McClintock Does Conservatives No Favor

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Oct. 6, 2003 | Jennifer Nelson

[FairOpinion]

Tom McClintock believes he is helping the conservative cause in California by staying in the governor's race. The state senator from Thousand Oaks couldn't be more wrong.

Attempting to recall Gov. Gray Davis is a risky business. Many people, including U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who helped finance the effort, have considered voting against the recall just to avoid the chance of electing Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to the state's top job. Davis has failed as governor, but he has steered a moderately liberal course so he could continue to raise money from big business. Bustamante, however, has made no effort to disguise his disdain for business owners and will move state policy sharply to the left on all fronts.

[NittanyLion]

#120 was directed at you...

[Chancellor Palpatine]

ping to my 101

[Chancellor Palpatine]

They don't care, and wear it as a badge of honor. They're kinda like the good looking trampy girl at the high school beer bash - high on themselves even as they're being used by person after person.

[Hildy]

You can take my silence as an admission that I'm not on this sight 24 hours a day. Take it anyway you want. It's just an observation.

[NittanyLion]

LOL. You posted at regular intervals for the last hour, according to the Find in Forum tool.

Regardless, I'll drop it now. As you said, it was simply an observation. Anyway, I wouldn't want to find myself worrying about my future...

[My2Cents]

Not to form a contrast with Arnold. McC simply said that it was honorable to keep his promise to stay in the race to the end. Of course, there is the promise to Darrell Issa that he would withdraw from the race as to not be a spoiler to a frontrunning Republican. Last week, it appeared Arnold was running away with the recall election. Davis' last-minute slime piece, thanks to the LA Times, appears to have stopped Arnold's surge. While polls still show Arnold with a comfortable lead over Bustamante, the cynicism generated by the Davis/LA Times hit piece on Arnold has an unpredictable effect. Tom could still play the spoiler, particularly if Arnold's win is slight, allowing the Democratics to challenge his win in the courts.

[Catspaw]

I see this notion of "country club elites" bandied about a lot regarding this recall.

Moi a country club elite? Hardly.

But I'm pragmatic. And I'd rather see a governor with an R behind his name than one with a D. I held my nose last year and voted for a very poor candidate with an R behind his name rather than see a D elected (the D was still elected, but without my help).

If the 15% of the R's want to help put a D in the statehouse, but like the Naderites, they'll have to live with what they've done.

[hresources]

Why is it every time I look at Mc Clintock's eyes, I feel like I have to look away. It hurts to see those eyes so wide open and not blinking. Oh well, maybe it's just a California Alien thing.

[pgyanke]

Here is where California needs fiscal help...

Cut wasteful social programs... do you see (R)nold as willing to make tough calls in this area? Don't forget, he's proud of his social liberalism and no one mentions that social liberalism leads to fiscal socialism. Also, do you see the legislature (which has already aligned against him) as allowing his efforts?

Cut support programs for illegal immigrants... he's already spoken of his softness on this issue.

Cut taxes... he's already hedged on his "no new taxes" pledge and shown he doesn't believe in the stimulative value of tax cuts. He holds the option to raise taxes if a crisis arises... in his mind, this will raise revenue even though history doesn't support this view.

The only area where he can deliver the goods is in stopping the pandering to special interests. The problem here is that he doesn't realize that much of the state has become large special interests with hands out. He's already stated that one of these statewide special interests (the children) should have first dibs on the state treasury.

To rescue the sinking budget, he will have to cut spending. To cut spending, he will have to make tough social choices. To make these tough social choices, he will have to go against the liberal viewpoint. Here is where he has already admitted that he will fail.

Why, exactly, does he have Republican support and McClintock does not? Oh yeah, because he's ahead in the polls.

[onyx]

Are you mentally impaired? McC can have all the amswers in the world but he cannot and will not win, so his "answers" mean NOTHING!

Posted by ArneFufkin to BunnySlippers
On News/Activism 10/05/2003 1:44 PM PDT #25 of 48

It is beyond credulity that the economic, political and societal future of 38 million people and the 8th largest economy in the world is being PLAYED WITH by a group of messianic cultists. It's insanity.

[John Lenin]

Thats right.

McMeathhead/The Enemy Within !

[MeekOneGOP]

This article lays it all out!

It sure does ! Thanks for the post and the ping ...

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow ! And this the SF Chronicle ? ...

[FairOpinion]

Did you see this?

I think Arnold will pleasantly surprise conservatives.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/995436/posts

Schwarzenegger: Cut spending, taxes

As governor, I will work to get the state's fiscal house in order. Immediately upon taking office, I will order an independent, top-to-bottom audit of the state budget -- due back to me in 60 days. That way, we can get a clear picture -- uncluttered by politics and special interest influence --

of how we can bring spending under control without neglecting our most important obligations.

This audit will accomplish two important things. First, it will give us independent information to determine our true operating deficit. And second, it will let us identify specific line items that can be reduced.

The problem is overspending, and the deficit must be closed by getting spending under control. Our first order of business is to get California's operating deficit under control. I will ensure that California's government lives within its means -- something working families manage to do every day -- and rein in spending to close the operating deficit.

I am also firmly opposed to raising taxes.

Californians are already overtaxed, they suffer under one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, and just about everything a Californian does today is subject to one tax or another. You turn on the light in the morning -- you get taxed. You drink your coffee -- you get taxed. You get in your car - - you get taxed. Tax, tax, tax -- from morning to night.

Hitting taxpayers up for more money isn't the answer to our state's budget and economic problems. They shouldn't be punished because the politicians in Sacramento have failed to keep the books balanced.

The problem is overspending, and the operating deficit must be closed by getting spending under control. That's why I support placing a cap on state spending.

[StoneColdGOP]

He's doing me a favor. He's giving me someone to vote for.

Go suck a lemon, Jennifer Nelson.

[Dan from Michigan]

according to the polls, he doesn't have a chance of winning.

Polls don't, never have, and never will decide elections.

[Tempest]

Tom McClintock's campaign strategy.

[FairOpinion]

"He's doing me a favor. He's giving me someone to vote for. "

Sure, Bustamante.

This is still true:

[pgyanke]

I did. My point is that social liberalism leads to fiscal socialism. He can't give the kids "first dibs on the treasury" without enacting spending programs or supporting current policies.

I question whether he will have the guts, support or inclination to roll back the programs that need the most roll back to meet conservative fiscal principles.

You put your money to your values. He may be saying what we want him to say on the money side, but he certainly isn't on the cultural values side.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!