Schwarzenegger Candidacy Illustrates The Republican Party's Lack Of Commitment To Conservatism

Toogood Reports ^ | October 5, 2003 | Chuck Baldwin

[Vindiciae Contra TyrannoSCOTUS]

If there is anyone left who truly believes the Republican Party is committed to genuine conservative principles, the candidacy of bodybuilder/actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's next governor should be enough to set the record straight.

Despite Schwarzenegger's extreme liberal views, he has won praise from Republicans nationwide. On virtually every issue worth noting, Schwarzenegger comes down on the left side of the page.

Schwarzenegger is pro-abortion, pro-homosexual rights, pro-gun control, pro-green, and pro-illegal immigration. He even said that Clinton's impeachment made him "ashamed" to call himself a Republican.

Furthermore, Schwarzenegger's immoral escapades make even Bill Clinton look unsoiled. He once bragged in an Oui magazine interview about participating in sex orgies, not to mention his repeated admissions of drug use.

In spite of his personal and philosophical discrepancies, Schwarzenegger has received accolades from notable conservatives such as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Pat Robertson, not to mention practically the entire national Republican hierarchy.

Writing for The New York Times, Frank Rich correctly observed, "It is hilarious to watch conservatives, the same conservatives who often decry phony Hollywood liberals and their followers, betray their own inviolate principles to bask in Arnold's hulking movie-star aura so that they might possibly gain a nominal Republican victory in the bargain."

By supporting a liberal such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republicans demonstrate that they have no real loyalty to conservative principles. Beyond that, by supporting Schwarzenegger, they have turned their backs on a true conservative gubernatorial candidate, Tom McClintock.

However, people who are paying attention know that this is the rule, not the exception, for the Republican Party. In race after race, Republican heavyweights will throw their support behind a liberal candidate and will starve out a conservative candidate. This is not an accident or a coincidence. It is the party's plan A. The Republican Party no more desires conservatives in political office than the Democrat Party does, and people who think otherwise are only deceiving themselves.

At some point, conservatives must awaken to the reality that they do not have a political party in Washington, D.C., that represents them. They must, at some point, be willing to abandon the Republican Party and unite around a party and a candidate that will courageously and consistently promote their principles. Can I get a second for Judge Roy Moore and the Constitution Party?

[pgyanke]

This is the only way to get our foot in the door and show the people of CA that conservatism is not the demon the liberals claim it to be.

What do they learn if they only get conservative-lite? In this election, that would be someone who agrees with the liberals on nearly all of their social issues but is against higher taxes (in most circumstances). They learn that conservatism is about the money and liberalism is about the heart.

Is this really the lesson we want to be preachin'?

[RightWhale]

If the Republican Party wants to ever be otherwise than an ineffective minority party, it has to attract the majority, and that means moderates. Hard-right conservatives are a minority and always will be so. Just a touch of pragmatism, a little cream in the coffee.

[Alberta's Child]

The author raises some excellent points here, but he also makes a common mistake by making a direct connection between the Republican Party and conservative politics. The Republican Party is "conservative" only in a sense that the GOP is the dominant party in areas of the country that tend to be more conservative. Once you get out of those areas and into the "blue states," all bets are off. A Republican politician or successful political candidate in New York or California, by and large, is almost indistinguishable from his or her Democratic counterpart.

This is the sole reason why I refuse to register for any political party even though my political philosophy closely corresponds to the "official" Republican Party platform -- I got sick and tired of being in a position where I could not possibly support a GOP candidate for public office.

[cogitator]

If the Republican Party wants to ever be otherwise than an ineffective minority party, it has to attract the majority, and that means moderates. Hard-right conservatives are a minority and always will be so. Just a touch of pragmatism, a little cream in the coffee.

Being a Republican in Maryland, I certainly have to agree, but I never thought the Republican Party would embrace a neo-liberal like Arnold so much, just in order to win. Well, the seeds are sown; we shall see what shall be reaped.

[MHGinTN]

This is the CALIFORNIA Republican Party, and that is a whole different animal from the national party. Leftafornia will get what it wants. They elected Davis and re-elected him. If they want his criminal enterprise to continue, it makes no difference what the opposition looks like. The Pope could be running for election and California would reject him for being too conservative. What does it serve to continue electing liberal pukes like Davis because the most conservative candidate is not liberal enough? The better question is 'Whne arer Californians going to awaken and realize their love affair with liberalism is what has gotten them into these messes and until they choose to divorce the bitch, they will continue to have a failing state unless the economy is on the most grand growth binge!

