005 4:58:13 AM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: Carry_Okie; NormsRevenge; SierraWasp; tubebender; kellynla; goldstategop; Lancey Howard; ...
More New Majority:
In broad terms, their stance is similar to that of the New Majority, a county group of multimillionaire businesspeople who tout fiscal responsibility and business-friendly government while advocating an open mind toward abortion, gun control, gay rights and immigration. Indeed, Makarechian and Kanatsiz are also members of the New Majority.

. . . The group is backing Michael Davidson to head the College Republican National Committee . . . They like that he favors abortion rights and is sensitive to environmental issues.

. . . Many grass-roots activists are energized by opposition to abortion rights, gay rights and illegal immigration causes, but Makarechian says "the game is in the center" rather than based on those hot-button issues.


2 posted on 06/27/2005 5:09:04 AM PDT by calcowgirl
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To: calcowgirl
... tout fiscal responsibility and business-friendly government while advocating an open mind toward abortion, gun control, gay rights and immigration ...

More rich people wanting to use government to help themselves.

3 posted on 06/27/2005 5:21:21 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Working Class Zero with wall-to-wall carpeting.)
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To: calcowgirl
Welcome to Generation Next, a group of young entrepreneurial millionaires - and aspiring millionaires - gearing up to shape the GOP of the future. It's about fun. It's about image. It's about power. It's about networking.

These guys are confused. They should have just joined the Democrats...

4 posted on 06/27/2005 6:04:53 AM PDT by tubebender (Growing old is mandatory...Growing up is optional)
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To: Tax-chick

-tout fiscal responsibility and business-friendly government while advocating an open mind toward abortion, gun control, gay rights and immigration -

Indeed you are right. A fiscal conservative and a social liberal cannot occupy the same space; one will eventually overrule the other, and it's usually the social side. This is what waters down the Republican party.


5 posted on 06/27/2005 6:14:36 AM PDT by AmericanChef
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To: tubebender; calcowgirl

Articles like this tell me that the left is scared that Generation X is turning out to be conservative. History is not linear, it is cyclical. The left thinks that everyone after them will think like them, they are finding out that this is not the case. The good part is that there are twice as many Gen X'rs as there are boomers, so it is a matter of time.....


6 posted on 06/27/2005 6:19:59 AM PDT by forester (An economy that is overburdened by government eventually results in collapse)
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To: Tax-chick

Yeah, am I supposed to be flattered by the term "elite". I define folks who do not know me who know what is best for me and my family in the "liberal" column.

GOP? Conservatives? Who the heck ordered this Trojan Horse??


7 posted on 06/27/2005 6:31:33 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow.")
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To: Tax-chick

Yeah, am I supposed to be flattered by the term "elite". I define folks who do not know me who know what is best for me and my family in the "liberal" column.

GOP? Conservatives? Who the heck ordered this Trojan Horse??


8 posted on 06/27/2005 6:33:03 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow.")
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To: incredulous joe

Ooops, "double post" that's embarressing.

Must,...have,...coooffffeeee,....


9 posted on 06/27/2005 6:34:04 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow.")
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To: forester

You are right. From the polls I have seen from time to time, more kids are against abortion than their parents. It does appear that the tide is turning conservative.


10 posted on 06/27/2005 6:41:07 AM PDT by dc27
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To: incredulous joe

Oh... It's not your fault, joe... You're just a victim of the system, remember?


11 posted on 06/27/2005 6:43:49 AM PDT by SierraWasp (Arnold Schwarzenrenegger is Cauleeforneeah's Greenievenator!!! He's infected with GANG-GREEN!!!)
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To: SierraWasp

Thanks, you've helped my self-esteem considerably.

I'm sweeping the web for a Nanny-state program to possibly help out in this regard. But I'm still having trouble figuring out how this keyboard-thingy works.

Sounds like another worthwhile tax-funded program to me. ;0)


12 posted on 06/27/2005 7:33:15 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow.")
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To: incredulous joe

Just like Hans and Franz, "we're here to pomp yew op!!!"


13 posted on 06/27/2005 7:40:30 AM PDT by SierraWasp (Arnold Schwarzenrenegger is Cauleeforneeah's Greenievenator!!! He's infected with GANG-GREEN!!!)
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To: AmericanChef

Putting on my judgmental hat, I'd say that if they're "open minded" about abortion, that means they want to scr#w around without taking responsibility for the outcome. Also probably some eugenics thinking - better if those poor, dark-skinned people don't reproduce. If they're "open minded" about gun control, they don't give a hoot about the safety of people who can't afford gated communities with private security guards, and they don't give a hoot about the Constitution.

"Gay rights" means special legal privileges for another high-income group (like themselves). And "open minds" on immigration means they want cheap labor regardless of the consequences for the nation, and also that they're not bright enough to see the connection between uncontrolled immigration and the sky-high taxes they're paying to provide services for the immigrants.

These people get an F in conservatism from me. I'll bet they're enviro-wackos, too.


14 posted on 06/27/2005 7:55:24 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Working Class Zero with wall-to-wall carpeting.)
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To: incredulous joe

I'm sure they'll be happy to use the new Eminent Domain ruling to replace your home or business with something that has a greater "public benefit."


15 posted on 06/27/2005 7:59:52 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Working Class Zero with wall-to-wall carpeting.)
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To: Tax-chick

I'm sure they're "open-minded" to it.

They need to work on their "double-speak".


16 posted on 06/27/2005 8:05:19 AM PDT by incredulous joe ("We got heaps and heaps of what we sow.")
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To: incredulous joe

I have a feeling these people are natural Democrats, but the line for favors from the Dems starts behind the "favored" minorities (Asian names in this "Republican" group) so they're throwing their weight behind the opposition.


17 posted on 06/27/2005 8:11:08 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Working Class Zero with wall-to-wall carpeting.)
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To: Tax-chick

Sorry, not Asian ... white and Armenian :-). Looking to buy some city councillors and county commissioners.


18 posted on 06/27/2005 8:12:03 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Working Class Zero with wall-to-wall carpeting.)
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To: calcowgirl

Generation Next .. The Last GOP Party in the making?

and ya thought the 19th holers did a bang-up job.


19 posted on 06/27/2005 9:02:14 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... "To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." -- THOMAS JEFFERSON)
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To: calcowgirl
It's about power

It's always about power. This is simply the pro-business wing of the cultural left taking over the GOP.

20 posted on 06/27/2005 2:50:37 PM PDT by Pelham
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