Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

California recall: Does one man hold key? [McClintock]
Christian Science Monitor ^ | 9-25 | Christian Science Monitor

Posted on 09/25/2003 2:54:50 PM PDT by ambrose

The Christian Science Monitor - csmonitor.com

from the September 26, 2003 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0926/p01s03-uspo.html

California recall: Does one man hold key?

Tom McClintock, top GOP conservative, could tilt race for or against Arnold Schwarzenegger.

By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

BURBANK, CALIF. - Republican candidate Tom McClintock laughs from deep in the belly when asked if he will be the "spoiler" in the great populist revolution/experiment/circus of California's gubernatorial recall election.

"My opponents say I'm the Ross Perot of this campaign, possibly siphoning off enough votes to hand the election to Democrats," he says, settling onto a shady park bench for an interview. "I say, 'Wait a minute.... Ross Perot was an idle millionaire, with no public-policy experience who one day on a whim entered the presidential race.' That sounds like another candidate in this race ... not me," he says, referring to muscleman/millionaire Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Once a mere asterisk in the con- fused calculus of California's 135-candidate recall election, Mr. McClintock has gradually emerged as the strong, third-place vote getter in polls - rising (at 14-to-18 points) while the two leaders - fellow Republican Schwarzenegger (26 points) and Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (28 points) - tread water.

As the race enters its final stretch, McClintock's motives and acts are becoming paramount for two reasons. One, splitting the Republican vote, he could cost the party its best chance in a decade of high, statewide office. Two, his candidacy could drag down the success of the recall itself by forcing Republican partisans to reconsider driving Gov. Gray Davis from office because of fear that they could hand the office to a more liberal Democrat, Mr. Bustamante.

Ever since McClintock leaped from 4 percent voter support to double-digits about three weeks ago, the pressure has risen for him to stop offering himself as an alternative to Arnold Schwarzen-egger that could hand the election to Democrats. But as more voters get to know him, his poll numbers have continued to rise, while Schwarzenegger's are flat.

More conservative than Schwarzenegger on social issues - abortion, gay marriage, gun control - he is also far more experienced in fiscal matters, with California's sagging economy the No. 1 issue.

"He is by far the most studied and experienced of all the candidates in fiscal issues and how to implement public policy," says Jack Pitney, political scientist at Claremont McKenna College. "If the election were a college SAT test, McClintock would be the next governor hands down."

Even though he is widely acknowledged as the more knowledgeable, the more articulate, and the more detailed idea-man, 25-year government veteran McClintock does not have the millions of dollars of his chief Republican rival, nor his name recognition. Therein lies one of the chief ironies of the recall: Does he/should he/will he step aside to allow the neophyte challenger - and the Republican party - to gain its best chance of victory?

"He is a man who stands on his word and his principles while claiming time and again that he is in this to the last," says Doug Jeffe, a longtime California political consultant. "If he did get out, it would be totally uncharacteristic of him."

Now, with Schwarzenegger and Bustamante in a near dead heat, one leading Republican, Darrell Issa, the millionaire who bankrolled the signature gathering to oust Davis, has said that if Schwarzenegger or McClintock don't back off, Republicans should vote "no" on the recall. Polls show that if Arnold backed out, McClintock could not win.

But McClintock rejects a widespread analysis that conservative candidates have brought Republican fortunes to their low ebb. He feels the current crisis is the perfect storm for their historic comeback.

"Great parties are built on great principles," says McClintock, referring to the pillars of conservative policy: holding down taxes, cutting waste, standing up for the unborn, and resisting government approval of gay unions. "This is not a time to change our principles."

While such comments win kudos from some for adherence to principle, they strike others as bullheaded.

"McClintock's constant megaphoning of conservative social agendas is presenting a real problem for Republicans who really like him for his fiscal experience," says William Schneider, a pollster and political analyst. "They know Tom has the smarts to get this state out of economic problems and they worry about Arnold's lack of experience and specificity. But they don't think Tom can win and can't resist the fact that Arnold could."

As a child, McClintock campaigned for Barry Goldwater at age 8. In high school he organized classmates into a statewide GOP group. A political-science graduate of UCLA, he became a syndicated columnist railing about former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, lauding the character of John Wayne. Hired by a former L.A. police chief-cum-state senator (Ed Davis), McClintock began a 25-year career in Sacramento, marked by opposition to Republican governors George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson over tax hikes and spending waste.

Despite his conservative stances, he was the top GOP vote-getter in the state, running for controller, in the 2002 election.

"I got very little from the state GOP and was outspent by my opponent by 5 to 1," says McClintock. "Despite all that, I lost by less than 1 percent of the vote."

A man who often quotes Reagan and Shakespeare, McClintock is considered a legislative loner with few legislative friends for his near two-decade pursuit of shrinking the state payroll.

In his favorite stump speech he tells why cutting is so important. As a child, he came home from school to find his mother crying over an unexpectedly high tax bill. The moment has lived in his imagination ever since that government takes too much from citizens and delivers too little.

Full HTML version of this story which may include photos, graphics, and related links


www.csmonitor.com | Copyright © 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.
For permission to reprint/republish this article, please email copyright@csps.com



TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 341-360361-380381-400 ... 501-517 next last
To: Jorge
That is smart politics.

Feinstein politics.

