BILL SIMON DROPS OUT OF CAL. RACE (Fox News)

Fox News | August 23, 2003 | nwrep

[bootyist-monk]

I agree that the valley isn't as conservative as it once was. A large portion of this is due to the mass amounts of illegals that have moved in and taken over N. Hollywood, substantial parts of Van Nuys, Sun Valley, Panorama City and Tarzana. Having lived in LA all 40 of my years, and in the valley for the last 18, I have watched with sadness as former middle-class neighborhoods became barrios. Many of those folks now live up in Palmdale and Valencia.

However, the middle to upper class cities of the Valley are still fairly conservative, especially north of the Boulevard and further west (Calabasas, West Lake, etc.).

[fieldmarshaldj]

Bingo.

[Howlin]

but the conservative wing of the GOP does not get to hijack the party and determine who is a 'real' GOPer and who is not.

Better put on your flameretardant suit, friend.

[Mr. Mojo]

Watch Sean Hannity on Hannity and Colmes and you'll see someone gah gah.

Sean, for all his shortcomings, is a conservative and would favor McClintock if he believed he had a chance to win. But he's a GOP party loyalist and realizes that having a GOP Governor would force the Rats to spend lots of money in the general election in a place they usually take for granted (CA).

[billbears]

Note to you: the Republican Party IS the Conservative Party. The 'Rat party IS the Liberal Party.

LOL, that's a pretty good joke. Got any more? The fact is that the Republican party doesn't want conservatives anymore, they just want votes. Doesn't matter how they get it or who they have to promise what to. Look at the latest batch of Senators and Representatives elected in '02. A handful of conservatives in the lot of them. The rest? Well they just promise what they can to get into office

[medscribe]

Really? Try telling Maine Republicans that they belong to the "conservative" party. The GOP encompasses a wide field, some are fiscally conservative and socially liberal (like the GOPers in the Northeast). Some are fiscally moderate and socially conservative (like some GOPers in the Midwest). Some are both fiscally and socially conservative (like the GOP in the South). You cannot be 100% conservative and expect everybody else in the party to do the same goose step that you're doing and expect to win anything nationally. If conservatives don't wake up and smell the coffee and realize that they to be more open-minded, then they will be relegated to irrelevance again, much like what happened after Goldwater's disastrous run back in 1964.

[strela]

this is for CA voters to figure out. I just wish them the best.

Same here. But, I still reserve the right to comment on political events in other states that affect people who I admire and respect. I used to live in California, and would be sad if Bustamante was elected by default because otherwise good, intelligent people stoned each other to death even before the election was held.

It will be heartbreaking though, if Arnold, with no political experience whatsoever, turns out to be a bigger flop as CA gov than Davis.

And maybe Schwarzenegger can help usher in a new era of prosperity in the Golden State. And, former actors have a pretty darned good track record in California politics :)

I would think McClintock, with 20 years of proposing the ideas that CA now wants

Have you looked at the numbers in the last 10 or so years? The man's got some fine ideas, but I reserve judgement on saying that "CA now wants" them. He simply can't win, not in the current political climate in California.

maybe I am wrong. Who knows. The CA voters will decide it.

All true. However it comes out though, I sincerely hope that the people of California get the government (and the governor) they deserve.

[John Jorsett]

This announcement probably means that Mclintock is going to the end now..

McClintock is an astute player. If he sees that he doesn't have a chance and that his presence makes it likely that Bustamante wins, he'll probably drop out. If he doesn't burn the Republicans in this race, he'll have a shot at other offices in the future and will probably win. On the other hand, it's a good idea for him to stay in until near the end; if Schwarzenegger flames out for some reason, McClintock will be the backup.

[TheDon]

The question is, do you want Bustamente who has promised an $8 billion tax hike, or Arnold who has promised to cut spending. A rather simple decision for most Republican voters, who are fiscally conservative.

[Quix]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, hello?

Do you recall the issue in literature of the hero?

And perhaps vicarious identification with the hero?

The factual income difference doesn't figure in.

