SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA

Post Scripts, Chico Enterprise Record ^ | Jack Lee

[OneVike]

SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
by Jack Lee

Let's face it, the Republican Party in California has tanked and they didn't get that way in just the last election. This has been a long, slow process of erosion that can be traced to a lack of... action, vision and inspired leadership. In short the Republicans whimped out and failed to live up to their own idealism and it got em tossed!

For too many years the GOP gambled that they could spend a little time doing minor tweaks on a few key issues, then spin this to the public as meaningful legislation while spending the bulk of the time in session on special interest legislation. Placating the special interests brings in the cash and this is what they thought would be enough to win elections and keep them in power forever. This was an unwritten doctrine that relied too much on campaign rhetoric and too little on decisive action while in office. This worked for a time, but you know the old adage, "You can fool some of the people, some of the time...." and eventually this political ponzi scheme failed and voters demanded retribution. The fall from grace began back with the 1992 election and the GOP in California has been losing ground ever since. Sadly, so has the State.

[OneVike]

California is so messed up, I am starting to think the only thing that will save it is a good old revolution. Wasn't it Thomas Jefferson who said,
"Every generation needs a new revolution"?

[OneVike]

OOps! I forgot the link to the whole article.

SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA

[bigbob]

Why?

[OneVike]

I am still trying to figure out how i was able to post it twice. I really thought i did not get this posted the first time because my PC shut down on me while I was working on it. So I did it again, and now I find I have it posted twice. Sorry all.

If need be you can delete one of these posts. It really will not hurt my feelings.

I will now slink away because of this error of judgment.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Once upon a time, California had a Governor named Reagan. They even had a few Republicans after him. Look at the State now. It’s a good example of what happens when you let the liberals and environmental whackos take over. They’re currently trying to do the same thing to the country.

[wny]

I didn’t know California still had a Republican party.

[BillT]

Like WA state they and we don't have a Repub party.

[beachn4fun]

California has Republican?

Whodda thunk?

(snicker)

[Grunthor]

“SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA”

Save hell. It’s already in the hole, kick some dirt in and move on.

[OneVike]

Whenever I think about the way the Republicans seem to lose ground in every election I am reminded of the term limit bill we passed in the "90"S.

When we passed the measure that term limited politicians, I was all for it. However, I have become a believer that it was the worse thing we ever did. Follow me for a moment and hopefully I will do a good job of explaining my point.

Throughout modern history every generation has become more moderate in their views then their parents and grandparents were. For years it took about twenty years for ideas we called liberal left to actually take hold of the conservatives mind set.

So using a sliding scale from extreme right to the extreme left, I see us constantly moving to the left. What we as republicans, and even some conservatives, fought against in the "60"s we fight to sustain in "2009". We have given up trying to return to the good old days, instead we hold onto things as they are and convince ourselves these are the good old days.

Now we can blame this on a lot of factors but mainly the blame lies with the education system. More recently the blame can actually be directed to the MSM and entertainment industry. The court jesters have stopped entertaining us and are now influencing our political views. (Oh for the good old days when the King killed the court jester when he wasn't funny anymore).

Then we decided that we did not like the idea of politicians who were entrenched for years while never really having any good competition to end their careers. Instead they seemed to be handing down their seats to their children in a quasi nepotism way.

So we got a great idea of term limits to stop the madness. Well the measure passed with a good sized majority of Californians voting to make it a part of the state constitution, and in time even the courts agreed it was legal and binding. Bye bye Willi Brown and others whom we disdained.

Now I look at the politicians who are replacing those who are term limited and they all seem to be getting more moderate to liberal every two years. Instead of the usual slow process of moving to the left over a 20 year period, we now move to the left faster then Hollywood does.

I think I liked the old system better where we were like frogs in a pot of water that slowly cooked us into submission. At least then we actually had a Reagen every now and then who pulled us back a bit. Now the politicians fight to see who can mover to the left faster.

Well there you are, a little of how my brain works when I think too much.

[lormand]

California - Finally a State Louisiana can make fun of

[RetiredArmy]

Save it? Fat chance. Just pack and leave. Kaliforniastan is a lost cause. Just like NY, MI, IL, Mass., WA state, Maryland, Del., RI, NJ, those are gone. To never come back. Way too many sit on their asses voting there, plus illegals.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

One story that demonstrates the enemy within the party.

My LA neighborhood near downtown has a single tiny house that had over fifty registered democrats in the summer of 1994.

Bill Jones (R) was elected our secretary of state in the election that fall.

When I complained or even simply pointed out the suspicious regisgtrations to various members of our local GOP, I was told each time that we would be labeled as racists were it investigated. As far as I know, nothing was done to investigate those registrations.

Multiply that instance by likely other instances in LA alone, and update to the last election of 2008 and one can begin to understand the threat to our votes given our even more decadent political process (open primaries and ACORN shenanigans for example).

Whatever happens, understand that our enemies will always attempt to label us negatively and at the highest volume they can muster. Bottomline, the value of our votes must be protected, and we should never allow voter fraud to go unaddressed.

