Posted on 12/02/2005 7:34:27 AM PST by ElkGroveDan
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff appointment of career leftist and former Gray Davis staffer Susan Kennedy strongly indicates he has accepted the four myths of the Nov. Special Election presently being circulated by California’s liberal pundits.
Myth 1: Voters agree with Democrats
The voters didn’t hand Democrats any roses Nov. 8. On the contrary, the Donkey Party suffered two important losses. Prop. 79 would have forced price controls and discounts on pharmaceuticals in California. The so-called “Prescription Drug” issue is practically the Holy Grail of Democrat Party these days, with calls for more government intervention and mandatory price caps. The California Democrat Party platform mentions “prescription drugs” nine times and the party gave its hearty endorsement to Prop. 79. Sixty-one percent of those who voted that day said “no thanks” to this essential Democrat cause.
Prop. 80 would have restored burdensome regulation of California’s electric power industry while mandating additional “green power.” The California Democrat Party threw its considerable weight behind this measure too. Alas, Nov. 8 voters rejected Prop. 80, also by 61 percent.
Myth 2: The special election was a loss for Republicans
Certainly Republicans would have benefited from passage of the governor’s initiatives. However their loss has merely maintained the status quo Capitol power balance — disappointing, yes, but hardly a setback. Moreover, the California Teachers Association was driven to the brink of bankruptcy to fund its opposition to Prop.s 74 and 75. The CTA monster may not have been de-fanged this time but it will be going into the next battle bruised and limping. Any new edge, however temporary, over the mighty public employee unions is a victory for Republican campaigners.
Myth 3: The Special Election results reflect the mood of all Californians.
This election, indeed any election, reflects the mood of those who decided to go to the polls that day. On Nov. 8 the initiatives sponsored by the governor and Republicans lost because 4.1 to 4.6 million voters cast no votes, per recommendations from the Democrats and big labor. That’s about 18 percent of the state’s 22.4 million registered voters — less than one in five. 18 percent is hardly a mandate for anything, let alone the historically unpopular higher taxes and bigger government the unions are now telling their Democrat legislators to enact.
The election told us only that California is neither a politically liberal nor politically conservative state. It is a politically disconnected state. Under such conditions it behooves those who wish to change the status quo to make not just a message for change, but also a serious, immediate, and urgent call to action. Arnold’s campaign team failed to do that.
Big labor made an urgent case to their members that their very jobs were at risk. Their voters showed up and cast ballots.
The voters who recalled Gray Davis and elected Arnold governor make up a loose group that I call the Normality Base: Republicans, thinking independents, and conservative Democrats. They are busy soccer moms, harried commuters, and stressed out small business owners. They tend to agree with Republicans much of the time. The Normality Base never felt the sense of urgency about the Special Election they did about the recall. They simply didn’t vote.
Myth 4: Arnold should now lean left to win reelection.
The unmotivated Normality Base are still here and still don’t care much for big government and high taxes. They will vote in greater numbers in the next scheduled election. This base is poised to re-elect the governor if he sends the right message. Conversely, the Susan Kennedy appointment indicates likely electoral disaster for Schwarzenegger if it is the beginning of a hard left shift toward supporting higher taxes and bigger government, all because 18 percent of California voters chose no on everything in the Special.
If Schwarzenegger is in fact listening to fables, he should heed Aesop’s “A Dog and His Reflection.”: A dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize. Crossing a narrow footbridge, he happened to see himself reflected in the quiet water, but thought he saw a real dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. The greedy dog dropped his bone and sprang at the dog in the river, then found himself swimming for his life toward shore. As he scrambled out and stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish dog he had been.
The people voted to recall Gray Davis and elect Schwarzenegger to rid the state of tax and spend irresponsibility. Out of so many self-serving myths, that is the one truth to be salvaged.
The connection is total union-control of health care delivery.
You think a lot of yourself, and as far as your "bookmarks" go... Get a Life.
Oh. And by-the-way. Just so there's no confusion, I didn't call the Legislative Analyst's Office a snake-oil peddler. That's what I'm calling YOU, as your stated intentions so amply demonstrate.
Which demonstrates your inability to read. If I'm the "snake oil peddler" then what I'm peddling must be snake oil. All I did was offer the LAO data in support of my assertion that Arnold has increased spending. You called me a snake oil peddler. Therefore, the LAO's report must be "snake oil" to you.
Meanwhile, all YOU'VE offered is, "I don't think so," in response to my assertion that Arnold has increased spending all on his own, an assertion I was only too happy to support from an original source, something you refuse to do.
It's your reputation that is at stake. I suggest you either prove your point or recant, else you'll be proven a BS artist every time I find you blathering unsupportable claims on this forum.
Carry, does it ever occur to you that I don't give a damn about your opinions? Moreover, I'm not interested in currying your favor, nor am I concerned about your threat to my "reputation".
Additionally, YOUR HONOR, I don't care to recant to the bench of Carry_Okie. So if you want to shroud yourself with "bookmark" campaigns, and perform hyperspace lynchings, may I suggest you adopt instead a nice Quija board session. You might hurt yourself with VooDoo pins.
I really don't care what YOU think of my opinions.
I'm not interested in currying your favor, nor am I concerned about your threat to my "reputation".
Enjoy the ride.
There you go again, Mark, offering up facts and logic. Have you no shame, sir? ;-)
I'm guessing that those pesky facts that conservatives keeps trotting out are problem. They'll ruin a good argument based on feelings every time. They're even less tolerant of myths.
The State of California has several web sites littered with these pesky facts and there's no charge to get the information. They're free as in beer.
Beer,, Did I hear beer? Is it FRee?
I'm so there! ;-)
Oh man, some folks here are in such deep denial that they have become nothing more than the vessel bearers of their own poison... uhhh, koolaid
BUMP
Are these folks any relation to you Norm? Are they out for revenge?
Are you an idiot in real life or do you just imitate one here at FR for fun?
Everyone was thinking it but few had the courage to state the obvious.
Normality Base: Republicans, thinking independents, and conservative Democrats.
---
I don't categorize myself with any of those specifically..
My voting record is Republican and always has been, my family, mostly in Minnesota, is a mix of all of them to some degree but definitely tending more to the conservative/republican side of things as a whole.
I prefer the 'independent conservative' bordering on Ultra-conservative tendencies descript if I must wear a name tag altho the middle of the three is a close fit too... or actually maybe it is a good match as conservative indies are known for being thoughtful and hopefully thought-provoking as well, regardless how much they are constantly under attack, even here at FR.
Out for revenge?
No, just trying to preserve what we have and fighting those who would steal our futures and leave nothing worthwhile behind in return.
Courage,? Thx
Nyahh, just sick of the same old appeasing commentary from the walk on water moderate crowd... and just stating the obvious.
What could happen to me anyway, this is a FRee FiRe zone, isn't it?
When independent conservatives start getting banned for supporting conservatism, then maybe it is time to just mooove on... something my wife and cats would readily support, mind you.
No madam, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY and please don't let the door .....
Little good it did. She's back again with the Kool-Aid and harsh words for poor old CO because he keeps bringing up those pesky facts.
Thanks for the data.
My, my. Transparent, aren't we?
Personal insults are unacceptable here.
Was I talking to you?
You posted it on a public forum, yes you were. Leave the personal insults out.
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