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The California Lion: Tom McClintock
California Political Review ^ | William E. Saracino

Posted on 11/02/2006 11:43:51 AM PST by calcowgirl

For Tom McClintock: May 1940
By William E. Saracino

“Now at last, at last, his hour had struck. He had been waiting in Parliament for forty years,
had grown bald and gray in his nation’s service, had endured slander and calumny only
to be summoned when the situation seemed hopeless to everyone but him.”

— William Manchester, The Last Lion.

Tom McClintock is a fan of Winston Churchill, described above in the opening of William Manchester’s magnificent biography. The “now at last” referred to by Manchester was May 1940 when Churchill finally became prime minister. That marked the vindication of Churchill’s years in the political wilderness, on the outs with the sophisticated elites not only of his country, but even of his own party. He had been consigned to that wilderness because he spoke the unvarnished truth and brought attention to inconvenient facts long before Britons were ready to hear that truth or acknowledge those facts.

Tom McClintock has spent years in the relative political wilderness — defeated for statewide office and without a leadership position in the Legislature — essentially for the same reasons. McClintock has never been afraid to speak the unvarnished truth, even if people seemed more comfortable with the fantasies woven in Sacramento. He has never been afraid to insist that facts are facts, regardless of how they contradict the political fad du jour.

In spite of “elite” opinion, by May 1940 the average Briton realized Churchill was right about the woeful state of Britain. Exit polls from the recall election show indisputably that in October 2003 the average Californian knew McClintock was right: about Gray Davis, about Cruz Bustamante, and about the woeful state California had become. Arnold Schwarzenegger won their votes but Tom McClintock won their hearts. Exit polls gave McClintock the highest approval ratings of anyone on the ballot. When asked who they thought would make the best governor, the exit poll respondents named McClintock by a wide margin. In the voting booths the voters were swept away by Arnoldmania, but in their hearts they knew McClintock was right.

Next Tuesday is California’s chance to make November 2006 be May 1940 for Tom McClintock, who has grown gray, though not bald, in the people’s service. Like Churchill, McClintock does not suffer fools lightly (and, I must say, I’ve never understood why doing so is considered a virtue). As a result, he has, along with Sir Winston, endured his share of slander and calumny.

But despite slanders, calumnies, and the enmity of much of the press, average Britons of 1940 came to know that the serious challenges facing them required leaders with serious minds, ideas that promised better times in the future and the courage necessary to stick by those ideas. They knew it was time for Churchill.

The exit polls of October 2003 showed the average Californian knew their state required the remedies, intelligence, and courage of Tom McClintock. But because they thought he could not win — in spite of their admiration and good feelings toward him personally — and because they were desperate to be rid of Gray Davis, Californians took the safe route and voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Next Tuesday, voters won’t have to choose between Schwarzenegger and McClintock; they can vote for both.

Upon taking office in 1940 Churchill said he felt his entire career up to that point had been preparation for what lay ahead. It seems so also with McClintock. Rarely has so superbly qualified a candidate come before the voters. And rarely have the voters been afforded such certitude that with McClintock what they see is what they will get. McClintock’s hour, it seems, at last has struck.

But the opposition — the spending lobby, the unions, the Sacramento tax-eaters — know this also, and are moving heaven and earth to defeat him. The GOP rank and file must do its job these last few days, leaving no task undone, no voter uncontacted, if the liberal opposition is to be turned back. Tom McClintock, like Churchill, possesses the intellectual energy, drive, and eloquence to summon California once again to greatness.

Just as May 1940 was a turning point in England’s history, November 2006 can be a turning point in California’s. It might, dare I say, become our finest hour.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: mcclintock; tommcclintock
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1 posted on 11/02/2006 11:43:52 AM PST by calcowgirl
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To: Right Cal Gal; whinecountry; Walkenfree; Rusty0604; FairOpinion; doodlelady; antceecee; ...
PING!

Tom McClintock for Lieutenant Governor of California

McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list

2 posted on 11/02/2006 11:44:16 AM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: calcowgirl
Go Tom.

Anybody know a resource for evaluating California judges that are on the ballot for confirmation? I would like to vote no on liberal activist judges like we did w/ Rose Byrd, Cruz Reynoso, ect.

