McClintock Key to Democratic Victory in California

Intellectual Conservative.com ^ | 9/2/3 | Bob Chandra

[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.

[Dog Gone]

I don't think it really matters too much who is elected. If it's Bustamante, the state continues its freefall to hell.

If it's McClintock, the Republicans get the blame as the state continues its freefall to hell. His election wouldn't change the legislature, and that's where the real problem in state finances is, anyway. He'll just be a convenient new excuse for the states' liberal media to blame.

Arnold might be more effective as an outsider with no real ties to either party. Then again, he might be a disaster. But he has no political career to be ruined, so the GOP can certainly disavow him if things continue the way they are.

But the way I see it, a Democrat governor won't fix the problem, and a Republican governor can't.

I'm leaning towards Arnold (not that I get to vote) but I'm not convinced that it makes much difference.

[edchambers]

It may be that McClintock wants to see if Arnold will fade or stumble bigtime.

This is important, I've seen several polls showing Arnold will win WITH Mclintock in the race.But if this ongoing smear campaign succeeds and Arnolds support disapears or worse he drops out we'll all be happy Mclintock is still in the race.It's obvious that either one would be a better governor than Davis or Bustemonte.It is also obvious that either one will be a serious blow to the Democratic Party at a time when they can least afford it.

[Tempest]

Errrr.... yeah?!

Anyways I say we let California go to hell in a hand bag because we're a bunch of little brats that think that the public will forget that this whole recall effort is a Republican inceited initiative to replace one Democrat with another.

Oh yeah and after we've all been taxed to hell and California is out of it's financial crisis due to a rising economy and higher taxes.

Somehow, but somehow the mainstream will want to replace Cruz Mecha Bustamante in 2006 with an "Ultra-conservative" Tommy McC(which is what the media will label him.)

*sigh* some people just can't see past today.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

I stumbled on the RINO watering hole.

DON'T drink the water Dan, it's poison. Run! Save yourself! It's too late for the other ones!

[Political Junkie Too]

It may be that McClintock wants to see if Arnold will fade or stumble bigtime. However, if Arnold doesn't, and McClintock stays in, then the above statement is undoubtedly true.

If, and If. I agree with you. However, right now, I don't believe that there is harm in McClintock staying in the race if he will ultimately drop out at the end of September. I think that his staying in is insurance against dirty tricks against Schwarzenegger.

The impact of McClintock staying in a little bit longer is moot if one or the other drops out with enough time to create a wave of enthusiam. If McClintock were to drop out at the end of September, say, with a message of having stayed in to ensure that the issues that matter to average Californians got a fair debate amongst the candidates, and in feeling that that was accomplished he now supports Schwarzenegger to "do the right thing," that could boost the base in the final week. The News Media will have to cover it. They will be talking about McClintock, Schwarzenegger, and the California GOP. They will not be talking about Davis or Bustamante, at least not in depth.

In other words, one dropping out in the end will "suck the air out of the room" and the won't be talking about Davis and Bustamante, they'll be talking about Schwarzenegger/McClintock.

-PJ

[ElkGroveDan]

when the Democrats supported him against Wilson in 1991

What???? You better get your money back on that history book.

he should have been front and center screaming his head off about the impending financial doom

If you haven't heard him, then that's YOUR problem. Go to your library and read through the newspaper archives on the Legislature in Sacramento for the past 20 years.

[Tamzee]

Sorry... I submit that your perspective is hampered. I see a lot of similarities, actually, between the rabid McClintock supporters here (not all, just my favorite few) and the hard-lefties over at DU.

The second anyone over there shows the least rational sense instead of simply mindless spouting of ideology and pack mentality (i.e. suggests that Bush didn't plan 9/11 on purpose) they are personally attacked, called vile names, and get this... conservatives, sell-outs, DINO's, trolls, all the same garbage as here.

