Coming: The Rise Of The "Arnold" Democrats

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 8/10/03 | Tony Quinn

[goldstategop]

The newly emerging Arnold Democrat is as socially liberal to libertarian as the Reagan Democrat was socially conservative. He or she may well be an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. But one thing seems certain: The Arnold Democrat poses every bit as much of a threat to the California Democratic Party as the Reagan Democrat did decades ago.

[goldstategop]

According to Tony Quinn, the "Arnold" Democrat will likely be an immigrant and be socially liberal to libertarian. No, its not your fathers' Reagan Democrats but the California Democratic Party meets a new breed of voter that could spell the end of Democratic one party hegemony in California. As conservatives we may not like the kinds of voters Arnold attracts to our party but we can't win if we remain a party of true believers. We have to become a "big tent" party and allow people who don't always agree with social conservatives to help put government in its place and that means letting individuals do more. Its not really so much as conceding a conservative message as its expanding its appeal to people who aren't attracted to it. Rome wasn't built in a day and the Arnold Democrats could help the GOP break out of its political irrelevance and become a majority party. Its an exciting opportunity: the only real question is are we willing to take advantage of it? Sure, its a risk, but nothing ventured, nothing gained will lead us nowhere in Californis. Its time for a change!

[lainde]

Fascinating article! BTTT

[ambrose]

[ambrose]

what is Ahnold going to do about the illegal aliens? will he give them drivers licenses?

[goldstategop]

Gray Davis has already done that.

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe !

[Mr. Mojo]

Arnold is going to win, with or without McClintock and Simon dropping out. ....And they will eventually drop out, making Arnold's victory that much more decisive.

[MeekOneGOP]

[Chancellor Palpatine]

What did you delude yourself into thinking would happen? There are 1.5 million more Democrats in your state than Republicans (which is augmented by 150,000 Greenies), and a huge lump (over 2 million) of Independents.

Did you actually think that the Democrats would roll over?

Do the math.

Not only do you have to convince Democrats to get rid of their own guy, you have to offer up somebody who excites that mass of fence sitting Independents, and you have to gank enough Democrat votes to put yours in. Bill Simon isn't going to do it at 7 points, Tom McClintock isn't going to do it at 9 points, and Arnold's 25 points only go with him - if he is out of the picture, they go back into the overall pot, and only about half of them migrate to a candidate he endorses. That is the reality of it, yet you seem to have this fairyland vision that somehow, many of those Democrats and all those Independents are going to magically transform and vote for a "true conservative" Republican.

[ambrose]

And your point is?

Why should we support Arnold? One reason why.

The "R" next to his name isn't good enough.

[ambrose]

I also love how so many of you jump up a single poll result of 500 registered voters as the final determination of an election. Pathetic. This is Clinton "stick the finger to the wind" politics at the very least. It is why so many have become cynical and apathetic.

It is all just a big joke and game for many, about whose team "wins" or "loses"...

[b9]

Can you possibly post the whole article? For some reason that link won't work. Sounds interesting.
Thanks.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

If neither McClintock nor Simon drop out and Arnold manages to win despite that, the "true conservatives" will find themselves out in the cold like never before, and that will ripple across the nation. Count on it.

Once it becomes apparent what those people and their agenda do in elections, their agendae will be jettisoned, their concerns will be swept aside, and their blandishments for public policy laughed at and criticised on unprecedented levels in the next few years.

[Mr. Mojo]

Two reasons:

1) He's better than the only other candidate (Bustamante) who has a chance of winning.

2) If he wins and remains popular he'll force the Rats to spend a lot of money in '04 attempting to win a state that they've taken for granted for quite some time. Arnold could very well be the decisive factor in swinging the largest block of electoral votes to GWB.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

My point is that the intent of the recall was to actually accomplish something other than putting Cruz Bustamonte or Garamendi in the governor's mansion - it was supposed to be about putting your economy and fiscal policies back on track.

In order to do that, a Republican has to win the election - even one which does not meet 100% of your personal, uncompromising expectations.

[ambrose]

1) He's better than the only other candidate (Bustamante) who has a chance of winning. 2) If he wins and remains popular he'll force the Rats to spend a lot of money in '04 attempting to win a state that they've taken for granted for quite some time. Arnold could very well be the decisive factor in swinging the largest block of electoral votes to GWB.

I see you're not from California... So you really could care less about policy in California. You just want to make it easier for "W" to win in California.

Well for those of us who live here... policy makes a great deal of difference. Our state is being overrun with illegal aliens, and the middle class have been fleeing in droves. We need someone who will do something about these issues.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Polling is what it is - a picture of what voters will do at a given window in time. The science has advanced pretty well, and I've been impressed with how close they've come to actual results over the past few years on smaller samples.

Could the results change as the election gets closer? Absolutely - but that doesn't disparage the validity of what it says right now, nor does it give any particular hope for the distant 2nd and third place GOP cnadidates.

[Taiwan Bocks]

I don't want to be an anti-Arnold Republican.

But I am 100% anti baby murdering for cash,

I am 100% anti homo's adopting babies,

And I think one of the most honorable things Republicans can take responsibility for is the impeachment of Clinton. How the heck can Arnold say he's Republican?

Arnold should have to answer for his stances, with the understanding that millions of Republicans are sick of RINO's and liberals claiming to be GOP.

Yeah, we might vote for him still, but he better answer and he better change! His stance or his party, his pick.

[Mr. Mojo]

I was born and raised in CA, and continue to live there 5 months out of the year. So I do indeed care. And believe me, I share your concerns about illegal aliens. I'd rather have McClintock in there any day, but the hard reality is that he has not a chance in hell of winning. Arnold, Rino that he is, is at least a fiscal conservative who can at least help to get CA back on track economically.

[HitmanLV]

Well said - I think the 'harcore conservative' crowd is mistaking these events for a groundswell of conservative fervor. It isn't.

I honestly think some people in that camp has a mental problem - they rather hurt their chances of winning than actually be in a position to be effective. This 'terminal loser' mindset isn't helpful.

The fact is that a conservative can not win a statewide election in California in 2003. Sorry - it isn't going to happen. the goal is to create an environment where we can effect good incremental change now and build to a time (2013? 2023?) where a conservative can win.

It's the plan the left used to beat us all over the fruited plain. We must now use it against them.

Anything else resolves our side to being perrenial outsiders.