(California) GOP Mulls a New Face

Los Angeles Times ^ | September 9th, 2001 | Sherry Bebitch Jeffe

[StoneColdGOP]

While California Republicans were wooing Arnold Schwarzenegger in hopes he'd save their electoral bacon, they may have been flirting with the wrong actor. Make it "Leonardo DiCaprio for governor," for surely the party's latest scheme to bring it back from the near-dead is the political equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[StoneColdGOP]

Leave it to a liberal media analyst to tell us what we need to do. "GO LIBERAL!" No chance.

You can start digging a grave for Parsky's R&R Committee proposals too. I will not vote for it and I don't know anyone who is.

[ZoSo]

Bebitch. Hahaha!

[goldstategop]

Just what I mentioned about her on the other thread. Maybe we SHOULD commit political hara-kiri? Then liberals like Jeffe won't have nasty mean ol' extreme right-wing Republicans to kick around any more! ;-)

[StoneColdGOP]

I actually met her once, had a hell of a time keeping my composure and not laughing right at her.

(By the way, Jimmy Page rules!)

[Dog Gone]

I don't know what the right answer is, but if you guys out in California don't think you need a shakeup, you're going to be extinct before long.

[ZoSo]

According to people like her, we should've been gassed or something years ago...

[ZoSo]

Met her? I bet she was ugly. Nice to see another LedZep fan too.

[StoneColdGOP]

Yeah, believe me she is best kept off television and should stick to radio.

[umgud]

Short of a charismatic GOP leader for gov or senate, CA will never see GOP leadership or a majority in the state house again. The blue sector population outnumbers the red and is growing.

[Ron C.]

Brulte/Parsky/liberals re-org plan be DOA at the convention, you can bet on that.

[StoneColdGOP]

Absolutely. They can appoint an Associates "Cheering Section" as big as they want, won't do 'em no good!

I look forward to seeing you and the other good Republicans there!

[Robert_Paulson2]

I think the levee is going to break out here... sooner or later... but I think it will be a libertarian flood, not a completely republican one. Folks out here gotta get fed up with federalism/socialism first.

I often wonder what could make us tired of the nanny state, the quickest? The greenies, or the million morons? or...

California giving you a headache? Take two CD's of Buck Cherry and call me in the morning.

See ya on morpheus.

[AZPubbie]

There's not much that they can do if they want to maintain any principles at all. Los Angeles is too big and full of hard left voters. It mirrors the voting paterns nationwide that show urban residents vote Dem. I read somewhere (and no I couldn't cite it), that if you took out LA from California, Bush would have carried the state. All that Republicans should do is continue preaching the message of lower taxes, less regulation, and equal opportunity for all. If they convince people, great. If not, they lose.

What is the alternative? Moderation? Me-too Republicanism is why the GOP was the minority part in the US from 1954 to 1980. It wasn't until Reagan helped differentiate the GOP from the Democrats on ideological grounds that the GOP had anything close to majorities in Congress, or the state legislatures or Governors' mansions. Me-too Republicans don't win elections because they'll always be outbid by the democrats.

[Dog Gone]

There is an opportunity for the CA GOP to turn things around. Davis has mismanaged California and the costs are real. Perhaps they haven't really been felt yet, but the residents will be paying more for power and in taxes than they should have for years to come.

Perhaps Simon is the catalyst that can do it. It's hard for me to envision Riordan spearheading a conservative revival. But the state is in desperate need of some new leadership. It seems inconceivable to me that in a state the size of California that there isn't more talent coming up through the ranks.

I blame the CA Republican Party. They have done a crappy job, and they are resistant to changing the way the Party is run.

I'm too far from the situation to know whether the proposed changes are good or not. It's clear from the comments on this thread that this particular change will be resisted. That's fine, but SOME drastic change is needed.

Otherwise, the CA GOP will remain irrelevant.

[Aunt Polgara]

If you haven't heard yet, the CRP Convention has been postponed. Be sure to call the hotel to cancel your reservations if you were planning on attending. There is more info on the CRP website.