Posted on 08/30/2003 6:14:46 AM PDT by miltonim
Social conservatives have a viable candidate in McClintock
TORONTO, August 28, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Steve Jalsevac, a long-time political analyst with Campaign Life Coalition Canada suggests that were actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to capture the Republican Governorship of California it would mean political damage for the Republican Party. "A core constituency within the Republican Party is its social conservatives, most importantly those who are pro-life and pro-family. Schwarzenegger is so obviously a liberal on social issues, his running as a Republican reeks of opportunism and demeans the party's integrity," said Jalsevac.
Republicans have another capable candidate in the race who is considered authentically conservative. California State Sen. Tom McClintock, first elected to the State Assembly in 1982, is also running. McClintock ran for state controller last year and lost by a margin of 0.3% to a Democrat. In that race, McClintock captured more votes than any other Republican on the ballot. In an interview with Human Events released today, McClintock acknowledges that he is pro-life and pro-family and willing to act legislatively on those convictions.
"As we have seen so many times in Canadian politics, conservative parties are usually a delicate balance between fiscal and social conservatives, and where fiscal conservatives are so insensitive as to alienate social conservatives, the Party suffers debilitating division," Jalsevac told LifeSite News. "Arnold may well give the Republicans Governorship of another state, but his strong liberal stance on social issues will damage Party unity and weaken critical differences in policy between the two major parties."
On a radio talk show yesterday, Schwarzenegger attempted to appear less offensive to social conservatives saying that he is pro-choice, but against "partial-birth" abortion; that he supports current domestic-partnership law but not gay 'marriage'". However, Schwarzenegger's Republican strategist Allan Hoffenblum was candid about the actor's negligible chances of appealing to social conservatives. Speaking of "family-value types", Hoffenblum said, "that is the group that is least likely to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger regardless."
That's the other side of the situation, exactly. It's Arnold that has quintupled calls to the republican party about registering to vote, not Tom. For them, Tom is just another Sacramento politico. That's all they know. It's Arnold's entry into the race that made the recall seem real. Like it could really happen.
If AS dropped out, I don't think the recall itself would succeed.
I'm not from California, but Arnold's past is far worse than "checkered."
"That's a real good idea. Vote for the trash candidate -- hashish smoker, orgy participant. BUT AT LEAST YOU'RE IN POWER. THE ARNOLD SUPPORTERS ON THIS WEBSITE LIKE YOU TRULY MAKE ME ILL.
The Founders of this nation ALWAYS believed that the people elected to power would be the most moral, the most righteousness, the most honorable among us."
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First let me say..I'm no longer a Calif resident..and I'm very suspicious of SchwarzenKennedy..And at this point in time wouldn't vote for him...even if I could.
But.....I've certainly done things in my past...that I'm not proud of. Isn't it more important that someone prove themselves to be changed...and possibly better for their experiences..than for some to forever hold that against them?
I agree the premise SHOULD be to elect the leaders amongst us. Those who can show "us" the errors of our ways...Those among "us" who are up-standing citizens, and strive to always be the best people they can be....moral, honest, hard-working, humble, strong of conviction type people. But are these people expected to be pure as the wind driven snow? Are these people expected to have zero historical blemishes?
Sure...I agree, the past can be a window on a person's character, or lack thereof. But like steel being tempered....some come thru the "fire" of a intemperate time...better & stronger for it.
fwiw-
..Curious to see what the true believers will do when McClintock steps aside...
I hope they'll do what I would do if AS dropped out: unite behind the remaining candidate.
If Arnold drops out, I don't even see the recall passing, but I'll still turn out to vote for it, and for Tom. I voted for Simon in the primary and Simon in the election, and we'll lose with Tom like we lost with Bill, for the same reasons. But I will turn out.
Kinda tough to call for me. I'd like to be behind McC, but would rather have incompetence as opposed to traitorousness. Arnie fires 'em up, just like The Duke.
Go Arnie
There are two things that put Bloomberg in power:
1) The New York voters' idiotic institution of TERM LIMITS a decade or so ago, when it was the "hip, cool" political fad sweeping the nation. The is little question Rudy would have run again if he could have, and zero question that he would have won.
2) Because the Democrats got caught up in the same sort of pissing match that you describe, not the Republicans. In the primary, the two main RAT candidates both played the race card on each other so venomously (pitting blacks vs Hispanics) that in the end, most Hispanics either stayed home or voted for Bloomberg because they were filled with hatred for the RAT candidate, Mark Green. (And Green would not have been any better than Bloomberg. He probably would have been even worse. New Yorkers were screwed either way.)
(I know some people would make the argument that Herman Badillo lost to Bloomberg in the GOP primary because of a similar "strong conservatism won't fly in NYC" argument, but I don't believe it; Bloomberg won because he blew $20 million of his own cash on the primary alone, and crushed Badillo 72%-28% because of it.)
Don't these discussions seem a lot like those of the 2000 election, when the Brigades were in full cry?
I'm almost expecting to see: ARNOLD=CRUZ=NWO :)
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