Posted on 09/04/2006 10:19:40 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
I don't recall even being in a situation where the closer Election Day gets, the less likely I am to vote for the GOP nominee.
Yet, that is where I find myself vis-a-vis Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I'm one of many conservatives who voted for Arnold in the recall, despite my preference for Tom McClintock. I found the prospect of Cruz Bustamante in the governor's office horrifying and wasn't convinced McClintock could win. The stakes so too high I though it prudent to back the Republican with the best chance of winning, and so I cast my vote for Arnold. Like other conservatives, I comforted myself with the rumor we'd heard for years that Arnold was really a libertarian. So, although he was squishy on the social issues, at least he'd be hard core on taxes, spending and freedom issues. After all, he was a Milton Friedman fan!
But ever since the Governor's nauseating policy of apologizing for the special election of 2005, it's been steadily more difficult to assembly a conservative Republican rationale for supporting his re-election.
He's signed a non-aggression pact with the government employee unions, promising he will never, ever again try to rein in their power. He talks a big game about building infrastructure, but is unable to just come out and support an infrastructure plan -- the 241 toll road completion in Orange County -- that has been EIRed and is ready to go.
This alleged acolyte of Milton Friedman signs an "anti-greenhouse gases" bill that will have no impact on the climate but will have negative impacts on California's economic competitiveness. And this is the same guy who tells every Republican crowd the same story about how he left Austria to escape its stultifying socialism -- even as he signs neo-Euro socialist bills like the emissions cap. I thought we elected a Republican as Governor during the rcall - not Al Gore.
Since being beaten by the government employee unions and adopting the Stoclkholm Syndrone as his political survival strategy, the Governor easgerly signs any minimum wage bill the Democrats send his way -- even though he knows they are job destroyers. He knows this, and yet signs them with a smile, anyway.
Old arguments employed to keep conservatives in line like "he's good on judges" hold no water when it comes to the Schwarzenegger Administration. Yes, he's appointed more Republicans than Gray Davis, but Republicans expect something more than appointing more Republican judges than your Democratci predecessor did. For example, how about no appointing public defedners who are proud of their qualifications to defend Serbian war crimninals at The Hague?
The Governor signed the latest in Sheila Kuehl's endless succession of "gay rights" bills -- SB 1441. Did the Governor actually read this bill?:
The bill would also expand the definition of discrimination under these provisions to include a perception that a person has any of these enumerated characteristics or that the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of these characteristics.
I would really love to hear the Governor affirm that he actually read that dangerous claptrap -- nothing is objectively real because reality is nothing more than perception -- and thought it was legislation that must be signed.
Everyday, I get e-mails from the Governor's re-election campaign. And I am trying to think of a single one that has, for even a moment, made me feeel proud Arnold Schwarzenegger is my party's nominee for Governor. And I can't think of a one. What I do remember are press releases bragging how Gov. Schwarzenegger is spending more money on education than anybody ever has in state history. Yessir -- that's why I became a Republican! To throw record sums of taxpayer dollars on failed government programs.
Perhaps the reader can detect the depth of my ever-deepening disenchantment with the Schwarzenegger Administration. Not that it really matters, because the Governor will be re-elected. He's blessed with a Democratic opponent who is a living caricature of the liberal excesses of his party and who gifted the Schwarzenegger campaign with his calls for billions in new taxes.
The Governor triangulates, buys off key Democratic special interests, adopts Democratic policies, and keeps enough conservatives in line by stoking their Fear of an Angelides Planet. He will win, and the Republican Party will find itself victorious in gubernatorial race but lacking a soul.
I think it was George Washington who said that a political party without principles is nothing more than a conspiracy to hold power. I'm afraid that is what is happening to the California Republican Party under the administration of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that is why I have gone from being a unapologetic supporter of his election in the recall to being undecided about whether I'll vote to re-elect him.
"For conservatives, elections are about advancing conservatism."
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You never were able to explain how does it "advance conservatism" to have a socialist Dem governor, all socialist Dems in CA statewide elected offices and overwhelming leftist socialist Legislature?
