For the GOP, it's More than a Recall

Lt. Col. Gil Ferguson, USMC (Ret.)

[StoneColdGOP]

Gil's right on!

McClintock for Governor!

[EggsAckley]

ping

[kellynla]

Marine Bump!

[Rabid Dog]

This is what I am talking about. Tom supporters know what is going on. If the G.O.P. wants to stop supporting its planks - it should have the courtesy and honesty of letting its constituencey know. Just don't be surprised if alot of us leave the party.

Bump for the truth.

[kellynla]

Expediency vs. principle
If Supreme Court puts recall back on track, a crucial choice looms Oct. 7
By DOUG GAMBLE
The former writer for President Reagan lives in Carmel.

Assuming the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and puts the California recall election back on track, and state Sen. Tom McClintock stays in the race, Republicans will have to choose between expediency and principle Oct. 7. At the moment, expediency is leading in the polls.

If this were a primary, the conservative bent of state Republicans would probably mean a McClintock victory over Arnold Schwarzenegger. But since the candidate receiving the most votes becomes governor if Gray Davis is recalled, conservatives are tempted to give Schwarzenegger a free pass on ideology just to have a Republican as chief executive.

Even if it means postponing a GOP governorship until January 2007 - and I believe a conservative running a smart campaign can win statewide office in this state - I hope California Republicans will match McClintock's principled stand on the issues with principles of their own and vote for him over a watered-down Republican whose unofficial campaign slogan seems to be, "Details, schmetails." If he were Arnold Schwarzenegger, insurance agent, instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor, his campaign would be a joke and unworthy of coverage.

The fact is his support is built entirely on a foundation of celebrity. How else to explain the all- news channels breaking away from regular programming to cover live the actor's every utterance before a microphone? It is only a movie star's fame that makes him more media-worthy than McClintock.

When Schwarzenegger is greeted at campaign events by throngs of squealing teen-age girls and crowds pressing forward for handshakes and autographs, it has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with fame. The actor's calculation, probably correct, is that in our celebrity-obsessed culture, star appeal trumps substance.

Those who vote for Schwarzenegger will do so without really knowing what they'll be getting. He still speaks in vague generalities and has not spelled out the particulars of achieving stated goals. According to TV ads that contain more fluff than the lint filter of an overused clothes dryer, his entire solution to the budget deficit is to "open the books."

He has said nothing about what programs he'll cut, and, although he insists he won't raise taxes, I don't believe him.

Particularly irksome is his decision to duck all but one of the scheduled debates. What other than political cowardice and contempt for the voters would cause a candidate to pass up opportunities to make his case before a statewide TV audience, a viewership made all the larger by interest in the recall? And what credible candidate would refuse to hold a news conference at a party's state convention as Schwarzenegger did last weekend?

Yet even such solid Republicans as Orange County Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and conservative spitfire Ann Coulter seem to have fallen under the Schwarzenegger celebrity spell, backing a candidate who is pro-abortion, favors gun control and gay adoptions and is to the left of Sen. Dianne Feinstein on school vouchers.

Schwarzenegger is compared to Ronald Reagan, but the real Reagan Republican in this race is McClintock, a courageous fighter against big government and higher taxes for over two decades. Also, it is McClintock who has seen a recent surge in poll numbers while Schwarzenegger's have remained relatively stagnant. But apparently no good work goes unpunished as the California GOP sees it, so it's the genuine Republican the party wants to boot to the sidelines.

If enough Republicans vote for Schwarzenegger, he may become governor, but at what cost to the party's soul? Their votes will decide if conservative principles are worth fighting for or whether most California Republicans are just star-struck groupies.

Orange County Register 9/16/2003

[habs4ever]

Self indulgent crap, but thanks for posting it!

[sd-joe]

A vote that results in the Demoncrat opposition winning is NOT a win. It is a flat out LOSS.

[Amerigomag]

Two things are certain.

Until the next election cycle only one of the four major contenders for governor can put a cork in the legislature. Davis and Bustamante obviously won't and Schwarzenegger's record indicates he will probably capitulate on social spending especially if it's "for the children".

The second thing that is certain is that Mcclintock can't become governor if I don't vote for him. He's staying the course and so am I.

[Rabid Dog]

Ah, first arrival from the trash posse.

[milan]

I have said this once and I will say it again: I wish McClintock could win. But he can't. If everyone sticks by their principles, fine. Enjoy Bustamante.

[Rabid Dog]

Jeez, so far not too many responses to the article - just mostly RNC spam.

[zbigreddogz]

I'm gonna stick with my principles. My principles say that I would rather have a team player who I agree with most of the time then either a dellusional egomaniac who is out for himself or a racist taxraiser.

My principles say Arnold.

[skeeter]

Watchout now, your gonna upset our "moderate" friends...

[SunStar]

[SunStar]

"I am the only candidate at this table who has signed a no-tax pledge. I am the only candidate at this table who supports Proposition 54 to stop the government from racially classifying every one of us. I'm the only candidate at this table that opposes the bill that gives driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. I'm the only candidate at this table who's pro-life. I'm the only candidate who supports the entire Bill of Rights, including our Second Amendment. And I'm the only candidate who for 20 years in the public arena has proposed and fought for precisely those fiscal forms that are desperately needed to straighten out this state's finances."

"People tell me all the time that 'you care more about your principles than you care about winning'. First of all, I believe that if you stick to your principles, you will win. And secondly, if you don't stick to your principles, what is the point of winning?"

"When I entered this race, I made a promise to stay in right to the finish line. I keep my promises."

Tom McClintock
September 24, 2003

[Digger]

The 6th largest country in the world & the best that it can produce to be its CEO is Ahrnold or Cruz!! Give us a break.

[skeeter]

When Schwarzenegger is greeted at campaign events by throngs of squealing teen-age girls

Oddly similar to what happens here when pro-AS articles are posted...

[pgyanke]

My principles say that I would rather have a team player who I agree with most of the time then either a dellusional egomaniac who is out for himself or a racist taxraiser.

My principles say Arnold.

I thought you were talking about supporting McClintock until the last. How can you write this tripe without a /sarcasm tag?!

[TJC]

can you say governor 'socialist, marxist, anti-business, racist, anti-white, pro illegal invasion, greasy, fat, corrupt pig'bustamante

[milan]

My common sense says Arnold.