GOP sees recall vote as sign of tough fight for Democrats in '04

Jubilant Republican strategists said yesterday that Arnold Schwarzenegger's election to the California governorship has given their party a huge boost going into the 2004 elections and will force Democrats to spend more to hold on to the state.

White House and Republican Party officials said Mr. Schwarzenegger's victory in the heavily Democratic state was a successful political pre-election test of President Bush's core campaign agenda of lower taxes, a more robust business climate and faster job creation. The agenda attracted surprisingly strong support from the Democrats' core political base, with blacks, Hispanics and labor union members voting in large numbers to oust Gov. Gray Davis and replace him with the Republican movie star.

DANG FREEPERS KEPT ME FROM BECOMING THE WORLD'S GREEN KING!

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"It seems like it was more of a personal than a political decision that was based more on the personalities of the candidates," said DNC spokesman Tony Welch.

More DNC spin. If Gray Davis had a gregarious personality and still embraced out of mainstream views, he still would have lost. Liberals continue to delude themselves into thinking its not the content, its the packaging that's responsible for Democratic defeat after Democratic defeat.

"California is a Democratic state and will remain so. Arnold proved that, because he ran on Democratic issues as a pro-choice and gay rights candidate," he said.

California may lean Democratic but the kooks and wackos who have taken over the party live in Ground Zero: the Bay Area. Cruz The Snooze won support for his tax and spend and illegal alien friendly policies in that one corner of the state. Arnold and Tom together won a combined 63% percent of the vote. Arnold didn't run as social liberal; he ran as a fiscal conservative candidate on a platform of eliminating the car tax hike, not raising taxes, reducing spending, and cleaning up Sacramento. Hardly the agenda your typical California Democrat will run on for statewide office.

"People wanted Davis out. This was the message. This was not about Democrats; this was all about Gray Davis," Miss Brazile said.

Voters rejected the Davis liberal philosophy. This was a slap at Bill and Hillary Clinton and a repudiation of the campaigning they and the Ten Dwarfs did on behalf of Gray Davis. In short, it wasn't just the man, it was the message, stupid.

I find the whole premise of this article lacking (though I wish I could embrace its main point). The Dems chose early on not to have credible candidates on the ballot (such as discouraging Feinstein). So Dem voters had the choice of keeping this Administration (Davis/Bustamante) or rejecting it. Who is more likely to turn out in a recall election? Those happy with this pairing, or those upset with it?

I hope the GOP's giddiness soon gives way a bit to reality.

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