"We're advocating voting for NEITHER of the above. If California had a NOTA space, I'd vote for the NOTA candidate! "
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TRANSLATION: We are KNOWINGLY AND DELIBERATELY HELPING ANGELIDES WIN.
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"Angelides ... must win 80% of the Dems and a solid majority of the DTS (declined to state) registrants, TO ACCOMPANY THE 15% REPUBLICANS WHO DON'T VOTE FOR THEIR PARTY'S TICKET"
ANGELIDES IS COUNTING ON THEM.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2006/07/new_poll_result.html
"You start by offering a clear, conservative agenda to voters"
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Hellooooo!!!
THAT is exactly what Arnold did with the special elections, and the conservatives stayed home and his reform propositions went down in flames.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
The powers that be at the heads of both parties don't care who is Gubinor as long as they get to share the booty ,, it's not about principle, it's about principal as in moolah
"Evidently some FR conservatives with their heads in the clouds were fantasizing otherwise."
And Arnold's not even a good actor! It would be different if he were, say, as good an actor as Ronald Reagan was. Oh, that argument is NOT going to hold any water around here, LOL!
Seriously, I loved President Reagan. He was the first President I was eligible to vote for, so he'll always be special to me. My "Ronnie" shirine in my office is proof enough. (I own the company; it's literally MY office. Any complaints?) I saw through Arnie immediately. I've had decades of experience here in Wisconsin with political posers.
However, you can't fault the man. He's a brilliant businessman, and is unequaled at setting goals for himself and reaching them. I often wonder if Maria wasn't also on his list? She was a prize plum to be picked, that's for sure. ;)
"We're advocating a non-vote for Arnold but YES to the downticket"
And just how much influence do you think McClintock will have with Angelides as governor?
As for your other question, I always vote straight GOP, even when a candidate has a pretty minute chance of winning, because I couldn't live with myself, if I didn't -- unlike some others, like yourself, who are advocating supporting a socialist like Angelides.
What did conservatives expect, personal limo rides to the polls?
That's a good point.
So, are we supposed to vote for that even more liberal democrat? Give me a break! I am not happy either, but I am also not stupid enough to vote for that democrat whose name I can't spell!
Yeah, you're right.
Why change Trojan horses in the middle of the stream.
Not a pleasant option on either side of the ballot.
You're still peed off over Rairdon losing to Simon in the primary, huh?
That's why folks like you made sure that didn't happen again with a rigged convention last year, and at the recent one, that was a nice touch not even allowing the gUb to appear with any of the down ticket candidates, real sweet. and so teling of who he real represents.
Go ahead and defend away, maybe the internal polls aren't as wide open as the public polls is my best guess as why you continue to slave away here for a few votes at best.
It may rekindle some folks memories of what was "promised" along the way to the top of the dungpile in Sacramento.
Homosexual Agenda (SB 1437, AB 606, AB 1207, SB 1827, AB 1056, AB 2800, AB 1160, AB 2051, AB 2920. Too late for SB 1441--signed)
Gee, I guess (paraphrasing Animal Farm) that "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal then others"....
2% of our population gets all these bills?
They've responded with their three canned spams:
1) The bogeyman ploy
2) The limited choices ploy
3) The saboteur diversion
4) The McClintock diversion
5) The It is so bad his performance isn't bad excuse
6) The conservatives can't win CAGOP sponsored legend
7) The tired he vetoed gay marriage misdirection
Along the way they introduced several new twists:
1) The tacit ballot
2) The against ballot
3) The mature vote
4) The He tried to bypass the obstructionist assembly never naming the obstructionists
5) The elections are not about absolutes oxymoron
And they've even tried camouflage their agenda:
1) I'm a conservative independent
But silliest of all was the revelation that conservatives actually wanted Schwarzenegger to loose in November, as thought it was a deep dark secret.
Even sillier than the allegation that they ain't conservatives? You certainly aren't. If you'd prefer to lose to a philthy socialist you maintain the status of fifth columnist. Ilk!
We are what we do.
Wouldn't you agree that electing a liberal can come to no good?
Will you vote for a liberal in November? If so, which one?
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