[RonDog]

"...For all these reasons Republicans of all factions should rejoice at the Schwarzenegger candidacy.

It offers the only possibility of a win for state Republicans or for the Bush campaign in California.
It will help to revive the California Republican Party.

And it could reshape the politics of the nation." - David Horowitz

ping

[John Jorsett]

The first of these would be a defeat of the recall and hence a win for the Democrats.

I don't see this as any worse than not attempting a recall to begin with. In fact, it would be better, because even prevailing in the recall won't be a plus on the Davis resume. In 2006, the race would be against a Democrat non-incumbent whose party leader faced the first gubernatorial recall in state history, and whose miserable record was seared into the consciousness of the voters. That couldn't be anything but an improvement for the Republican in that race.

[My2Cents]

Whether the recall is a good idea is now moot since it's a reality. But I can't help shaking the notion that the recall wasn't so much a movement of the people, as it was a publicity stunt by various radio talkshow hosts (numerous radio hosts take credit for coming up with the original idea for the recall, and are using their claim as a way to promote themselves and up their ratings).

[lilylangtree]

Met Horowitz. Wasn't impressed.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

I think that Arnold is good for Bush right now, from a PR perspective.

Arnold will deflect the media from their Bush witch hunt and help to restore the reputation of Republicans after being demonized by dims and the media for the last 8 months+.

What I have found totally pathetic is the fact that republicans in power have taken a big step left in recent years, but do nothing to counter the stereotype they OWN of being radical right wing oligarch extremists filled with hatred that are the biggest threat to the US ever.

Why is this? And if someone ever goes out on a limb and fights against socialism, the establishment will leave them swinging from the gallows. Its like a Trent Lott syndrome- they beat him so severely that he will NEVER rock the boat about anything again. It appears as though all Senators are following his example.

Arnold at least says what he is, even if in generalities for the most part now. I found it very refreshing when Matt Lauer copped an attitude and immediately attacked him with a question about money (pin the money on the repubs bit).
Arnold pulled a Reagan and claimed comm failure. The media then went collectively BERSERK about his audacity to defy them about anything. That was priceless. If he continues to handle the press with fortitude, it might lessen their 'kung fu grip' on republican necks.

Anyway, I think 'stirring the pot' on many fronts is good for the party.

<Rant OFF

[John Lenin]

Everybody gets it except the McClintock bots. Arnie is our only chance of winning in this state. The bots must like losing, I don't and I'm voting for Arnie.

[Uncle Hal]

The White House very much wants a GOP governor in Sacremento. So they will probably get behind Arnold and ask Simon and/or McClintock to drop out. I do not think Bush cares who the CA. governor is as long as he has an R after his name. With The Republicans in control of the Governorship Bush feels CA. is in play for the GOP in 04. That way the Dems will to spend a lot of time and money in this state. The more the Dems spend in CA. the less money they can spend in other states. CA. is very expensive place to campaign in. The GOP will have a lot more money than the Dems for the 04 presidential run.

[Thud]

He assumes that Schwarzenegger won't turn out to be another horse's a** like Jesse Ventura. I hope not, because IMO Arnie will win.

[Zack Nguyen]

John McCain is a cool Republican and could have carried the state in 2000 if the Republican primary electorate had not preferred George Bush.

Surely Horowitz is joking. Bush poured $20 million into the state, and Gore spent $0. Bush lost by 13. I find it impossible, absolutely impossible, to believe that McCain could have won. No liberal would have voted for him. A lot of conservatives would have stayed home over McCain's abortion beliefs.

[dmanLA]

Although I don't agree with Horowitz all the time, he is right this time.

Arnold is the only way to get a Rep in Sacramento. Yes, he is not a true conservative. So?!?!

Remember, we are suffering a death of a thousand cuts by the liberals. It's time for them to suffer some cuts too.
Incrementalism. It works for them, now let's turn it on the liberals.

Besides, Arnold can make being and voting Republican cool again. I know that doesn't matter to us freepers but there aren't enough of us to win elections. What does matter to us is TURNING THE TIDE.

[CyberCowboy777]

If and only if the numbers look bad for Tom at the very last moment I would vote for Arnold.

GET OUT SIMON!

[wayoverontheright]

This is so much bigger than Horowitz realizes. It represents the first time a Democrat Humpty Dumpty couldn't be patched up, and then propped back up, by the main stream media, a big, big emotional event for the dark side.

The California recall is a grass roots repudiation of leftist failed policies. It has to be glaringly apparent to all that too much government has its dangers, something you couldn't have gotten the rank and file Californian to admit to a few months ago.

It's for these reasons the Clintons were going to get involved a few days ago, then came to their senses. This is big. This is good for our side.

[HamiltonJay]

I have stated these thoughts here myself, had Ahnold not entered the race, this recall was nothing but disaster for the republicans in Cali.