[calcowgirl]

Well the California Republican Party sure needs help but the author seems pretty misguided when the one person he chooses to criticize is Tom McClintock for sending out a fundraising email. No mention of the CA GOP giving money to Arnie to support tax increases. No mention of the CA GOP not organizing to run candidates in various districts. No mention of the CA GOP supporting every big-borrowing scheme offered up over the last 5 years, causing the majority of our deficit problem today.

Most of those currently in the California legislature (there are a few exceptions like Maldonado) are doing what we want them to do. There are instances, though, when Schwarzenegger and the special interests take control and twist arms and/or offer favors to advance their special causes.

The last chairman of the CA GOP was actually pushing openly for a “purple party.” They have assisted only the most liberal of Republicans in gaining prominent positions from which to launch campaigns. Yes... common sense should be an easy sell — but no one other than those few Republican legislators that Mr. Lee is criticizing are even trying to promote it.

It’s time for Regime Change in the CA GOP party apparatus.

[OneVike]

Jack tends to lean a bit to the Libertarian view at times and does seem to pick on Republicans who are more recognizable in our local area.

I sent you a personal FreepMail by the way. Just a personal question I wanted to ask you off the record as it were.

[calcowgirl]

I also "lean a bit Libertarian" as you say Mr. Lee does but that doesn't really explain much for me.

I found the article rambling and the thoughts disconnected. He started out talking about state politics then goes off on McClintock (now a national offical) and earmarks (primarily a federal problem). Those are just examples.

I do agree strongly with this comment (although I find use of the phrase "real change" a gagger just as when Obama uses it):

"The time should be right to offer a real change, and not by out Democrating the Democrats and abandoning principles, but by simply standing up for those good principles while legislating common sense measures to correct long standing problems."

The Recall election probably got more of the electorate involved than anything since Prop 187. The message was one of common sense. And the winning message of "Clean up Sacramento" and "Cut spending" and "We are taxed too much" resonated with the majority. Since winning the election, Arnold (and the state GOP leadership) have totally abandoned those messages. Not only that, they have actually worked against those things. Basic common sense conservatism can win elections -- all we need is the will (and the dollars) to spread that message. Instead, our "leaders" choose to advocate a "purple party" and promote the "only a moderate can win" philosopy. They might as well hang a white flag outside the CRP headquarters.

[OneVike]

Good points, but even at that we have passed the point of no return in this state. It is much easier to get the losers to vote then it is to get Republicans to consistently vote.

I have more then a few problems with the CRP, but until we get the grass roots to stop picking up their balls and always going home when they don't get their way we will continue to be a state on the verge of collapse.

I like what we do here at FR. I just wish there were more conservatives engaged in the political discourse then presently are. We all can tell of stories where we bring up politics and then get shocked at the way those we consider our conservative friends react negatively to our ability to eloquently state our opinion.

It is the same with expressing ones religious belief. I personally have gotten to the point that I am fed up with most people who complain about California, but never bother to really understand the situation beyond mimicking the MSM, Hollywood, or some stupid musician.

[nufsed]

We need a conservative party in Cal. The republican party has no leadership, no role, and they vote with the democrats. Easier to throw out the baby and the bathwater and start over. I’m through and I’ll write my next check to anyone who looks conservative and can walk and chew gum.

[calcowgirl]

until we get the grass roots to stop picking up their balls and always going home when they don't get their way we will continue to be a state on the verge of collapse.

If you mean until the grass roots will go-along and vote for liberals like Richard Riordan or Rudy Giuliani, then I totally disagree. It that isn't what you mean, then I have no idea what your are talking about. The grass roots are largely conservative, imo, and only "pick up their ball and go home" when their is no reason to play.

What we need is to offer up a game where all those folks that never come to the game at all want to play. A large number of people I know are completely fed up with politicians, seeing them as just a bunch of crooks and power-hungry egomaniacs, no matter the party. These people might turn around and get involved if they believed that could change.

We all can tell of stories where we bring up politics and then get shocked at the way those we consider our conservative friends react negatively to our ability to eloquently state our opinion.

I've never had that happen -- and I'm in Los Angeles, filled with libs. Usually, they acknowledge "you've got a point -- I never thought about it that way."

[OneVike]

If you mean until the grass roots will go-along and vote for liberals like Richard Riordan or Rudy Giuliani, then I totally disagree.

I understand voting for the conservative in the primary, and doing our best to get them elected. However, for conservatives to sit on their hands pouting because our candidate did not win the primary just allows for the democrat to skate into office time and time again.

I do not buy into the idiotic theory of letting everything go to hell in a handbasket just to show the people how bad it can get. If you haven't noticed that is where we are at now with the country on the national level.

No, we need to do a better job of getting our guys elected in the primary. I was not a Rudy Giuliani supporter, but I would loved to had the chance to vote for him over the idiot in their now because I believe he would have won. But to be so mad at our candidate that we allow Obama to get elected because we hate McCain is just suicidal. That is what many republicans do and have been doing for years in California and where has it gotten us?