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CA: The Myth Of the Conservative State GOP
FlashReport ^ | 2/14/08 | Mike Spence

Posted on 02/14/2008 9:58:36 AM PST by NormsRevenge

LOL. There was another article this weekend about big donor GOP liberals worried that the party was too right wing and demanding changes in the structure etc....

This story comes around every so often, usually because someone is trying to benefit financially or politically from the effort. Sometimes both.

These articles always make me laugh. Why? Because it is all fantasy. The State GOP central Committee is not controlled by conservatives and hasn't been for the over 15 years I've been an actual member.

I should point out I've been a member of the Executive Committee of the CRP for over 15 years and served on the Board of Directors from 1993-1999. I have chaired committees including initiatives and been a member of the Rules committee and I am dead on positive Conservatives have never really controlled the party. I think I would have known if they (we) did.

So who really controls the party? Let me explain.

Back in the late 1980's at a conference Paul Weyrich, founder of the Heritage Foundation and Free Congress Foundation gave a speech. I don't remember what was said except this idea. The Republican Party is the Monarchy Party. We always rally around the King no matter how bad or good he is.

The King controls power and more importantly the purse. That is his strength.

Who controls the Party? Who is the King?

Back in the early 1990's Pete Wilson was King. There is no doubt there were occasional rebellions by the peasants against him and few conservative things were actually done. The most notable in my mind was allocating money to qualify Prop. 187 over the objections of Wilson hands on the Executive Committee. This of course was partially responsible for our gains in 1994.

During the 1990's when I was on the board, we had mostly CRA members on the board and even had one as President. What radical conservative thing happened? I was at a convention where the CRP Chairman and former CRA President joined with Wilson operatives to deny delegates a chance to talk about Supreme Court Judges that threw out the State's Parental Consent Law.

Since that time the King has changed by the results are the same, in fact there are fewer rebellions and more tribute. When George Bush was King, his people pushed through the "Parsky" reforms that "professionalized" the party. That clearly has paid off right???

During that time the "conservative" Chairman was pushing Riodan for Governor. Supposedly conservative chairmen have appointed many gays and lesbians to top party positions.

Since, the Governor became King what conservative thing has the party done? Endorsed bonds, spent money on bond measures we didn't endorse, refused to endorse a balanced budget, and went needlessly in debt for his re-election. There is nothing that if the Governor really wants he couldn't get. Nothing. Ron Nehring may be a conservative, but he was acceptable to Arnold or he wouldn't be there.

That doesn't mean there aren't important things that can get done. The Platform, occasional initiative endorsements, some policy ideas, an occasional rule change and other things that Conservatives can get. A few of us get put on committees that are usually stacked against us but we can stop a few things on the margins. But on the big stuff make no mistake, The King wins.

The New king will be John McCain. Watch for what he (his people) want and he will get it.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: cagop; california; conservative; myth; parsky; petewilson; rinos; stategop

1 posted on 02/14/2008 9:58:38 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: calcowgirl

Spence is dead on.


2 posted on 02/14/2008 10:02:06 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the politics in politics.)
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To: calcowgirl
The New king will be John McCain. Watch for what he (his people) want and he will get it.

Bill Jones is going to be his "Parsky" so watch as we become the ethanol party.

3 posted on 02/14/2008 10:03:57 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of all the politics in politics.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I blame Arnold and his gang.


4 posted on 02/14/2008 10:04:03 AM PST by darkangel82 (If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. (Say no to RINOs))
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To: NormsRevenge

Thanks for posting this. It is time the liberal party crashers were kicked out of the GOP. It’s gotta start somewhere, and it sure as hell isn’t going to start if we keep rewarding the liberal RINOs with our votes.


5 posted on 02/14/2008 10:21:09 AM PST by Digital Sniper (Hello, "Undocumented Immigrant." I'm an "Undocumented Border Patrol Agent.")
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To: NormsRevenge; ElkGroveDan
We always rally around the King no matter how bad or good he is.

And therein lies the problem.

The New king will be John McCain. Watch for what he (his people) want and he will get it.

Will he still be King if he gets slaughtered in the General Election?

6 posted on 02/14/2008 10:43:31 AM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: ElkGroveDan
Bill Jones is going to be his "Parsky" so watch as we become the ethanol party.

Oh, g-r-r-r-r-e-a-t. :-(

Parsky has been a McCain advisor since early on.

7 posted on 02/14/2008 10:45:26 AM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: NormsRevenge
State party organizations themselves aren't conservative or liberal. They are merely apparatti. It is the same for the national party

Conservative or liberal policies always originate from candidates who win the nominations. And those nominations are usually determined by those who show up - either in primaries or at conventions/caucuses.

8 posted on 02/14/2008 11:18:09 AM PST by mbraynard (You are the Republican Party.)
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To: djreece

marking


9 posted on 02/14/2008 11:20:38 AM PST by djreece ("... Until He leads justice to victory." Matt. 12:20)
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To: Avoiding_Sulla
You might find this useful.
10 posted on 02/14/2008 11:26:20 AM PST by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser, fashionable fascism one charade at a time.)
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To: NormsRevenge

So will the state go bankrupt on Arnold’s watch?

That’ll be great for the GOP in California. /s


11 posted on 02/14/2008 11:34:19 AM PST by Rockitz (This isn't rocket science- Follow the money and you'll find the truth.)
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To: calcowgirl
Parsky has been a McCain advisor since early on.

Great, one more reason not to vote for McCain.

Juan Hernandez and Parsky, - what a tag team.

12 posted on 02/14/2008 11:56:08 AM PST by Cyropaedia ("Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principal of evil...".)
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