Threat of spoiler's role doesn't faze McClintock

Times-Herald ^ | 9-29-03 | AP

[ambrose]

ping

[Tempest]

A recent LA Times poll has revealed that Tom McClintock's chances of winning the election are about on par with this chap.

On Saturday, Bustamante publicly applauded McClintock's tenacity and said the state senator was the only one with momentum in the race.

``He's left him alone, as well he should,'' Democratic consultant Gale Kaufman said of Bustamante's treatment of McClintock. ``As long as he stays in the race, it helps Cruz Bustamante.''

California Democratic Party chairman Art Torres, who in recent public appearances has also praised McClintock, agrees with the strategy: ``When you have a potential to be elected governor with a small percentage of the vote, it makes sense.''

Source: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/6881429.htm

Go Tom... Go . . .

[Luke Skyfreeper]

"When I was walking through the airport in Colorado Springs, people were coming up to me and saying, 'You're Tom McClintock!' and I would say to them, 'What part of California are you from?' " McClintock recounted. "They'd tell me they were from places like Texas and Tennessee. I don't know what it is about this race that has the whole nation watching."

If McClintock had a brain, it should be fairly obvious to him that a large portion of his fame stems from the same dynamic as that of the man who was asked what he would do if two trains were speeding toward each other from opposite directions on the same train track. "I'd call my brother Bill," he replied. Why? "Bill ain't never seen a train wreck."

McClintock being the driver of the second train.

[BonnieJ]

He can campaign non-stop the next several days & trash Arnold all he wants but he probably won't gain any votes. Most of those who still support him are the "come hell or high water" crowd who wouldn't vote for a pro-choice person even if the future of the world depended on it. I often wonder what they do in states like Maine and New York where the Republican in the general election most always is pro-choice. Probably they go with 3rd parties or stay home.

[BonnieJ]

His comment about being recognized by people from other states is very telling. He is star-struck...with himself. All these years of obscurity and suddenly he's famous. It won't last but he's thrilled now and refuses to let it go. Or to see its real origins.

[CheneyChick]

Dunno, ambrose, the more I read about this guy, the more questions I have.... He seems to like the role of the lone maverick. Like it or not, this doesn't work in politics if you want to get things done. You need to be able to work well with others. This troubles me - especially for future campaigns and political aspirations he might have (as you know, I've already made my choice on this election). While I like his ideas, his methodology leaves serious doubts.

(Plus, I'm still waiting for him to answer what he meant by "spoiler" in his conversation with Issa.)

[Tempest]

The funny part is that the only reason why he got national exposure is because Arnold Schwarzenneger was in the debate. Yet Tom thinks that alll the attention and fuss was over him.

Anyways, I find it it very ironic that Tom was in Colorado to accept money from many of the "country club going, cocktail swilling conservatives" that he so claims to oppose. :^)

It's such delicious irony.

[ambrose]

I'll say this:

I'm not pleased about the "terrorist threat" remark. However, I won't read too much into it, given the media's tendency to distort things for good copy.

The writer of this article seemed to have an axe to grind. Just look at the photo.. both the angle and black/white color used.

Perhaps Maria Shriver is beginning to cash in some IOUs from old friends?

[Enough is ENOUGH]

I read some of the slime on Arnold that we'll be hearing about in vivid detail this coming week. It's graphic and damning. If Bustamante gets elected because of this there are going to be a lot of people eating crow.

[Tempest]

You're right. I mean every Freeper knows that unless it's a Pro-McClintock article published by the LA Times or the SF Chronicle it can't have any real merit. . .

[Tempest]

Pray tell. What kind of slime is this and where can I read about it?

[A CA Guy]

Democrats are willing to pay/find a woman willing to say she had an affair...or what she thought was an affair.

This is expected by Davis and should get Arnold another 4 points.

[BonnieJ]

Will it be the black woman, or someone posing as her, from the Oui article? If they just have one woman with allegations of an extra-marital affair, that doesn't seem too terribly "graphic & damning" as an earlier poster stated...unless there are photos? Or a stained blue dress?

[Capitalist Eric]

McClintock shrugs off these kinds of predictions as "terrorist threats" from people who've never liked him anyway, and repeats his vow to race to the finish.

This is the key sentence. Of course he never heard the expression,

"Politicians never see the light until they feel the heat..."

By the time he feels the real heat from jeopardizing this election- regardless of whether Schwarzenegger wins- it will be too late... His political career is finished. I hope he's updated his resume', because he will be terminated...

[Ronin]

Barring a smoking gun with Arnold's prints on it, there is no way that McClintok is going to pull enough votes to win. You can sit down and do the math anyway you want to, but unless you are using "Million Man Math" it just doesn't compute.

Unless, of course, there is a campaign-busting scandal out there with Arnold's name on it, and Tom is just waiting for Davis to spring it.

If there is, and he knows what it is, he also knows that Davis will use it. That's a pretty safe bet. Davis wins elections by going negative and showing no mercy. It's the way he has always (as near as I can tell) won.

Bustamante is already fading. He was never much of an attraction anyhow. So, forget him. Now, what's left?

Here's my theory in a nutshell.

McClintok is staying in because he expects Arnold to be terminated politically by Davis, but at the same time he expects Davis to suffer politically for the use of his negative ads.

This will leave him as the only undamaged candidate on the field to whom all the Republicans will flock to on election day.

Too wild? Hmmmm... maybe I need another layer of tinfoil...

[FairOpinion]

"I read some of the slime on Arnold that we'll be hearing about in vivid detail this coming week. "

==

Read where?
Is McClintock going to be the one to release it or do you have an inside track to what Davis/Bustamante are doing?

[Tempest]

I'm curious to know where Enough is enough has gotten his information and what this information is exactly. The whole cloak and dagger bit is not sitting well with me.

I'm under the impression that the public is pretty sick and tired of this last minute mud-slinging attempt by either political parties the only appetites that "dirt" is going to satiate is going to be the appetites of the true believers from either party.

[Tempest]

Oh I don't know he still might have a chance at running for the post of dog-catcher ;^)

[BunnySlippers]

I read some of the slime on Arnold that we'll be hearing about in vivid detail this coming week. It's graphic and damning.

Why don't you tell us about it? In more detail. And where you read it.