[pollywog]

pgyanke (God doesn't compromise... and He didn't call us to either!)

Your TAGLINE says it all!!Thank you....I WILL NOT bow down to golden idols if ALL of California does.

[Vindiciae Contra TyrannoSCOTUS]

I got sick and tired of being in a position where I could not possibly support a GOP candidate for public office.
The local affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies where I vote, will not endorse a RINO either.

[Ol' Sparky]

I agree with the Baldwin, but Rush has NOT endorsed Schwartenegger and has stated he is disturbed by those that do.

[Alberta's Child]

You have to remember that much of Arnold's support comes not from Republicans, but from Democrats, independents, and people with no political affiliation who have never voted before.

I call it "The Jesse Ventura Effect" -- in a race among more than two candidates, the winner is usually the one who can attract the most support among "non-traditional" voters.

[RightWhale]

neo-liberal like Arnold

That he is. I wonder when the Democrat party will sprout a conservative branch. Just a matter of time.

[Alberta's Child]

Another recall ping.

[Ebenezer]

You don't have to read Chuck Baldwin or anybody else to realize that something is wrong when conservative commentators like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh rally behind a political and ideological liability like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dr. Keyes and the Jews for Morality organization were right in endorsing McClintock.

What does a man profit by gaining the world while losing his soul in the process? Sean and Rush, in the end, look like silly GOP apologists sticking to the myth that the importance lies in winning elections at any cost. Yeah, McClintock is a decent guy, he is a genuine conservative, but he doesn't have a chance, blah, blah, blah.

So, what good will a Schwarzenegger governorship do to conservative values in California, and America, for that matter? Absolutely none! Therefore, we have nothing to gain and much to lose.

[attiladhun2]

I supported Tom McClintock until a couple of weeks ago. He then said something I thought was idiotic. He said that it does no good to win if we abandon our principles. I got to thinking about that statement. What good are principles if you always lose? Will any of your principles be implemented into law if your faction always loses elections? You will become irrelevant. That is why it is better to support a candidate that has a chance of winning and having a least a few of your ideas implemented into law than supporting one who is ideologically pure, yet has no chance of winning. So I say to every conservative out there--Vote for Arnold.
By the way, I am about as rock-rib conservative as you will get: pro-second amendment, pro life, strict-constitutionalist, evangelical Christian, pro capitalist, pro military, etc.

[RightWhale]

Another thing is that when a far right conservative or a far left radical gets into office, he finds himself hamstrung anyway by the moderate majority. Subjectively maybe sometimes it's annoying, but other times it is a good thing.

[Dave S]

Baldwin is the very southern, radical, Christian conservative. Socialist or Christian Conservative.....which will it be?

Baldwin is a kook who claims to be a Christian Conservative.

[mrustow]

In a related vein, see:

'We Have to Destroy California to Save It': Arnold Opposes AND Supports Illegal Immigration

[Dave S]

Still, in this Age of Clinton such "bombshells" will probably rarely again affect truly undecided voters.

When I first heard the allegations my thought was that the only people that the bombshells would affect would be the right wing conservatives that were going to vote for McClintock anyway and the radical feminists who were going to vote for Bustamante. The "soccer moms' in the middle demonstrated in '96 that Paula Jones, Marcia Willy and such was not going to have any impact on their vote. If anything they would be more likely to vote for him because of the bad boy image and the subliminal hope that maybe he would hit on them.

[Dave S]

I agree with the Baldwin, but Rush has NOT endorsed Schwartenegger and has stated he is disturbed by those that do.

And Rush just said a minute ago that he hasnt taken a side in this race other than he's for the recall and against Bustamante.

[xzins]

So there's your choice:

Davis, The man who claims to be a democrat but is an incompetent radical socialist

OR

Baldwin, The man who claims to be a Christian conservative, but is a kooky Christian conservative.

WHICH DO YOU PICK AS BEING THE WORST?

[philosofy123]

Sean hannity is having an orgasm over Arnold!