361 posted on 09/25/2003 8:56:40 PM PDT by Roscoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 345 | View Replies]

To: ambrose
"My opponents say I'm the Ross Perot of this campaign, possibly siphoning off enough votes to hand the election to Democrats," he says, settling onto a shady park bench for an interview. "I say, 'Wait a minute.... Ross Perot was an idle millionaire, with no public-policy experience who one day on a whim entered the presidential race.' That sounds like another candidate in this race ... not me," he says, referring to muscleman/millionaire Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Great stuff!

Thanks for the ping, ambrose.

362 posted on 09/25/2003 8:57:10 PM PDT by Reagan Man (The few, the proud, the conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Spiff
Hey spiffy, he's one of my 'us'.
363 posted on 09/25/2003 8:59:39 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 257 | View Replies]

To: ArneFufkin
Yep, play the cards.
364 posted on 09/25/2003 9:00:13 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 259 | View Replies]

To: Jorge
That verse of course has an ultimate meaning that far transcends any application we could possibly make to our current situation.

But it also has an application for our daily lives.

Many times the easy way IS the way to destruction.

Would have been easy for the founding generation to take the easy path of further accomodation towards the Crown.

That same generation DID take the easy road when it came to the fundamental question of human slavery. Pushed the decision back on that for 70 years, only to make it that much harder and more costly to deal with.

Chamberlain took the easy path of appeasement with Hitler, and it cost plenty--ask the Poles.

There are countless other examples, but you get the picture.
365 posted on 09/25/2003 9:01:08 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (Call upon God to move on our behalf...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 359 | View Replies]

To: Spiff
Is that the best you have? Come on, that hasn't even titillated your mamma.
366 posted on 09/25/2003 9:03:54 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 273 | View Replies]

To: ambrose
Man, did I appreciate that post! Really! A very easy way for you to demonstate making peace is by reading more and not writing so much. I am a pi$$ poor example, but you should look for the good that is within each post, and praise it. If there is nothing good, move past it. If its an insult, turn the other cheek. Acknowledge that you are turning the other cheek if you like, but don't insult back. This is easy proof and will go rapidly toward unifying us, somewhat, again.
367 posted on 09/25/2003 9:09:36 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 284 | View Replies]

To: PeoplesRep_of_LA

The Clintons want California to stay under the DNC... that is why they are supporting Davis against the recall. If Davis' numbers looked worse or Cruz's looked better against Arnold, they would be campaigning for Cruz.

They would NOT want Tom to drop out because that leaves almost all of the right voting for Arnold, too (except for the hard-headed conservatives that will stay home). If the recall goes through, we potentially sabotage ourselves for the DNC and they can keep California.

Just as it is BAD for the GOP to have 2 major candidates in this race, it is GOOD for the DNC that we have 2 major candidates in this race. Just like we will be thrilled if the Greens run someone strong in 2004 to take votes away from Bush's DNC opposition.

368 posted on 09/25/2003 9:11:47 PM PDT by Tamzee ("Big government sounds too much like sluggish socialism."......Arnold Schwarzenegger)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 355 | View Replies]

To: EternalVigilance
You should not try to wind up ambrose, he's trying to be nice!
369 posted on 09/25/2003 9:12:55 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 298 | View Replies]

To: 68 grunt
You can take it to the bank too, y'smuck!
370 posted on 09/25/2003 9:14:24 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 299 | View Replies]

To: BibChr
No kidding, him, too? Wow! Have you asked anyone whether this may be a phenomena of a FR system upgrade or sumtin?
371 posted on 09/25/2003 9:16:19 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 301 | View Replies]

To: massadvj
Just a quick comment since Dan's post a couple above your's, and that is that California has changed. We need radical change! The repubocrats are just as bad as the demolicans. Stand bye, because the wave is coming!
372 posted on 09/25/2003 9:22:52 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 308 | View Replies]

Comment #373 Removed by Moderator

To: Tamsey
that is why they are supporting Davis against the recall. If Davis' numbers looked worse or Cruz's looked better against Arnold, they would be campaigning for Cruz.

You are choosing not to listen. I thought Cruz was unbeatable, remember?

It doesn't matter Tam that you refuse to get it, your friends the Clintons do, and they can assure you of one thing; (R)nold will not be Governor, although I think that would be the best thing that could happen to you at this point, its just the cold reality of their dirt they have on him.

374 posted on 09/25/2003 9:25:42 PM PDT by PeoplesRep_of_LA (That's pre-election bogus, Arnold Schwarzenegger.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 368 | View Replies]

To: Captain Crunch; PhiKapMom
People tend to hear what they want to hear.
375 posted on 09/25/2003 9:26:17 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (Call upon God to move on our behalf...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 373 | View Replies]

Comment #376 Removed by Moderator

To: PhiKapMom
Ma'am, if you hadn't noticed I am kinda a rhino. RINO is also in the eye of the beholder.
377 posted on 09/25/2003 9:28:42 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 311 | View Replies]

To: PeoplesRep_of_LA
You risk by this policy turning conservatism, as you define it, into a powerless political sect.
378 posted on 09/25/2003 9:29:38 PM PDT by buwaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 349 | View Replies]

To: 68 grunt
And this wave will be composed of what people ?
The people that will have to vote in this conservative wave in California are very few, worse, they are leaving or dying out and they will be fewer in the future.
379 posted on 09/25/2003 9:34:30 PM PDT by buwaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 372 | View Replies]

To: fqued
Ahh, okay, but I don't have much time for radio anymore and can't contribute. I was curious what Rush has said, however.
380 posted on 09/25/2003 9:34:56 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 0311, 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 329 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 341-360361-380381-400 ... 501-517 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson