Posted on 10/08/2003 11:53:42 AM PDT by Maria S
The pundits are in full “I told you so” mode about California’s election results.
Here’s my two cents.
The first and immediate big loser is the liberal media, exemplified by the Los Angeles Times.
They demonstrated that they served as nothing more than a political hit machine for the Democrats and Gray Davis.
Shame on them. Shame on them for waiting until the last minute with the allegations against Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I am not one to dismiss the charges they brought. Some, especially ones suggesting assault, are serious. Had these issues been raised fairly two weeks ago, the public and Arnold Schwarzenegger would have had time to examine them.
The New York Times shares in the shame parade. Its last-minute (fictional) “Arnold said nice things about Hitler” story was befitting of the National Enquirer. But the really significant losers are Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Bill Clinton invested quite a bit of time in the California race. He personally campaigned for Gray Davis. And Davis has admitted that Clinton was his key adviser.
Davis apparently listened to the ex-president. Davis went on a campaign jihad against “the vast right-wing conspiracy” and the “evil Republicans.” This is all out of the Clinton playbook.
It worked for the Clintons during the impeachment because practically anything would have worked – Clinton had a booming economy and a nation at peace. The country did not want change.
California is a much different story.
I believe Davis could have beaten off the recall. Had the gracious Davis we saw conceding last night been the Davis Californians saw during the recall race, he would have remained governor of California.
But he embraced Clinton. He listened to Clinton. Didn’t he know the voters are tired of Clintonism? The Sept. 29 poll by CNN/USA Today/Gallup showed that Clinton's campaigning made voters more likely to vote for the recall.
When the ex-president came to Florida last year to campaign for Bill McBride, the Democrat running against Gov. Jeb Bush, Clinton destroyed McBride. Up until Clinton’s arrival, McBride had been surging in the opinion polls. Almost from the minute Clinton arrived, the numbers started to drop. McBride was finished.
The Clintons’ disaster in California may have poisoned their own well.
The Schwarzenegger phenomenon now puts a question mark on whether Hillary should run for president. The Democrats believed California was solidly in the Democrat column during the 2004 race. That is no longer certain.
Wesley Clark has also closely identified with the Clintons. This alliance is helping his nascent campaign now. But the specter of the Clintons will hurt him in a presidential race.
You can be sure of it. If you don’t believe me, ask Al Gore.
Yes, I know. :-)
Thank you , Bill, BTW. We owe you one.
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