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Schwarzenegger Implores GOP To Follow Script of His Sequel: Court the Center
Washington Post ^ | Nov. 10, 2006 | John Pomfret

Posted on 11/10/2006 9:06:56 PM PST by FairOpinion

In his victory speech Tuesday night to a confetti-swamped crowd at the Beverly Hilton, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had a message for the rest of the Republican Party after its worst defeat in decades.

Follow "the California way," he said. "We are proving to the nation that there is another way to go, a better path to solve problems."

Schwarzenegger's landslide victory in a largely Democratic state illustrates the growing power of moderate candidates and the electoral appeal of bipartisanship, and it could contain important lessons for Republicans and Democrats as they seek to position themselves in the future, analysts and politicians said.

"If I was a Republican National Committee chair, I would hire Arnold out and teach Republicans what is necessary to put together a winning campaign," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst at the University of Southern California. "He really is the poster boy of what Republicans have denied for so long. Elections are won from the center."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: arnoldlegacy; elections; gopvictory2008; leftisnotcenter; liberals; rino; rinonator; schwarznegger
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To: Wissa

"Hopefully. The response of President Bush so far isn't giving me a lot of comfort, but maybe he's doing his strategery thing again."

I wasn't terribly inspired by his comments, either, but I'm hoping that it was all just a load for media consumption. It's just like Bush to come out with all this Polly-Anna-I-can-work-with-these-people-crap, but I don't think it will go too far. For one thing, even if he's inclined to do something stupid, they'll probably overreach and make it impossible for him.


181 posted on 11/10/2006 11:09:17 PM PST by MeanFreePath
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To: Clintonfatigued

If conservatives would have turned out and voted for Republicans, we wouldn't have to be talking about "courting the center", because Republicans would have won by a landslide. But they didn't. So if Republicans can't count on conservatives, they have to shift to the middle or accept permanent minority status.


182 posted on 11/10/2006 11:09:31 PM PST by FairOpinion (Start working on 2008 GOP win strategy NOW.)
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To: calcowgirl

Looks like the account got promoted and is now openly shilling for the Third Way, an international organization cabal that seeks to only push more socialism , it has done so much for California the last 3 years as budgets have continued to balloon without much effort at all on the Gub to slow the growth..

Progressives aka liberals aka moderates are such shameless folk.

They always claim that they are the key to success and the future hope for all and turn a mighty nice buck while doing so both for their donors and themselves.


183 posted on 11/10/2006 11:12:39 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... Cornyn / Kyl in '08)
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To: onyx
Those people who elected to stay home because they were mad, unhappy or pouting, ought to be ashamed for several reasons, but one reason stands out in my mind: People in Iraq risked their lives to vote!

Something tells me that they had a few choices rather than a corrupt "Two-Party Cartel".

184 posted on 11/10/2006 11:13:40 PM PST by Digger
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To: FairOpinion

"If conservatives would have turned out and voted for Republicans, we wouldn't have to be talking about "courting the center", because Republicans would have won by a landslide. But they didn't. So if Republicans can't count on conservatives, they have to shift to the middle or accept permanent minority status."

Uh, just because conservative turnout was low in a tough poltical year doesn't mean they won't be back in the next election. You're taking one data point and extrapolating to infinity...


185 posted on 11/10/2006 11:15:52 PM PST by MeanFreePath
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To: FairOpinion
If conservatives would have turned out and voted for Republicans, we wouldn't have to be talking about "courting the center", because Republicans would have won by a landslide. But they didn't. So if Republicans can't count on conservatives, they have to shift to the middle or accept permanent minority status.

If the abandoned wife would have turned out and taken back the unrepentant husband, he wouldn't have to be talking about "finding new tail", because he would have been able to get some at home too. But she didn't. So if adulterers can't count on complacent wives, they have to get a new one night stand or accept permanent celibate status.

186 posted on 11/10/2006 11:16:54 PM PST by LexBaird (98% satisfaction guaranteed. There's just no pleasing some people.)
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To: Digger


No sale.


187 posted on 11/10/2006 11:21:38 PM PST by onyx (I'm now a minority and victim of the democrats, but with full and free entitlements!)
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To: FairOpinion
So if Republicans can't count on conservatives, they have to shift to the middle or accept permanent minority status.

When Republicans govern as conservatives, they can count on the conservative vote. In my house district, Michele Bachmann (as conservative as anybody out there) beat Wetterling by about the same margin as Kennedy did two years ago, and he had the benefits of running as an incumbent as well as not trying to do it in a so-called democrat landslide election year.

If the party shifts to the middle they'll lose more of the conservative vote, won't pick up any liberal votes, and just have to rely on the polls telling the moderates that its a good year to vote for a Republican.

188 posted on 11/10/2006 11:22:13 PM PST by Wissa (I despise the liberal media.)
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To: FairOpinion
Well, Arnold did NOT raise taxes

I was under the impression that after being bombarded with facts that the FairOpinion account had promised to stop telling that lie.

Guess not.

A reminder that Schwarzenegger just promoted another $40B in taxes last Tuesday and when a respected Republican scolded him for his tax and spend policies, Schwarzenegger assisted his Democrat opponent in eking out a narrow victory.

The facts are that Schwarzenegger's policies, from 2004 to 2006, raised taxes at the fastest rate in the state's history and more is on the way. Undere Schwarzenegger's administration the per capita tax burden in California is the highest in it's history even without considering the effects of inflation.

No FairOpinion, Schwarzenegger has raised, is raising and has proposed even more tax raises (universal health care).

