Posted on 12/04/2006 12:07:06 PM PST by calcowgirl
I have enjoyed reading articles about the election, some of which I agree with, others I do not. But as Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." And the fact is the California Republican Party is much stronger today than it was three years ago.
In 2002, a Republican "red tide" did not stop California Democrats from winning every statewide office. Pundits, Republican and Democrat, said Republicans could not win in this "bluest of blue states." Just four years later, in the worst year for Republicans nationally since 1974, those same California voters overwhelmingly re-elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and elected Steve Poizner as insurance commissioner by a double-digit margin.
In a year when Republicans lost seats in statehouses throughout the country, in California, Republicans defended all of their seats, including four originally drawn for Democrats. We held back every effort to raise taxes with the defeat of Propositions 86 through 89.
It was amusing to read in some articles these victories were preordained. The fact is, just one year ago, articles and polls indicated the victories we achieved were far from assured. And it is more than ironic that many who even this year were saying death and destruction awaited the governor and the Republican Party in November are the same people who are now claiming our successes were "in the stars and not of ourselves."
Can Republicans win solely by appealing to our base? Of course not. Neither party can. Are there things we need to do better? Absolutely, and an extensive review of our program is under way. But the work we have done these three years enabled us to prevail against a strong national tide that would have swamped lesser candidates and campaigns.
In 2002, the Democrat Party made history. It was the first time since 1882 that it carried all constitutional offices. At the same time, on the Republican side, due to finger pointing, internal disputes and mounting debt, the California Republican Party was in complete disarray.
Since 2002, the change has been dramatic and deep. In 2002, neither Schwarzenegger nor Poizner had ever held elective office. Now they are our two highest-ranking Republicans. In the last three years, the party raised more than $100 million, an unprecedented figure, and narrowed the registration gap to the narrowest it has been in 70 years.
In 2006, the CRP had more than 60 staff members and recruited tens of thousands of volunteers from every community in the state. It is no coincidence that in 2006 the governor had no gender gap, received 57 percent of the Asian vote, 39 percent of the Hispanic vote and 27 percent of the black vote.
Volunteers made 4.9 million calls, more than 10 times the number of calls made by the California Democrat Party. The party paid for an additional 12 million GOTV calls and sent 10.3 million pieces of direct mail.
The absentee program was especially successful. Republican absentee votes exceeded registration by 13 percent, a record. Yet, our performance in this area was overwhelmed by the Democratic surge that occurred when Democrats realized they could win Congress. For example, among those who voted by Nov. 2, Schwarzenegger was ahead by 33 percent; lieutenant governor candidate Tom McClintock and Secretary of State incumbent Bruce McPherson by at least 6 percent. Of those who voted on Election Day, Schwarzenegger won by only 2 percent, McClintock and McPherson lost by at least 12 percent. The national tide was just too strong.
We are not blind to the challenges ahead. However, we have been here before and not only survived, but thrived. In the early 1960s, the CRP was dysfunctional. Then in 1966, we elected Ronald Reagan, a former Democrat, who said upon being elected governor: "We have not won a war or even complete victory in battle. We stopped our opponent's advance and halted our own retreat. We cannot hold the present gains unless we move forward."
That is where the California Republican Party is today — moving forward to win elections in California. The 2006 campaign was a major step in that direction.
— Duf Sundheim is chairman of the California Republican Party.
As far as these creeps are concerned, it's an advanced state of decline.
Duf Duf Duf Duf Duf Duf Duf... Goose !
Perfect!!! (but very sad!)
Welcome to the "Gelded Age!" (in America, generally, but especially in CA!!!)
What a pair of losers.
The Baghdad Duf picture sums it up perfectly!
A RINO *&* Insurance Commissioner.
Man, it must feel GREAT to live as a conservative in California!!
...& finally be a *winner*.
Historical revisionism by Duf. The RINOs hated Reagan and supported his opponent Christopher George.
That's news to me.
Duf must have an active fantasy life. 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.