Replies

See also, from www.hughhewitt.com:

August 8, 2003
Posted at 10:20 AM, Pacific
REASONS TO SUPPORT ARNOLD:
Rush is reported to be slamming the AS candidacy. I haven't heard him do so, but many conservatives are most definitely doing so, so here are the reasons why center-right Republicans and conservative Republicans should vote for AS:
1. AS can win. The others in the race who would make acceptable governors --Bill Simon, Tom McClintock, and Peter Ueberroth-- cannot marshall enough votes to top the almost certain 25 to 30% that Cruz Bustamante will roll up. Objectivity matters a great deal here, and even if AS hadn't gotten into the race, the presence of more than one "movement" candidate dooms them all. Period. End of story. Arguing this point doesn't change the facts on the ground.
2. AS is best positioned to withstand the Graystopo, as the slime machine Gray has perfected has come to be called. Even if there was only one movement conservative in the race, he would be a target that would be mercilessly mowed down. Complaining about it doesn't stop it from happening.
3. AS does great things for the candidacy of Tony Strickland against Boxer in '04 and of course puts California in play for President Bush. So he's closer to Pataki than to Reagan, so what. A candidate who wins and governs to my satisfaction 65 to 75% of the time is better than a candidate who talks like I talk and loses.
4. Imagine you are Jim DeMint and you need to raise some money. Wouldn't you love to be able to call the Bush people and ask them to get AS on a jet to Charleston for a little $1,000 a head gathering? This is what Bill Clinton does 24/7/365. AS is a hyperdraw, matched only by the President and the Veep. Three such draws is better than two.
5. Finally, the state is in desperate shape. AS is right, businesses and talent are fleeing. Unless the bleeding stops, this economy continues to drag the national economy down, and with them both, the re-elect numbers of the President.
The purists have to get over it and get behind a winning effort. - Hugh Hewitt

I think we had BETTER get behind ONE candidate and QUICK. We have LESS THAN two months to get a REPUBLICAN Governor elected. We do NOT have two years!!

This is Califorinia. YOU WILL NOT GET AN EXTREME RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN ELECTED IN CALIFORNIA.. THAT IS THE ULTIMATE PIPE DREAM!! If Republicans keep thinking that way.. they will KEEP ON LOSING CALIFORNIA!!

The Arnold, Maria combo is JUST what the doctor ordered. I'm sorry but the Democrats HAVE TO BE foaming at the mouth on this one!! There are siezures of epic proportions happening all over the state!! Gray Davis's complexion got noticeably GRAY'ER!!

I may not support all of Arnolds political beliefs, but I do believe he will turn around California!! He has FAR to much at stake to NOT do so. As a result, REPUBLICANS will benefit in the long run. The "R" behind his name, will NOT be forgotten!! Not in OTHER elections! Not in the upcoming PRESIDENTIAL election, not in future STATE elections!!

There isn't enough time to get the NAME recognition that is needed for McClintock, and Simon is UN-ELECTable!!

IF the VOTE gets splintered by republicans having TOO MANY CANDIDATES and dividing up the vote, WE CAN LOOSE this election!!!

Whoda thunk Gray Davis could WIN the last election?

If conservative Republicans are so stupid to stick to their "moral" rigidity to the point that they shoot themselves in the foot, and end up with a DEMOCRAT back in office who will be PRO ABORTION AND PRO GAY RIGHTS BUT ALSO HAVE A "D" BEHIND THEIR NAME,... then perhaps they deserve to keep losing!!

Because I PROMISE you, McClintock CANNOT WIN California, nor can Simon. But many of us tried to tell that to people before. No one listened then. Will they now?

Will they ever??

I must disagree with both Horowitz and Hewitt. Horowitz assumes a deistic worldview in his analysis of things (which is similar to assuming a static, rather than dynamic, model of economics when arguing for tax increases as opposed to tax cuts).

Finding a wise balance between the puristic and the pragmatic ends of the spectrum is a good thing. But in striving for pragmatism, you don't want go soooo far away from purity that you become a political whore. That's what the R.I.N.O.s are in danger of doing by supporting Ahhnold.

If I wanted to be that "pragmatic" I would join the Leftist/communist democrat party.

"God grant me the courage to change the things I can, the peace to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."