CA: GOP conservatives reconsider effort to withdraw support for governor

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Members of a key GOP conservative group said Saturday they are reconsidering their call for the California Republican Party to withdraw its endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in this year's election.

Despite ongoing differences with the governor over issues such as the minimum wage and his reliance on Democratic staff members, the Republican Assembly is reevaluating its position based on assurances from party leaders that its concerns will get a full airing at the upcoming party convention.

"We want to make sure our views on specific policy issues are openly discussed," said Mike Spence, president of the assembly - one of the oldest and most conservative member organizations of the state GOP. "We have differences from the governor on some issues, and we want to make sure we are able to discuss them."

The group's board voted in December to ask delegates to the upcoming Republican Convention in San Jose to withdraw the expected endorsement of the incumbent governor. Conservatives have been angered by Schwarzenegger's moves toward the political center since his disastrous loss in the November special election.

The biggest issue was the governor's decision to hire a prominent Democrat - and a former aide to Gov. Gray Davis - as his chief of staff. But Republicans are also uneasy with Schwarzenegger's $222 billion public works building proposal that relies on borrowing; his idea to increase the state minimum wage; and his proposed budget that would spend nearly $6 billion more next year than the state would take in from tax revenues.

But Spence said the conservative group is taking another vote on the endorsement issue. The results are expected early next week.

Even if the organization decides not to change its position, party leaders said they do not expect the issue to receive much attention at the convention, which runs from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26.

"Out of 1,400 delegates, I only know of a handful of people who are taking this issue seriously," said California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim. "The endorsement is not in trouble. We are going to come out of the convention with a unified ticket, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the top."

Still, delegates will likely be asked during the convention to consider a floor resolution that calls for the party to withdraw its endorsement of the governor. Sponsored by former state Republican Party Chairman Michael Schroeder, the resolution must pass out of a screening committee before it can be considered by the full delegation.

Spence said that while his organization was not involved with introducing the resolution, he acknowledged that if the Republic Assembly withdraws its support, the call to rescind the party's endorsement of Schwarzenegger would be badly undermined.

Sundheim said attention has already turned away from the endorsement issue. Now, he said, members are talking instead about crafting resolutions that would express some of his party's concerns with positions the governor has taken.

For instance, Schwarzenegger wants to increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour over the next two years, but many Republicans do not support the idea. Sundheim said a resolution might be presented to the party stating that Republicans believe that an increase in the minimum wage would be bad for low-wage workers and minority-owned businesses.

"I think there's differences of opinion, but it does not go so far that we are not going to support the governor," he said.

It not matters the party registration. The ideology matters.

Right now in California there are few Democrats more conservative than Schwarzenegger. But Schwarzenegger is still a liberal and it serves no one's interests, Republican of Democrat, to reelect a liberal lite.

Were there the possibility of an open Republican gubernatorial primary, there would be hope. But there isn't. Conservatives will simply have to hope for down ticket victories resulting from open primaries.

As a Conservative ideologue I will work long and hard to send the Wilsonegger gang packing if they don't change their corrupt behavior. All of California's voters need to be represented in the legislative process, not just liberals. California taxpayers do not need to be hounded into leaving because the gang keeps spending more than it takes in and raising taxes to make up for their fiscal irresponsibility.

An unrepentant Schwarzenegger needs to be defeated in November and the arrogant leadership of the CRP needs new direction. I will cast my vote for Ronald Reagan in the Republican gubernatorial primary in June if no other Republican appears on the ballot. Come November, I will vote for the more conservative candidate for governor. That is not likely to be either a Republican or a Democrat. My choice will probably not win the election but I will sleep well and there will be no indentations on the bridge of my nose from wearing a clothespin for 4 months.

Basically you are an exact example down to your exact words as to why we can't get the state more conservative.

You are EXACTLY doing what sabotages the conservatives in the state.
Throwing away your vote in the main election for a third party over some message is the exact same thing as casting it for the Communist Democrat.
Your thinking is nothing new and it has been what has empowered Democrats over the decades as wrong thinking people keep repeating their mistakes like they suffer a major form of history Alzheimer's.
You can not shift the state right by giving the CRP the supposed message that any unelectable conservative who is saying your right things is better than an electable candidate who will win over a Communist Democrat.

Ideally, you should not sabotage the Republican party.

A CA Guy, I've asked you specific questions several times and you seem to avoid them therefore it is almost impossible to have any kind of meaningful dialogue.