It's a visceral, emotional, fantasy, wish thing in most cases.

Conscioiusly, or unconsciously, millions of people will be imagining themselves striding down the street with the Terminator kicking arses of the corrupt politicians as usual in Sacramento.

He will push a list of buttons regarding good/evil; manliness/wimpishness; man/woman virlity, potency stuff; Individual against the government machine stuff; HOPE vs hopelessness stuff a la Terminator movies bridging over to political hope/hopelessness; Tall vs short stuff; Rags to riches vs born rich stuff; Self-made man stuff vs hopelessly in debt; . . .

A long list of socio-economic groups/sub groups of individuals will be consciously and unconsciously but intensely emotionally drawn to identify with Arnold and to see themselves consciously or unconsciously striding triumphantly into Sacramento to right the wrongs of California.

If he plays his cards 1/10th right and no destructive miracles occur--I consider him unstoppable, still.

There's just tooooooooooooooooo much psychology and sociology in that direction regardless of what the polls currently seem to indicate.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"California needs hope and Arnie is your ONLY shot."

Yup, exactly what they said about William Weld in 1990 in Massachusetts. By the time he was finished, there wasn't a federal GOP officeholder left and the GOP legislative caucus could meet in a phonebooth. Even the 'Rats weren't capable of inflicting the level of damage the RINOs did upon our own party. Ah-nold the Welderizer can get lost.

[medscribe]

Unfortunately for McClintock he's NEVER going to get above 5-7%. The debate will be Arnold and Cruz.

[TheDon]

I've noticed that Arnold is leaving the door open for just such a move.

[prarie earth]

That is exactly what I was thinking, if there is some announcement/relevation (that E! network is saying they are going to release next week) that causes Arnold to get out, we need a backup in McClintock

[fieldmarshaldj]

Don't forget the reason why Ah-nold didn't endorse him in this current race - Tricky Dick is utterly senile. Most of us knew that a LONG time ago.

[Quix]

What an idiotic statemen, IMHO.

Arnold's public personna is not close to that of a DU. Facts don't matter that much.

PERCEPTION is the bulk of the reality involved in Arnold. And he's largely perceived as an underdog super-hero who wins. Virtually every personality type and socioeconomic status wants to identify with such a person.

Perhaps you could go down to a gym and do some stretching exercises. Or maybe you could get a month of scalp massages. It appears to me it might do you good to expand your perceptiveness and ability to comprehend and manipulate mental constructions on reality which are broader than those you have habitually called home.

[summer]

Tell me how anyone who makes $30 million a year could even know about a "car tax," let alone want to eliminate it.

[88keys]

I've always liked Tom, and I think he would do a wonderful job as budget director. He'd be in the catbird seat for another run for Gov.

Seeing as how Simon already had one crack at ousting the unbeloved Grayout Davis, and couldn't do it even as the sole contender (he "floundered"...hehe!), IMHO it's good he dropped out even if he thought he was the "most qualified" on principle...

Query: does Bustamente automatically stay on as the Lieutenant Governor if he loses his gubernatorial bid to a GOP'er?! or does the winning candidate get to pick his own "running mate"? or does the winner end up with the second-place finisher in the "second-place job"?! (it would be pretty cool if Bustamente had to give up his Lt. Gov. job to run for the top post...!)

[GmbyMan]

Most of the support Schwarzanegger has been getting has been coming in the form of "Well, he's not really my favortie candidate but he ain't Busta'mecha' either!"

Unfortunately, sometimes people need to be practical. If a pollster called me today, I'm telling them I like McClintock but things could change come election day. In a way, every candidate we vote for is the "lessor of two evils". There are even negative things that could be written about McClintock!

That is what animates the support for Arnold on this board, IMO.

[Walkin Man]

Any further delay to coalesce around Arnie is just one closer step for Bustamente to be the next Governor of California.

It won't make a damn bit of difference if Arnie or Bustamente is Governor of California! Both of them are sold-out, true-believing, big-government...

LEFTISTS!