[KellyAdmirer]

The funny thing is that, according to the True Believers, it doesn't matter who would make the better governor. In fact, they say they would PREFER the worst governor if their boy can't win so that things will get so absolutely rotten awful that people turn to them and prove that they are, in fact, the Saviors.

I know I don't think much of that attitude. It sure doesn't sound like something a good citizen would say.

[Tempest]

Obviously you and your cohorts never stop and take the time to read your own post.

Sad very sad I hope Bustamante pays you well.

[A Broken Glass Republican]

A vote for McClintock is a vote for Bust-a-move.

These McClintock supporting RINOs must be stopped. They are obviously out to destroy the Republican party in California. We were handed a GIFT after they tried to do it via Bill Simon. We can't let these same RINOs lose again. We MUST support Arnold. We MUST win!!

[PhiKapMom]

Doesn't that speak volumes about McClintock that the RATs are pushing him as the "true" conservative in the race. Of course Press and the rest of the RATs have no ulterior motive -- yeah right -- anyone that believes that can buy some swamp land in NM!

It is so obvious that the RATs are scared Arnold is going to win -- one good thing is that the pushing of McClintock and the far right is making Arnold look better. I know I am one person that will no longer vote for someone that the ultra right supports -- will vote for conservatives but not the ones that the ultra right pushes down our throats that they have to have or they won't vote. Have had enough of them and their candidates who are spoilers to last a lifetime.

Went through it here for J.C.'s seat when the ultra right candidate was defeated in the primary and then he and his supporters for the most part wouldn't support our Republican candidate. Well he won without the ultra right and so can Arnold!

[45Auto]

I like your Godfather analogy; if the damn California Repubos would function like that, they wouldn't be in this mess.

I have said I think Bustamante is a shill for Davis; I think the Cal RAT-bastards cooked up the whole "enchilada", knowing the Repubos would assume that Davis will be thrown out. Arnold's candidacy has given the Cal Repubos a false sense of security. And the damn sycophantic press is playing the McClintock/Arnold thing to the hilt. Once the (predominantly lefty) voters look at the whole mess, they might just be tempted to retain Davis, since its real clear that Busta-Gut-mante is much worse than Davis. I don't think that main-stream demonRATs like Bustamante at all. Its not beyond the realm of possibility that the whole Bustamante candidacy is a red herring.

[FairOpinion]

Excellent article.

Too bad, that those who would need to think about it, will ignore it, as they ignore everything else, and in the meantime totally marginalize themselves to the point that they become more serious enemies of the Republican party, than the Democrats.

[B Knotts]

DON'T drink the water Dan, it's poison.

Not to worry; I'm sure he could tell by the stench.

[RGSpincich]

Who do you think those "deficit hawks" were? Democrats in bird suits. They suddenly vanished when Davis was elected.

[Tempest]

The truth hurts doesn't it.

Here's another one. McCrackpot is UNELECTABLE. Get it???

[TheAngryClam]

It isn't 2:1. Not even close. It's a little less than 4:3.

[Russell Scott]

If the Democrats (or Arnold) win and don't fix anything (which they won't), the next election will be a watershed for conservative Republicans in California.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yes we do know that, because some of us can actually ANALYZE elections. Need we remind all the Riordanistas around here that even Ah-nold was "shocked" to realize the man was so utterly senile when he sat down to meet with him in preparation to endorse him in this recall, which prompted him to run instead. So all the Ah-nold groupies around here bellyaching about how us REAL Republicans stopped their beloved Dickster from winning the office, if we hadn't stopped him in the primary, we'd have ended up with a senile drooling fruitcake as Governor. Ah, but now you guys are coming to the rescue with the Austrian Socialist who enjoys group sex, liberalism, and taking "liberties" with underage girls, and did I also mention liberalism ? Tell me, guys, when did we turn into the 'Rat party touting these freaks ? Shame on every one of you who does.

[TheAngryClam]

You'd be surprised who of us actually do get paid to give political advice...