You seem to think that we can continue down the current path with a "typical approach" (whatever that means) and accept "just a little" socialism to bribe the welfare class into voting Republican. All of this without identifying a party platform or the principles on what that Republican party might stand for.

I disagree. I have read plenty of evidence that says conservatives can and do win. History from California and experience in other states say it can be done--and it doesn't mean that we need to tilt left. It means we need to define our platform and sell it! I do suggest you read some more history. The "we must win first" approach has been tried and failed--repeatedly.

Right now, I am hard pressed to explain to anyone why the Republican party is backing a big-spending, big-borrowing (read: taxes!), gun-grabbing, pro-GLBT, land-grabbing Governor who is forcing taxpayer/ratepayer subsidies of hydrogen highways, stemcell research, solar roofs, Global Warming, has appointed liberals statewide into key positions that will succeed his time in office, and made a huge number of liberal judicial appointments. The platform of the Republican Party was against ALL of these things. To say that this is somehow "small steps" in the right direction is just nonsensical. I am NOT looking for perfection in a candidate. I would be quite happy right now with someone who supported 75% or more of the Republican platform.

Well the facts are that we are in a crudy position.

The CRP has done so little well for so long that they've dug a hole practically neck deep.

I have no argument with you or anyone else in wanting a nice conservative outcome in this state and this country.

The simple reason that Arnold is there and will be unchallenged perhaps on the Republican side is because they figure he would win a Republican primary and should use the money better in another race to remove the Democrat.

Gov. A is NO FRIEND of the Unions and the Legislature in the state. Only the absence of conservative voters has compromised his promise to blow up boxes in CA.

The history that repeats itself is strong willed conservatives or Christians with limited long term vision going on a quest over so called principles that always ends up kicking conservatives in the nuts and getting the Communist Democrat elected to office.

We are in occupied area and if things get bad enough, the voters occasional throw us the bone of a somewhat conservative Governor if all hell is about to break lose in the state.

When was the last year and decade that California voted for the Republican for President? That was the turning point where things got worse in the state and the CRP got caught unprepared.

Now we have to get the voters the more left than we would like and then we have to move the voters center and then right.
Takes time and there is no way you are going to see a conservative voting California until we stop sabotaging the Republican party with religious and political principles.

If you want to only accept a pure victory with only the best people, we should win about one out of every 15 elections.

Earth, unlike yourself perhaps.

We did not have lots of people out for the special election on the conservative side and that screwed the Governor regarding unions and the Democrat legislature.

If we won some of those propositions, he would have used that capital IMO to do more things.

Instead he was made to get along by the lack of conservative support.

I guess real bright conservatives figure the way to remedy that in 2006 would be to either not vote or vote for a retarded third party instead of the Republican in the regular election because we are that dumb.
Do you think we could have people be that stupid? There are always a number, but I hope that number is low, because all they do is get us Communist Democrats in office.

Those kind of voters should get tattoos saying "I'm a big Democrat supporter" IMO.

The history that repeats itself is strong willed conservatives or Christians with limited long term vision going on a quest over so called principles that always ends up kicking conservatives in the nuts and getting the Communist Democrat elected to office.

I just said... I'd be happy with 75% of the Republican platform being supported. The current situation is a big ZERO%.

The liberalism we are suffering from in the past 3 years is being proposed by the Republican leadership. But hey... go ahead... keep blaming it on Conservatives. After all, it's so much easier than actually defining SOME kind of platform to guide the party. Just win baby!

Keep posting myths, CA Guy.
The propositions were doomed from early on and Arnold may have been duped by his own team using false polling.

http://www.flashreport.org/special-reports0b.php?faID=2005110202424596
One wonders why they did not have thorough opinion research to adequately measure the futility of a campaign. Either there was no research, or they asked the wrong questions, or they ignored the data. Perhaps they were just so determined to have a special election. That’s what I think.

(snip)

The pollster keeps reporting that the consultant’s ads are working, so they buy more ads. It’s like the old brokerage churning – when brokers bought and sold a bunch of stocks. The commissions were high, and they did well even if you didn’t. So, it seems are that a survey concludes the campaign is not working. Better, when it’s over and the client loses, to blame it on voter turnout.

I can't imagine how they could have proceeded at all with a special election, or with this type of campaign, if they had serious quantitative and qualitative research. But, then again, I can imagine how they could have done the things they did last year. But maybe it's not the polling. I mean, why take this smart, wonderful communicator - -a macho guy, and make him into a milktoast, going to staged, contrived events in which he says next to nothing, and where each TV news report ridicules him and the event, and the "pres-elected" audience. I guess no one had the balls to sit him down, have him study the issues, and have him confront the electorate, Reagan-style, and show what he's made of.

