CA: GOP seems ready to be fooled twice - Schwarzenegger hasn't earned loyalty of conservatives

The Orange County Register ^ | August 27, 2006 | STEVEN GREENHUT

[calcowgirl]

Those who believe in nothing will fall for anything, as the old saying goes. So it's only fitting that a Republican Party that has ceased to believe in anything has fallen for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Maybe in the early days of his administration, and through the defeat of his reform agenda last November, it was defensible to support him. But no more. Yet many Republican leaders at the state GOP convention in Century City were still atwitter over the Terminator's tired clichés and faux tough talk.

--snip

At Century City, Schwarzenegger blasted the Democrats: "Our friends in the other campaign want to go back to the failed policies of the past – higher taxes, more government spending, more government regulations and less growth."

Compare what the other party does with Schwarzenegger's program of higher debt spending, more government spending and more government regulations and less growth, and it's quite a choice, isn't it?

Of course, the Democrats are always bad. So, of course Republicans will usually rally around their candidate, no matter how far afield his viewpoints might be. But a point is reached where it's not worth it anymore, where victory isn't so sweet because "our" guy isn't in any fundamental way different from "their" guy.

--snip

At the Republican convention, Schwarzenegger refused to be seen with the Republican slate of down-ticket candidates. Tom McClintock, one of the most principled men in modern political life, is running for lieutenant governor against John Garamendi, who during an Editorial Board meeting a couple years ago actually sung the praises of the Cuban health care system! ... The governor is too good to stand with McClintock and Poochigian or some of the other perfectly well-qualified GOP candidates for statewide office? Then Republicans should be too good to stand with him.

[ElkGroveDan]

Here are some things he could do: o Attack Arnold from the right :

Yep. Lots of room on that side of Arnold. It's his own damn fault if Angelides is able to gain any ground there.

[calcowgirl]

Please quit spamming all the threads with the same tiresome whitespace.

Either that, or send it to Greenhut and see what he thinks.

[kellynla]

"NOBODY has the right to call themselves a conservative, if they help socialist Angelides elected. If you stay home, don't vote for the governor slot, or vote third party YOU ARE HELPING ANGELIDES WIN."

what a bunch of hogwash.

who made you judge, jury and executioner.

only because it is Sunday will I let you off easy but come tomorrow don't expect me to be so kind.


Candidates "ask" for constituents votes and if candidates don't EARN the privilege of their constituents' vote there is NO REQUIREMENT THAT THEY HAVE TO VOTE FOR THEM.
Point, Game, Set, Match!

your muscle headed RINO is the sorriest excuse for a governor since the last clown we had and if RINO had annnnny class whatsoever he would have declined to run for reelection. So get off your "better than you" RINO arse and keep your mouth closed and let others think you a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

[hedgetrimmer]

There appears to be a significant disjoint between the republican leadership, and those of us lower on the food chain. Could the leadership be wrong? or is it millions of conservatives who are?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

No, no...keep the "California bashers will be called out" tagline.

[ElkGroveDan]

Either that, or send it to Greenhut and see what he thinks.

I saved her the trouble. I sent Greenhut an email and directed him to this thread. No need to clog up his mailbox with all those extraneous <p>'s.

[calcowgirl]

It this really what you wanted for the CAGOP when you dedicated your energies to the cause?

I think Greenhut's last question is similar to yours:

If the polls are right, and after the election the governor remains the only statewide GOP official, will Republicans still think it was worth it to sell out all their principles on behalf of someone like this?

[calcowgirl]

I sent Greenhut an email and directed him to this thread.

Well, in that case, I would like Mr. Greenhut to know that
no other editorial has more closely matched my sentiments.

[kellynla]

Excellent piece. Thanks for posting it and the ping.

Happy Sunday!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[CyberAnt]

I agree .. but I would never vote for ANY DEMOCRAT .. and I would NEVER STAY HOME.

Unfortunately, I will choose to vote for Arnold.

[calcowgirl]

There are plenty of reasons to get out and vote--I won't be staying home either.

The slew of Tax, Borrow, and Spend propositions are one motivating factor.
Preventing Jerry Brown from being Chief Law Officer of California is another.
And, of course, McClintock!

[CyberAnt]

Yes, I agree - there are plenty of other reasons to get out and vote!

[1035rep]

 

 I completely agree with Jim Robinson, the alternative is unthinkable.

To: Carry_Okie
Well, there is the Republican party with some conservative members and some not so conservative and then there's the evil Marxist liberal socialist Democrat Party. I'd rather have a conservative Republican in office, but I'll take a not so conservative Republican over any evil Marxist liberal socialist Democrat any day of the week. And I might express my unhappiness with some of his policies but I think I've learned my lesson about irreversibly trashing the Republican office holder or the Republican base or the party itself (at least not too much trashing). As they say, the alternative is unthinkable.



34 posted on 03/02/2006 2:15:02 AM CST by Jim Robinson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[goldstategop]

Someone else can see this guy IS a liberal. Too bad the CAGOP leadership can't - or won't - or their shills on this forum.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[NormsRevenge]

Spammed again, I see. ;-)

[ElkGroveDan]

All I ask of Arnold is that he veto this horrific "Universal Health Care Bill" the California Legislature is passing!

Don't stand on any tall buildings.

[goldstategop]

In other words, if the GOP is just another liberal party, it doesn't really matter which one conservatives wind up supporting. We still lose! And politics is more than just about winning elections; its about a choice between two vision, two philosophies, two competing sets of values and two ideas. That's what we aren't getting in this election. As far as I can see, the differences between Arnold and Angelides are so tiny you have to find them with a microscope. Again, I challenge Arnold supporters to mention ONE conservative policy with which he is identified. If there was, you'd hear the Democrats making hay out of it. But there is only silence - from their side and ours. That in itself is a message.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[SDGOP]

Thanks, now i don't need to write in someone. I was just gonna abstain or write in mickey mouse or something. I refuse to vote for this rino.

[SDGOP]

I fail to see how arnold is a republican anymore. Before you could argue he's a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Now hes liberal on both. The only real difference i see between angelides and arnold is that angelides admits he will raise taxes, arnold just passes bonds which will require tax increases later.

[Invisible Gorilla]

How is it plausible that conservatives are Angelides' secret weapon? Isn't he far left?