3 posted on 11/02/2006 11:52:53 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Zimbabwe, leftist success story.)
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To: Navy Patriot

There are resources posted on this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1718748/posts


4 posted on 11/02/2006 11:58:38 AM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Navy Patriot

http://www.rogerhedgecock.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/


5 posted on 11/02/2006 12:02:58 PM PST by ansel12 (America, love it ,or at least give up your home citizenship before accepting ours too.)
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To: ansel12; calcowgirl

Thank you.


6 posted on 11/02/2006 12:06:50 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Zimbabwe, leftist success story.)
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To: calcowgirl

Im a Tommy McC man whom they mentioned above as I felt we could not make the mistake and let Gray Davis survive.... so I went and voted Arnold for safe measure. I hope more than anything this election that Tom McClintock gets his due as he is far and beyond qualified and one of the best fiscal minds in government.

GO TOM GO!


7 posted on 11/02/2006 12:30:51 PM PST by Republic Rocker
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To: calcowgirl

BTTT


8 posted on 11/02/2006 12:54:30 PM PST by E.G.C.
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To: calcowgirl

Outstanding article. The Manchester quote sums up Tom perfectly.


9 posted on 11/02/2006 12:56:31 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
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To: calcowgirl

Thanks for maintaining this ping list. Go Tom!


10 posted on 11/02/2006 1:06:38 PM PST by whinecountry (Semper Ubi Sub Ubi)
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To: Canticle_of_Deborah
The Manchester quote sums up Tom perfectly.

I liked that one too. :-)

11 posted on 11/02/2006 1:21:47 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: calcowgirl

Beautiful, eloquent endorsement, worthy of McClintock.

I truly hope his time has come.


12 posted on 11/02/2006 1:24:13 PM PST by b9 ("the [evil Marxist liberal socialist Democrat Party] alternative is unthinkable" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: ElkGroveDan; fieldmarshaldj; Saundra Duffy; onyx; sittnick; Tax-chick; Convert from ECUSA

Ping for the Great California Hope.


13 posted on 11/02/2006 1:30:54 PM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
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To: BlackElk

I just sent off my absentee ballot yesterday and one of the few folks I was enthusiastic about marking was Mc Clintock.
Also,a big NO on Prop 88 and all the other local tax hikes the"progressives"around here want to sock us with.


14 posted on 11/02/2006 1:37:00 PM PST by Riverman94610
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To: calcowgirl

BTTT. Any new polling on the candidates?


15 posted on 11/02/2006 1:41:58 PM PST by newzjunkey (Arnold-McClintock / YES 1A, 83, 85, 90 / San Diego: NO A-YES B & C)
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To: newzjunkey

The last one I saw was Hoover, although there is supposed to be a new Field poll in circulation. Maybe tomorrow?

In other news...
A new ad is supposed to debut today, starring DiFi and Arnie, to sell the big debt plan (Bonds, bonds, bonds!)


16 posted on 11/02/2006 2:03:32 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: calcowgirl

"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Winston Churchill


17 posted on 11/02/2006 2:12:10 PM PST by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (Other People's Money))
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To: Navy Patriot
Anybody know a resource for evaluating California judges

Tom's website Probably can't go wrong voting no on any of them.

18 posted on 11/02/2006 7:01:11 PM PST by jokar (for it is by grace, http://www.gbible.org)
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To: jokar
Tom's sites don't have what I really need, but calcowgirl indirectly linked me to:http://www.robynnordell.com/onestop.aspx, which has what I needed.

I certainly appears that selective voting is better than a blanket "no" on all judges, as there are several good guys on the bench, and selectivity will send a message to Rats and Pubbies alike, and maybe lure Pubbies back to the base.

19 posted on 11/03/2006 12:36:24 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Zimbabwe, leftist success story.)
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To: Navy Patriot

http://www.flashreport.org/blog.php?postID=2006101314115045&post_offsetP=0
http://www.flashreport.org/blog0a.php?postID=2006101901230702
Recommendations by California Republican Lawyers Association http://www.flashreport.org/blog0a.php?postID=2006102619451028


20 posted on 11/04/2006 9:16:11 AM PST by marsh2
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