Year after year conservatives IMO suffer the dullards who keeps repeating the mistake of thinking they should make some statement by sabotaging the Republican vote in favor of the fire breathing Communist Democrats. Happens way to often like they are suffering Alzheimer's IMO.

I am not thrilled by the behavior and find those that do it pretty darn close to retarded.

The only safe time to attempt to make a change of the major candidate would be during that party's primary.
I am told this year that the Republicans might not have a primary for the Governor's job because there is nobody that could be competitive and it would be a waste of money that could go to win elsewhere against a Democrat.

Many limited thinkers on the conservative side who obviously lack capacity or long term vision think they are being heroes by deciding to make statement votes. or to get others to sabotage the Republican ticket in favor of Democrats.

If anyone does anything that gets us a Communist Democrat Governor, then that behavior would be stupid. These behaviors include in the main election (not voting, voting for some retarded third party away from the Republican or voting Democrat).

The only safe time to attempt to make a change of the major candidate would be during that party's primary.

And no one has argued with you on that point. Notwithstanding, you continue to namecall and insult conservatives and try to turn this into a religious argument or one about abortion. It is not.

Your love of liberalism, and encouragement to "get a little bit dirty" like the democrats and "bribe" the welfare class for votes shows your true colors.

I am told this year that the Republicans might not have a primary for the Governor's job because there is nobody that could be competitive and it would be a waste of money ...

I suggest you read a little more. There will not be a meaningful primary because the CA GOP suspended party rules, breaking long standing rules, and made a pre-primary endorsement over a year early. Are you really from California--or a Republican?

Right, so many conservatives came out that even parental notification lost.

Tell your tall tales to others.
There is no way we had our conservatives out voting if that notification proposition got defeated.

The conservatives were completely lazy and did not get 73 passed. That one proposition is absolute proof many conservatives stayed home.

If the conservatives would not come out and vote for that, then they weren't coming at all. (and most did not)

We in the past linked you to several things showing you there were low conservative turn outs and high liberal/union ones. I even had unions soliciting votes in the neighborhood which I never saw before.

Conservatives that did not vote that election were a cancer to that day's voting.

Did you even read what I wrote? Your response suggests otherwise.

Bottom line: If you don't like conservatives, don't embrace property rights, tolerate more gun control, think the spending and borrowing of the past three years are not a problem, aren't concerned about liberal appointments (judicial and otherwise) and have so much venom for Christians, perhaps you are in the wrong party.

Good night.

I happen to be a Christian, but I see all the time that the extremely religious get wrong headed on a few occasions and sabotage the overall vote in favor of the Communist Democrats they hate.

Over all most have a brain, but sometimes groups within lose their mind like some other conservatives, decide to make a statement vote or non-vote and screw the people of California.

Properly rights will be upheld even with Democrats in the legislature because even the Democrat voters will hand them a new one if they try and take private property left and right.
Some gun control is good, mostly automatic weapons and such, but the people of the state like occasional restrictions or things like putting serial numbers on bullets and registering all bullets in a state data base to check against future crimes.
In general a well armed population is a safer one.
Right now no borrowing is needed and to be honest, property taxes for a while will be bringing lots of cash to the state treasury.
We do have 20 year road bonds in the billions that will pass that will go for future roads we will need. That debt is for an actual purpose that is traditional.
I have no venom for the Christian people, I have seen from prayer communities and other church services that there is occasionally a group of over zealous people who get a temporary god complex and make these stupid protest votes that screws themselves.

Passion and religion are two areas where common sense can get thrown out the window.

Here is a quick lesson regarding protest votes:
Perot got us Clinton. You loved getting Clinton? If not, don't let the stupidity repeat itself.

You are EXACTLY doing what sabotages the conservatives in the state

In this case I may well be sabotaging a liberal Republican Party in the state but it's not sabotaging conservatives.

Conservative ideologues don't throw away votes or keep votes. They vote with their conscience. Party doesn't matter. Principle does.

Partisans worry about whose in power and who controls public policy. Ideologues are concerned about the character of public policy.

None of this would matter to Republican partisans except for one small detail. Republicans can't win without the vote of the conservative and the conservative won't vote for the Republican until the Republican implements conservative principles. This usually causes the Republican to have a public hissy.

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