Yes FairOpinion, Schwarzenegger does lie about his accomplishments to provide his shills a basis for their lies but the facts don't support Schwarzenegger or his shills. Schwarzenegger policies simply promote and create large tax increases. From Prop 49, to the stem cell debacle, to his current proposal to provide free health care to Mexico's poor, Schwarzenegger is constantly increasing the need for more tax revenue. Those are taxes you know.

189 posted on 11/10/2006 11:23:03 PM PST by Amerigomag (Don't blame me. I don't vote for liberals.)
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To: FairOpinion
If conservatives would have turned out and voted for Republicans, we wouldn't have to be talking about "courting the center"...

This is at least the second time you have posted this. In viewing the available voting statistics for California, it is evident that Republicans turned out in lower-than-average number and Democrats turned out in higher-than-average number. There is ZERO support for your contention that those Republicans that did not vote were Conservative.

I must say you are consistent in your attacks... always blame it on the voters... and always blame it on Conservative voters.

Never, never ask why people might not have voted. Always support Arnold as the good Republican, no matter how left he goes. And never question the message of The Minister of Information:

"What we saw and felt is that this is not the year you get a bunch of Republicans holding hands on the stage saying, vote for us, we're Republicans, we're a team. Part of Gov. Schwarzenegger's appeal is that he's not part of that team."

190 posted on 11/10/2006 11:27:05 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Wissa

"If the party shifts to the middle they'll lose more of the conservative vote"

Which "conservative vote" -- the vote of those who stay home and promise to vote next time, IF Republicans will do exactly as they demand, or else, but stay home at every election? Or the vote of those who are so conservatives that they get out and vote for Perot or Buchanan, handing victory to the Dems?


191 posted on 11/10/2006 11:27:14 PM PST by FairOpinion (Start working on 2008 GOP win strategy NOW.)
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To: NormsRevenge

The Cult of Schwarzenegger (CoS) lives on.

Kinda catchy acronym... it also works for the Church of Scientology, lol.


192 posted on 11/10/2006 11:28:20 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Amerigomag
A reminder that Schwarzenegger just promoted another $40B in taxes last Tuesday and when a respected Republican scolded him for his tax and spend policies

Actually, that's just the spending. The taxes it will take to pay off that debt and the interest will be tens of billions more on top of that.

193 posted on 11/10/2006 11:28:26 PM PST by Mojave
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To: calcowgirl

Some 31 million Democrats turned out and only 25 million Republicans turned out.

I guess facts really bother you, they interfere with your propaganda.


194 posted on 11/10/2006 11:28:30 PM PST by FairOpinion (Start working on 2008 GOP win strategy NOW.)
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To: calcowgirl
There is ZERO support for your contention that those Republicans that did not vote were Conservative.

Ah, but if you tell a lie often enough...

195 posted on 11/10/2006 11:29:29 PM PST by Mojave
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To: FairOpinion

"Which 'conservative vote' ?"

The conservative vote which held the house for the last 12 years and elected Bush the last two times. That conservative vote...


196 posted on 11/10/2006 11:30:14 PM PST by MeanFreePath
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To: Publius

Lieberman is 'center-right'? Your opinions are too infantile to discuss.

Arnold took a beating in the propositions, and since then has governed as a liberal democrat. He has expanded the state government and violated every conservative principle.

If the republicans followed your advice, I'd never vote republican again.

In spite of what you say, Pelosi didn't win. She couldn't even be found in the days running up to the election.

Left-leaning independents showed up to vote, motivated by the war in Iraq and the perception of corruption. Right leaning independents didn't show up because republicans did nothing to motivate them. As a result, democrats won about 51% of the turn out.


197 posted on 11/10/2006 11:30:24 PM PST by Mr Rogers (I'm agnostic on evolution, but sit ups are from Hell!)
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To: Mojave; All
Religious right desert Bush

"A PORTION of the religious right, usually a bedrock for US President George W. Bush, defected to the Democratic Party in this week's legislative elections following sex scandals and complaints the Republicans were taking them for granted.

White Christian evangelicals remain overwhelmingly Republican, but about 30 per cent opted to vote for Democrats on Tuesday, an increase of six to 10 percentage points compared to previous elections, according to exit polls published in the US media"

Among Roman Catholics, already less inclined to lean right compared to evangelicals, Democrats won 54 per cent support in the pivotal state of Ohio, compared to just 32 per cent in the presidential contest two years earlier.

=====

As I said, conservatives stayed home, even voted for the Dems, so Republicans need to shift to the center and capture those votes.

198 posted on 11/10/2006 11:34:01 PM PST by FairOpinion (Start working on 2008 GOP win strategy NOW.)
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To: MeanFreePath
The conservative vote which held the house for the last 12 years and elected Bush the last two times.


199 posted on 11/10/2006 11:34:26 PM PST by Mojave
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To: FairOpinion
If conservatives would have turned out and voted for Republicans,

The lies are just flying tonight.

The FairOpinion account has no idea how many turned out to vote because the ballots aren't yet fully counted.

The FairOpinion account has no idea how many Republicans and how many Democrats voted Tuesday because that information isn't ever published by the CSS.

The FairOpinion account has no idea whether those who voted were conservative, moderate or liberal in their political leanings.

This forum was subjected to those same lies during the November election last year and the FairOpinion account was hooted off the stage.

Hoot!

200 posted on 11/10/2006 11:35:18 PM PST by Amerigomag (Don't blame me. I don't vote for liberals.)
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