- When a candidate gets all his votes from the independents and democrats [and Republicans], and leaves his GOP party base in the dust, that's not a win for the GOP.
"There you go again."
Posted on 09/02/2003 4:21:28 PM PDT by socal_parrot
A Democratic plot to boost Tom McClintock’s candidacy at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s expense has recently come to light.
On paper, the recall election should be a cakewalk for California Republicans. A cursory analysis reveals a governor with an approval rating below Richard Nixon at his low point. The only serious Democrat candidate is the state’s uninspiring lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante, who unquestioningly followed Governor Davis through his mishaps with the budget and energy crisis. It should be a breeze for Republicans, right? Think again. Democrats are euphoric over Tom McClintock’s intransigence in continuing his long-shot bid for governor. This allows Democrats to divide and conquer their way into office. Democrats are attempting to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and Tom McClintock is an essential part of their game plan.
For starters, Democrats know McClintock cannot win. They know that he has ran for statewide office twice before and lost both times. McClintock’s problem is not so much that he’s unknown but that Californians know about him and have rejected his candidacy time and again. Knowing this, a Democrat plot to boost McClintock’s candidacy at Schwarzenegger’s expense has already surfaced. According to the Sacramento Bee’s Daniel Weintraub, “Ever since Cruz Bustamante entered the race, it's been assumed that California's Indian tribes were going to pool their money and do independent expenditures on his behalf, expensive ads that get around the $21,000 limit on contributions. Now I am hearing rumblings that the Indians might think about helping Cruz in a more creative way as well. If they spent, say, $4 million on behalf of state Sen. Tom McClintock, the most conservative Republican in the race, they might pump McClintock's numbers up while hurting Arnold and not harming Cruz a bit. Remember, Cruz needs a split GOP vote to win. That would be one way to get it.” The reliably Democratic Indian tribes, loyal to Bustamante, would essentially throw their weight behind McClintock to chip away at the support of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the GOP front-runner. The Democrat strategy with regard to Tom McClintock is: “If you know you can beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
McClintock is unfazed by this conniving scheme and is more than happy to play along. His actions suggest that he’s willing to make allies with loyal Democratic groups under the logic, the enemy of my enemy (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is my friend. On August 28th, McClintock and Bustamante went together before the California Nations Indian Gaming Association to pledge their support. Needless to say, money will follow. Whether McClintock knows it or not, he’s being used by the Left. If Democrat allies can keep McClintock in the game, they can put a cap on Arnold’s support. A recent Los Angeles Times poll shows Bustamante with 35% of the vote and McClintock with 12%. The poll indicates that McClintock will lose decisively but more importantly, his vote will ensure that GOP front-runner Schwarzenegger loses as well.
It doesn’t have to be this way. McClintock could see the light and do what’s best for the party – as Bill Simon did by bowing out of the race. Other than his new Democratic support, the picture continues to grow bleaker for McClintock. The Washington Post and Sacramento Bee are reporting that there will be a record turnout for the recall election. This invalidates the early calculus by McClintock supporters - that in a low turnout election, grassroots could carry the day. Further, the base is growing more familiar with Schwarzenegger’s conservatism – Arnold came out against partial-birth abortion, against gay marriage, and for a constitutional spending cap.
There comes a time when personal ambition must be set aside and self-affirming but false justifications for one’s candidacy need to be reexamined. If McClintock stays in the California Senate, and assuming Arnold wins the governorship, he and Arnold could play the good-cop/bad-cop routine to perfection, mirroring President Bush and Tom Delay’s efforts at the national level. Additionally, McClintock may be well positioned to challenge Barbara Boxer in next year’s US Senate race. However, if McClintock persists with his spoiler campaign and throws the election to Bustamante, it is doubtful he will have any political capital for a future race.
But assuming things stay the way they are, with McClintock’s help, Bustamante and the Democrats may well pull off an upset of a lifetime on Election Day.
"There you go again."
Yep, and that won him which job???
It's hard to argue against success, eh? ;-)
Lose the libel, outsider. You are exhibiting troll behaviors.
What happened to Reagan's 11th Commandment? And don't try dodging by saying that Arnold isn't a "real" Republican. He has been a registered Republican since he could first vote in this country. He has campaigned for Republican candidates, and has called himself a Republican in Hollywood when it was certainly not a help to his career.
You are not from Caliornia, and neither am I. This election does affect the nation however, and I will once again say why.
If Bustamante wins, or if Davis survives the recall, it will first of all make Republicans look foolish and as big a sore losers as the Goreons of 2000. In addition, California's economic collapse will continue, sending shockwaves across the country.
Then, when there is no other alternative, after raising taxes and having sunk themselves in the bond market, the democrats will DEMAND that Bush bails them out. This will happen right in time for the November, 2004 election.
Then we will have the same purists on here demanding that California be told to go pound sand, its all their fault, and Bush should stick to his principles.
It will probably cost him not only California's votes but maybe those in a few other states, and could tip the election to the Rat.
I have come to the point that I don't care which person wins, but it is vital for a Republican to win. I think McClintock doesn't have as good a chance because he can't draw any crossover votes, but at least I can say that other than my questioning of his campaign tactics, I have never said anything ill about him.
I know I said this last night, but I am trying to get people to see this election as more than just a personal "my way or the highway" moment.
And please stop calling people names. It makes your position look very weak.
A vote for Tom McClintock is a vote for a conservative Republican.
And thanks to your type we got 8 years of Clinton and still had to fight like @#$% to avoid Gore. "Simmering" never works - once the RATs are in control, they take things way farther to the left than we ever have a chance of reversing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.