Nick Jesson - Best conservative candidate
Bill Simon - More of a moderate Republican than a conservative
Reardon - Might just as well be a Democrat
Primaries are the time when candidates are selected for the November runoff. If we only vote for candidates based on whether we think they will win or not, we silence the views that are most important to us. If we silence the views that are most important to us, WE WILL NEVER ADVANCE THOSE VIEWS INTO THE MAINSTREAM. If we never advance those views into the mainstream, we will never influence our society to recognize and adopt those views. THUS WE WILL HAVE GUARANTEED THAT CONSERVATISM WILL DIE. If you will think about past elections, both local and federal, you will note that true conservatism is seldom advanced on the state or national levels. And on this forum we lament that reality.
Some of us who lament this reality are tired of watching issues go unaddressed. But what to do? The majority of the loud mouthed people state that it is important to take the office. But they don't seem to understand that taking the office isn't the goal. The goal is to affect change. And if the people we put into office can't even acknowledge the problems, how are they going to affect a change?
We can vote for Reardon and guarantee Gray Davis' policies are continued in perpetuity. No moderate or conservative views will be addressed for at least four years.
We can vote in Bill Simon and guarantee that a few of Davis polices are addressed, but the majority will never face a challenge.
We can vote in Nick Jesson and realize that every Davis policy will be challenged from day one.
Some will say that Jesson has no chance. My thought on this is that they may be right. Perhaps only new ideas will be presented on the public stage. It's my take that those new ideas are important enough to be raised on the public stage.
The worst that could happen is that the Democrat candidate would win. Thus Davis policies would continue. With Reardon you'd have the same identicl situation. With Simon you'd have only a few of Davis policies challenged. But should the public realize Jesson's worth, you could win the whole ball of wax.
The Democrats don't vote in men based on who they think can win. They vote in the man that best represents their views. And when they win, they move government in their direction. This is something Republicans have lost sight of for more than a decade. And that's why this nation is in danger of handing over it's sovereignty to foreign entities.
Wake up Republicans. If you don't chose actual conservatism, you chose only to tread water for four years, then accept it when Democrats eventually swim in the opposite direction of your goals when they come to office. You will never advance conservatism in the long run. You will simply guarantee that conservatism dies a very painful death.
You will have to determine what is best for you. I'll be voting for Jesson. He may not be pefect or electable, but there are positive aspects of his being the Republican candidate win or lose, that far outweigh all of the alternatives as I see them.
We must get over the fear of losing an election or two. Only by refusing to adopt the moderate leftists presented by the Republican party will we force them to move in our direction. And once our views are presented for a few elections will people begin to understand how much better those policies are.
Folks, when we place Al D'Amatos, Trent Lotts, Bob Doles, and Orin Hatches into office, these are not victories. Be patient. Stick to quality men. Stand beside them and they will gain traction. Of course that depends on whether you truly want conservatism or not. Perhaps some of us don't.
Look I'm sorry your candidate has cast himself into the kook fringe, but that's his fault not ours.
Please don't offend your fellow freepers by suggesting that a prolife, anti tax, pro 2nd Amendment candidate is a "moderate". The California Prolife Council, The NRA, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association know what they are talking about. So do:
Bruce Herschensohn William F. Buckley, Jr. R. Emmett Tyrrell Jeanne Kirkpatrick Paul Weyrich Jack Kemp Milton Friedman California Republican Assembly California College Republicans National Republican Liberty Caucus California Pro-Life Council John Herrington, Former Chairman, California Republican Party Mike Schroeder, Former Chairman, California Republican Party John McGraw, Former Chairman, California Republican Party Curt Pringle, Former Speaker, California State Assembly State Assemblyman John Campbell State Assemblyman Tony Strickland State Assemblyman Jay La Suer State Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy State Senator Rico Oller
to name a few. These are NOT people who endorse moderates. If the conservative leaders of this nation say Bill Simon is a conservative, then he pretty much is that.