He is the only canidate with an R beside his name that can win and carry enough mandate to force the legislature and establishment to deal with them. ANyone else and they will just get stonewalled.

I spent a year in Cali, and I can tell you right now, what much of american considers a hard core conservative cannot carry stateway there. The densely populated liberal urban centers just overwhelm the more conservative less populated, if geographically larger, rural regions.

Now personally I am not a fan of this recall movement, but its not because I like Davis... I don't.

I think California, like New York City before it must be forced to pay the price for its decades long dance with social and economic liberalism, because only after it has had to do that can you really have large scale change happen in terms of the electorate. I think this recall will likely short circuit a long overdue political shift for the golden state.

Because should fiscal conservatism and social conservatist policies come out of this recall with a simple plurality, and give the state some breathing room, they will go right back to social and liberal spending and policies shortly after whoever takes the helm is gone... because they weren't forced to deal completely and fully with the foolishness of their ways.

You need to force people to deal with the calamities they create, if you force a solution on them without them being forced to recognize and deal with it themselves, you just delay the calamity, don't end it... they will repeat the same things that got them in trouble as soon as the "forced" solution is out of the picture.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Thank you David Horowitz, Hugh Hewitt, Ann Coulter, and Sean Hannity for not living in conservative fantasy land where rooting for the most conservative Republican who has no chance to win is somehow noble and advances our cause.

[autoresponder]

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a u t o r e s p o n d e r
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[justshutupandtakeit]

David nails it again.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

I guess we're all entitled to change our minds.

FrontPageMagazine.com - June 3, 2003

The Gray Davis Recall Campaign

Republicans in California are also mounting a moral campaign that is making them feel very good about themselves but which will result in a defeat for the Republican cause. It is generally conceded that Gray Davis is an atrocious governor. Under his administration a $4 billion surplus has been turned into a $40 billion deficit. His approval ratings are as low as Nixon’s were on the eve of his Watergate resignation. Davis is despised by Democrats and Republicans alike. Some Republicans have seen this as an opportunity to punish a man who deserves to be punished and to make a political gain in the process. They have sponsored a recall movement which if successful would remove Davis and elect a successor at the same time. Republicans are pouring millions of valuable political dollars into this campaign and mobilizing the passions of their rank and file to bring it to success.

All this makes perfect sense until you look at what will actually happen if the recall campaign is successful. In the worst-case scenario, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is about to retire at the end of her term, will instead put her name on the ballot and become the new governor of California. She will then appoint her own successor in the Senate. California Republicans will have achieved two knockout blows (but of themselves) at the same time. The California Republican Party already holds no statewide offices. With Feinstein retiring Republicans had a chance to run for an open Senate seat in the next cycle, which is always an advantage for a party out of power. If this recall scenario holds they will have created a situation in which they will have to run against an incumbent instead. Likewise, instead of running for an open gubernatorial seat against the legacy of a discredited Democratic administration they will either have to run against a popular Democratic incumbent or her anointed successor.

There are other possible scenarios – California Attorney General Bill Lockyear a savvy Democratic politician might run (and win) the governor’s seat for example. This is not quite as certain as a Feinstein victory but it is certain enough. But what if the Republicans win? They will then inherit the monster deficit and all of its unpleasant problems, with less time than even Davis has to fix it for the next election.

You could talk to the leaders of the recall campaign until you were blue in the face and never convince them that this is a bad idea. I will undoubtedly be criticized for writing these words, even though they are friendly advice. Conservatives will say Horowitz is defending Gray Davis, just as Christian conservatives presumed I was criticizing their theological views, and pro-reparations blacks that I was denying that slavery was unjust.

But of course the justice of the Gray Davis recall movement is not what I am challenging. It’s the political wisdom of the recall campaign. Politics is about winning. If you don’t win, you don’t get to put your principles into practice. Therefore, find a way to win, or sit the battle out.

[votelife]

I support the Terminator; called Cox, Drier, and Thomas, Cal Reps and told them to support Arnold.

[Saundra Duffy]

Governor Schwarzenegger would change the political equation for the next presidential contest in 2004

I heard that the Bush Administration is getting excited about the possiblity of Gov. Schwarzenegger. I also heard that Arnold came out AGAINST partial birth abortion and FOR parental consent for abortion. That's good. And I doubt Arnold would go out of his way to further restrict our gun rights.

I will be voting for Tom McClintock but I won't cry when Arnold gets elected.

[Swanks]

Without the recall Republicans would have contended for an open seat in 2006 against a non-incumbent Democrat running on a crippled legacy.

Yeah but at a huge price to pay. This Bozo in office now is @ $38B deficit. Leave him in there for 3 years and I'll bet he can happily grow it to $68B without really trying too hard.

Dave, ya gotta stop thinking beltway mentality - winning "the prize" of governership in 2006, at all costs, even if it bankrupts the friggin state in 2004, is not a very admirable goal.