Replies

I did not think the election cycle was the appropriate time to attack Arnold in the manner that was happening around here because I believed, perhaps naively, in coat-tails and that harming Arnold would also harm the rest of the ticket.

With his reelection behind us, we must demand restrained spending and a return to reform.

I took issue with those "conservatives" who served only as relentless critics, refused to unify behind the slate, including Arnold.

An Arnold win is, really, a win for no one but Arnold. We didn't get McClintock, or Strickland. We got no Kelo measure, no parental notification and more debt than I can imagine.

I joined McClintock in support of 1A and 1E but not the rest. What ads I was exposed to would highlight road construction benefits and express it as being so benign "pay over time without raising taxes" while never mentioning any of the other proposal specifics.

Too optimistic about the wisdom of the voters, I was not afraid of Arnold putting such a package before the electorate. I thought, however, there would have been some meaningful public debate or opposition. That didn't seem to have materialized and now here we are with $40,000,000,000 in new corrosive debt.

I've much cast off my election-cycle blinders and will of course join reasoned criticism of Arnold's policies and practices not unlike I have regarding Bush.

Perhaps I was too subtle for you at this late hour when I said I should cheer up. It was sarcasm because, frankly, I'm aghast he'll be taking on health care reform in what was described as the same way he tackled global warming.

I do think he's gotten too little credit when he does something right. It's clear he's a populist rather than an ideologue and such populism is fraught with problems because an electorate can be fickle and manipulated.

It's nearly time for me to move and I will most seriously cast my eyes towards leaving CA. I had before said this election would be make-or-break for me. I've grown weary of the growing tyranny of our urban centers, especially L.A. and SF which are hopelessly lost causes.

I've put my house on sale and am leaving California. This is the last election here in which I will vote.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

Lt Gov, 3.2% ( 23391 of 25090 ) precincts reporting as of Nov 8, 2006 at 2:20 am

John Garamendi (Dem)	3,108,386	49.4 %	
Tom McClintock (Rep)	2,831,920	45.0 %

I did not think the election cycle was the appropriate time to attack Arnold in the manner that was happening around here because I believed, perhaps naively, in coat-tails and that harming Arnold would also harm the rest of the ticket.

IMO, that was very naive and all you had to do was step back and see how many times that excuse was given. Exactly when have we not been in an election cycle since the recall?

     October 7, 2003     Special Election (Recall)
     March 2, 2004       Primary Election
     November 2, 2004    General Election
     November 8, 2005    Special Election
     June 6, 2006        Primary Election
     November 7, 2006    General Election

Over and over, people were criticized for opposing leftist actions taken by the Governor. Had Gray Davis attempted half of this stuff, Republicans would have been up in arms! The exact time to criticize is before an election when they want your vote, not after when they no longer have any reason to pay attention.

With his reelection behind us, we must demand restrained spending and a return to reform.

What leverage is there NJ? Tell me? Why should he or would he? Think about it.

I took issue with those "conservatives" who served only as relentless critics, refused to unify behind the slate, including Arnold.

Why would you instead not take issue with Arnold, for failing to unify behind the Republican platform? Why do you think Republicans should miraculously change their core beliefs and abandon the very principles contained in the Republican platform? Arnold opposed the very things that unify Republicans.

Too optimistic about the wisdom of the voters, I was not afraid of Arnold putting such a package before the electorate. I thought, however, there would have been some meaningful public debate or opposition. That didn't seem to have materialized . . .

Where was that opposition going to come from, NJ??? The opposition was the very thing that you joined in stifling because it might "harm Arnold" (as you stated above).

. . . now here we are with $40,000,000,000 in new corrosive debt.

Make that $83,000,000,000 including interest. And that doesn't include the other $80,000,000,000 expected to come from "other sources" that was part of the overall "Strategic" growth plan.