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.
Global warming is BS any way, and all the countries that have signed onto the Kyoto accords are in violation of the limits set on them. They sign on and then do nothing to enforce the limits. It's a big joke that is just being used by the politicians to keep the envirofreaks on their side.
They don't call it the left coast for nothing, the govenor has a very hard time getting the support he needs to do anything. Clearly he think half a loaf is better than nothing, and it is certainly more than if he wasn't there at all.
Yep. He puts his political self advancement first.
What kind of support does he need to use his veto pen?
"What kind of support does he need to use his veto pen?"
Duh, enough to sustain one.
Aha! Another one from the Blame-the-Conservatives crowd! Did you know that the Secretary of State does not publish any statistics about how many conservatives showed up and voted? Did you know that the Secretary of State does not publish any statistics about how many Republicans or Democrats showed up or didn't? Did you know that the media performed zero exit polls of how many the party make-up of those who voted? Did you know that the 2 most conservative measures did the best on the ballot--which would indicate that the right side of the aisle did show up and support the measures?
In fact, the campaign team was either totally inept or trying to lose. In retrospect, one has to wonder if it was the latter. By alienating the unions and using inflammatory campaign rhetoric, I'd guess that Arnold offended every union member, and family of union members, to some degree. His 'girly-man' comments only embroiled the opposition and squelched any ability to sell the initiatives on merit. (Attempting to sell them on merit would have also disclosed the various flaws in at least 2 of the measures).
If someone tries something and loses, does that make it okay to abandon all principles and the Party platform and join the opposition? I say NO. If he wants to act like a Democrat, run under the (D) label!
By the way, all of that has nothing to do with the other actions the Governor could take--proposing budget decreases, vetoes, etc. Under your logic, it sounds like promoting socialized medicine would be justified in your book.
I think you meant to say:
For partisans, elections are about comparative choices not absolutes.
Don'tya just feel better after that minor editing? In the spirit of the forum; along conservative lines. The stuff that separates conservatives from partisan fools when the hour is dark.
Think of how much better you would have felt if you had added:
For conservatives, elections are about advancing conservatism.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
IMHO, the proper thing for conservatives to do is focus on electing conservatives in the downballot statewide races (Tom McClintock, Claude Parrish, Tony Strickland), while voting for Schwarzenegger as an afterthought.
The future leaders are in the downballot races (and there are virtually no competitive races for the state legislature).
"Under your logic, it sounds like promoting socialized medicine would be justified in your book."
At least I can't be accused of tacitly voting for Angelides. Were you old enough to vote for Clinton via Perot, too?
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Duh, enough to sustain one.
The Republicans have enough votes to block any attempt of the legislature to override a veto.
Next excuse?
If the you refers to conservatives here's, a thought:
We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.
Remember the obvious: No good flows from the election of a liberal!
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
I'm not voting for Angelides. I've never voted for a Rat or third party.
Nice way to change the subject, btw.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Congratulations - you've broken free of the matrix.
Now this one takes the silly award!!! LOL.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.