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 ...
Ok....I have a question.
What would a "center-right" platform be? And is there any particular "center-right" politician in office, now? I think I might agree with you, but I'm really not sure.
"The majority of America is not as wacked-out as California."
How can you say this with a straight face after the Republican losses a couple of days ago?
Selling your soul for short-term gain is not new.
Republicans may not like the message, but you can't argue with victory.
If victory is all you care about, that's a great strategy. Arnold won by fifteen percentage points, but he didn't give a rat's about his Republican mate in the LG race, did he? Schwarzenkennedy did what he's done before each of his campaigns -- he gives a red meat liberal-trashing speech at the CRP convention, and sucks up to liberals the remainder of the time, holding conservatives at arm's length.
Arnold is for Arnold; the GOP is just a vehicle for him. Over two years he transformed from a moderate Republican into a fat-government Al Gore liberal. He's the poster child for the "not a dime's worth of difference" skeptics. And he wouldn't have won if he didn't have his own money and star power greater than any politician in America short of Bill Clinton.
Tom McClintock lost to John Garamendi by just over four percentage points and less than 300,000 votes. Before you start with the "McClintock's too extreme!" crap, let me ask you who you think got more votes -- Angelides, or McClintock?
Too bad McClintock doesn't have suitcases full of cash to lend himself like R-nold. The GOP in the state of California and the RNC alike have never given McClintock the chance he deserves -- they're too busy boosting the likes of self-described RINO Richard Riordan and Lincoln Chafee, who we know now had been itching to bolt the party. Now, he may just do that to save his career. He doesn't have conservative bonafides or intellectual honesty either.
With all due respect, California is not like other states in the union. The only way a republican can win a governorship in that state is to be a moderate at the very least (or stand next to an idiot like Gray Davis). California politics is not even close to being a national template for republicans.
God help us.
Hello! Bill Clinton won with a pathetic 42% of the vote because he had H. Ross Perot siphon off a big chunk of the Republican Vote!!!!! Take away H. Ross Perot and his attack from the fiscal right, and George H.W. Bush would have won!
This value voter voted Republican.
Well, Arnold cared enough to publicly attack Tom right before the election.
The problem wasn't Ross Perot, the problem was all the so-called conservatives who voted for him, to punish Bush. Result: Bill Clinton for 8 years and launching pad for President Hillary.
A casual look at FO's posting will show FO doesn't believe in that. FO thinks we should abandon principles to benefit the Party. Just win, baby.
You think the majority of California reflects or parallels the majority of America? You're not very astute. California has turned into a hard-left state. I dare say that Republicans did better in races for congress than the GOP did in races for the California Legislature, and has a better chance winning back congress in '08 than the GOP has in winning the legislature in '08.
Among Democrats, I view Lieberman, Nelson of Nebraska, Boren of Oklahoma and whole slew of Blue Dogs as center-right. Even Webb of Virginia may end up fitting this position.
My hope is that Comrade Pelosi will so antagonize the non-Mooonbat Left of her party that some of these Democrats will either change party or form a coalition in the House and Senate with Republicans so as to strip Comrades Pelosi and Reid of their leadership slots.
Well, yeah, but he's winning victories for left wing causes. And isn't that all that matters?
The response was as intelligent as the article it was answering. And if you buy what F.O.'s selling, you're the one who's fit for DU.
Centrists Deliver For the Democrats
Conservatives don't turn out, and election is decided by the moderates who do turn out.
Conservatives seem to still refuse to learn the lessons of history and are on their way to elect President Hillary in 2008, to go with the Dem House and Senate.
Anybody remember that quote from the Bible where Jesus says something about "spitting out that which is neither hot nor cold"? Something like that? Thanks.
So now you want us to become like Bill Clinton? Just go away.
Yep. Arnold Delivers For the Democrats.
Pelosi won because she is in the safest district in the USA for moonbats. Her constituents protest her for being too conservative. How do you propose Republicans change that? Pray for San Francisco to sink into the Pacific?
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