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Reading through 138 replies isn't an easy task, but the time and effort was well worth it.

First and foremost, none of this matters if Gray isn't recalled. This is no slam dunk, if Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cruz Bustamonte get into a slugging match trying to garner one side of the voters or the other, the general population will just vote to keep Davis. The old line 'Better the Devil you know...' is something that is always alive in American politics.

Something that has not really come up is that Schwarzengger knows that he doesn't know everything. That's why he's got Pete Wilson helping running the campaign, people like Richard Riordan giving advice.. He won't run the office, it will be the people he brings along that will.

As for his positions on some issues, IE gun control, gays, abortion - The governor of California has very little say in these matters. He might sign legislation that will be in opposition to the standard Republican view on these issues, but even with Democrat governors, there has been limited movement on these issues in recent years.

Reading what little is out there, Schwarzenegger's comments on gun control, for example, matches the party line on many points: Keeping guns out of the hands of convicted criminals, enforcing the existing laws, and cutting down on gun theft.

Yes, McClintock, Simon or even Huffington might better reflect the views of the core party, but if any of those win it will be by a small minority of voters, putting a weak governor in place, ready for another recall, or worse, locking up Sacramento even worse.

I'm full bore supporting Schwarzenegger because he has the best chance of getting people out to the polls and voting for him. I'm supporting him because I want a Republican, even if in name only, in that office bringing more Republicans with him. And I'm supporting him because he has the best chance of exceeding 50 percent of the vote with everyone supporting him, scaring the RATS in Sacramento who will be facing an election all too soon.

And to top all of that, if the Republican vote gets too scattered, Gov. Cruz Bustamonte will sail in and all the party hacks will get their hooks into him.

Bumping your #140!

When it comes to electoral politics, seminar notes in political theory are next to useless.

'Useless' would be just wishing a majority of voters agreed with you on your core principles.

For one's Party to take the highest elected position in a state dominated by your opponents is a coup. To disdain this victory on the basis of true-believer pamphlet wisdom is beyond stupid - it reaches all the way to self-destruction.

The Dems must be defeated. Their fingers must be pried off the levers of government, at the State level as well as the Federal level.

Nothing else trumps this point for the next few years, imo.