>> "California Republican Party, could have very easily invited him to leave." <<
They could have invited him to leave, but it probably wouldn't make any difference. Arnold decided to run on his own, he has his own personal ambitions, just like McC has his own personal ambitions.
>> "Simon lost precisely because he didn't stick to what he claimed were his principles when the pressure mounted " <<
Really, what principles did he not stick to? Simon lost because Davis spent a lot of money publicising garbage about Simon.
>> "California, as liberal as it supposedly is, would elect a conservative." <<
It did in the past (Reagan) and I hope it will in the future, but the dynamics are not in favor of that at this point in time.
You slam the CA Repub party, but McC has to take some responsibility for not being a team player in the past.
The Ca Repub party wants to win, and has made its choice based on the best analysis that they could do as to which candidate would achieve that.
You know, I find it interesting that you excoriate McClintock for not being a "team player," but when I suggest Arnold be a "team player" by stepping aside for the more qualified, candidate (who, polls show, is electible), you defend him. I don't hate Arnold. He has every right to pursue his ambition. What I don't like is when a bunch of otherwise good-hearted people are hoodwinked into voting for someone because they are told he represents their only choice. This is, demonstrably, not the case. If everyone who thought McClintock would do the best job as governor voted for him, he would not only win, but win in a
landslide. Californians will deserve exactly what they get. Sadly, with Arnold as governor, it will affect everyone else, as well, for his strategy, as he has said it, is to petition the federal government for more money, and to crack down on waste.
What is waste, to Arnold? On that, he is ambiguous, but based on his admitted "socially liberal" philosophy, it is not what you or I might consider "waste."
The Ca Repub party wants to win,
And if they took their heads out of the sand for two seconds, they would see that this "victory" they will likely get will cost them their heart in the long run. "They" (because it is increasingly questionable whether the CARP and McClintock support the same things) could still win, without Arnold, but since they don't believe it, they cannot convince anyone else that they can win.