Posted on 06/30/2008 8:57:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Tom McClintock are California's best-known Republicans.
McClintock is the quintessential Republican candidate for statewide office. He is a middle-aged, upper-middle-class, white, male career politician. He currently serves as state senator for the 19th District, where he hasn't lived in years, and is running for Congress in the 4th District, where he not only doesn't live, but can't even vote.
McClintock is completely inflexible and incapable of compromise, and as a result, receives little to no Republican support in Sacramento. He regularly gets beaten in statewide elections, having lost races for state controller, lieutenant governor and governor.
Schwarzenegger, while meeting the current Republican mandatory minimum, white and male, is a bit of a wild card and - shunned by many in his party, including most Sacramento Republicans, because of his willingness to compromise on issues both fiscal (currently entertaining the idea of tax increases) and social (withdrawing his opposition to same-sex marriages) - was only elected to office because the 2003 recall of ex-Gov.Gray Davis went straight to a general election without having to go through a Republican primary.
Since 1994, Republicans have won only four of 24 elections for statewide office. With the possible exception of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (wealthy, white and male) they do not have a legitimate, recognized candidate ready to run for statewide office in 2010. Republicans represent only 33 percent of the state's registered voters, and that number is dropping quickly.
In a state with a huge and growing Latino population (think Fabian Nuñ ez and Antonio Villaraigosa) and two women senators (Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer), can you name a single prominent female or Latino Republican? If you think that's tough, how about naming a well-known gay Republican?
Tired of losing, former state GOP Chairman Duf Sundheim, along with other prominent party moderates, has recently formed California Republicans Aligned for Tomorrow.
Sundheim and co-founders including former Gov. Pete Wilson would like to see moderate (i.e., viable) Republicans run for U.S. senator, governor and other statewide offices.
Sundheim knows that California is becoming more liberal, the Latino population is growing, women are playing a larger role, and the only "party" showing any significant growth is "Decline To State." Ignoring or denying these realities has proven to be a recipe for failure for the Republican Party.
Said Sundheim, "Our mission statement is to identify and encourage Republicans who would do a great job if elected." When asked about women, independents and Latinos, Sundheim said, "The best-quality candidates would reflect the state's diversity."
In addition to Sundheim and Wilson, the group has the support of Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, Senate Republican Leader Dave Codgill and Sundheim's replacement as state GOP chairman, Ron Nehring. If CRAFT does what it says it will, it could bring the Republican Party back to life in California.
CRAFT has taken two steps in that direction in recent weeks. First, Wilson publicly blasted McClintock, saying, "He was always the first to criticize, but the last to help his own team."
This rare intraparty attack is a clear sign that change is coming.
The second is the frequency with which we are hearing the name Whitman as a potential Republican candidate for governor in two years. Whitman is a wealthy, white, Silicon Valley CEO. The change? Whitman's first name is Meg, and she is a woman.
heh heh .. CRAFT Ping
Beavus and Butthead have a better shot at “saving” the GoP in California.
Sundheim knows that California is becoming more liberal, the Latino population is growing, women are playing a larger role, and the only “party” showing any significant growth is “Decline To State.” Ignoring or denying these realities has proven to be a recipe for failure for the Republican Party.
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a “crafty” analysis or so much dung?
what a bunch of wimps at the Country Club 19th Hole Lounge.. trashing Tom was a real nice touch too.
It's the old voting the wallet folks.
As far as coming up with liberal Republican candidates? I say no.
McClintock types are the better way to go. The problem with THE T McClintock is his personality isn't likable and every politician needs to be liked.
With McClintock it isn't his message, but the messenger that is the problem.
Republicans need to develop better candidates who will of course need to educate the public with their runs for office.
We have so many stuck on the government nipple sucking real workers dry in this state, that it will be a very hard thing to change.
I’d love to move back to ca with all the great real estate deals. But I won’t because it is a dying State soon to be inhabited by the super rich and the mega poor. Let them have it. Let’s really see what a liberal “Utopia” looks like.
So, blasting the most popular Republican is a way to bring the Party back to life?
It's TIME for Pete Wilson to RETIRE and Duf Sundheim to take this garbage back to Chicago!
Lots of good values right now.. It’s real smoky tho ,, bring a mask or two. and a shovel for all the liberal bs.;-)
McClintock’s unpopularity in California is an indictment of the state, not McClintock. (from a Californian)
BTTT
With McClintock it isn’t his message, but the messenger that is the problem.
***Bull Shiite. Just one look at the article proves it is is his MESSAGE:
McClintock is completely inflexible and incapable of compromise, ....
Schwarzenegger... shunned by many in his party, because of his willingness to compromise on issues both fiscal (currently entertaining the idea of tax increases) and social (withdrawing his opposition to same-sex marriages) -
TWirPs. They embrace the middle and seek a blending of corporate and gubamint working together for the common good.
They and operatives here over the years fail to see how they are as much responsible for precipitating the electoral debacle the last few elections as anyone and the resultant explosion in state spending.
They willfully kicked a solid base in the head so many times, they expect to be able to continue to do so.
The Ca GoP is in the predicament it is in due to the leadership or lack thereof and has sought to go out of its way to alienate the base whenever and however it can.
Whitman? Why? She can maybe setup a surplus state land and property selloff web site like ebay, but what else?
aRnold has shown he was way in over his head from the gitgo, hell, put Ray Haynes up in 2010, poizner? not my first choice
What a bunch of horse manure! The description here of the "quintessential Republican" can be applied to every congress-critter from Massachusetts as well as most of the DEMOCRATIC congress-critters from California (well, the "male" part might not apply to Feinstein. Boxer and Pelosi I'm not too sure about!)
And how would this bozo classify Atty. Gen. Moonbeam, formerly Governor Moonbeam, formerly Oakland Mayor Moonbeam, etc., etc.?
save the Californian republican Party? Yes, announce you want OFFSHORE DRILLING and Nuclear Power in California!
There, finished the thought for you.
Compromise my butt, the RINOs have led the charge to spend this state into bankruptcy. The only difference between them and the Slave Party is that they don't want to pay for it.
Hence our current debt position.
McClintock is only "unpopular" with the big-spending, big-government, power-hungry Republican operatives who want to use government and the CA GOP to advance their own "moderate" agenda and enhance their own personal wealth. He is, in fact, very popular with those who fight for smaller government and the rule of law. If the Wilsonegger crowd wasn't stabbing him in the back the past few elections, he would have had a few state-wide offices to add to his resume.
Despite these Benedict-Arnold-Republicans, Tom is still considered the most popular Republican in the State. What does that tell ya?
He actually is like a parent here in California, telling the kiddies to stop spending and pandering to criminal illegals...the soft, Liberal crowd hate order and logic, that’s why he isn’t liked.
Arnold is a fool.
You can buy our house, we are leaving.
This state sucks.
I know, I know...sun and fun...but illegal gangbangers now set up on the beach and you are taxed at 10% at the state level.
Pete Wilson should be run out of the party!
I’ve hated that socialist,no philoasophy, POS since 1964, the first of 18 years I spent on the RSCC.
He’s the only reason that Arnie the Commie, Nazi, Austrian is governer instead pf Tom!
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