Tuesday's Defeat - The Senator's thoughts on the special election..Tom McClintock

CaliforniaRepublic.org ^ | 11/14/05 | Tom McClintock

[NormsRevenge]

In 1945, Winston Churchill was swept from office in a devastating election defeat just days after leading England safely through World War II. As he watched in morose silence as the results rolled in, Clementine sat beside him, patted his knee and said, “If you ask me, Winston, it’s a blessing in disguise.” Churchill growled, “At the moment, madam, it is very well disguised, indeed.”

I’m not going to pretend that Tuesday’s election was anything other than what it was: an unmitigated and stunning defeat of some of the most basic principles of good government ever put to a vote: that government should live within its means; that politicians shouldn’t chose who gets to vote for them; that teachers should demonstrate sustained competence before they’re granted lifetime tenure; that public employees have a right to decide for themselves what candidates they’ll support with their own money; and that parents have a right to know if their teenaged daughter is undergoing an abortion.

Nor am I going to pretend that the election can be easily dismissed as a fluke. It was a major setback in the cause of reform and a major victory for the government unions that are now ascendant, emboldened and unchallenged in their domination of our political and legislative process.

There are many lessons to be learned and to be learned well. But as Mark Twain warned, “We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits on a hot stove-lid; she will never sit on a hot stove-lid again--and that is well; but also she will never sit on a cold one anymore."

I have always said that it is naïve to believe that the same legislature that got California into its mess is going to get it back out. The Governor learned this during the first year of his administration, when, despite a few cosmetic and incremental successes, no serious reforms survived the legislature and the state’s finances continued to deteriorate (masked by a $15 billion infusion of borrowed money).

The governor ultimately had no alternative than to bring this impasse to a head and appeal directly to the people. He could have maintained a façade of bipartisanship, contented himself to tinker at the margins, put forth pleasing half-measures while the state’s deficit continued to mount – but he chose finally to confront the state’s condition boldly and forthrightly. And he knew that to do so, he had to confront the government unions responsible for that condition.

Should the election have been called sooner, when civic attention and the Governor’s popularity were at an all-time high? Could the reforms have been better selected, framed and crafted? Would a clearer presentation of these issues have prevailed?

Those shoulda-coulda-woulda questions are important ones and I don’t begrudge the pundits who are now raising and answering them. But they should be tempered by Teddy Roosevelt’s observation that, "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again (because there is no effort without error or shortcoming), but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause…”

Now the watchword is “compromise,” but through all this soothing rhetoric there is a hardened reality: the government unions are now in a stronger political position than ever and no “compromise” will escape the Capitol without their seal of approval. And that means the state will continue to drift upon the course that has already brought it to the brink of insolvency, until the next crisis awakens voters.

Elections are decisive moments in time that record a snapshot of public judgment, but they are conducted in a dynamic world where events can quickly reshape the political landscape. If the fundamental course of the government is not changed – and the government unions have an intense self-interest and demonstrated ability NOT to change – crises will visit California with increasing frequency and intensity. In such an environment, the politics of the state could shift very rapidly.

Whatever the Governor does in response to the election, it is imperative that he levels with the people on the actual fiscal condition of the state and that he is very clear and uncompromising in presenting the solutions that must ultimately resolve it. And when watered-down and meaningless changes are all that emerge from the legislature, he must resist the temptation to proclaim them as anything more.

We humans are creatures of habit. We instinctively resist change and engineer our institutions of government to resist it as well. Change occurs in a society only after the necessity for it finally overcomes our own resistance. That is why serious reforms only come in a state of agitation – and why the recall succeeded in 2003, while the reforms to consummate that recall failed two years later. The recall proceeded while the public perceived a crisis and the reforms were attempted when they did not.

When the next crisis comes, the Governor will find a new appreciation among Californians for what he was trying to do in this election, and a more receptive electorate to do so in the next.

[fifedom]

The Republicans sure weren't helping out Arnold. I got several mailers from Dick Armey asking me to vote against the re-districting but saying saying nothing about the other propositions. The only other mailers I got were from Arnold's group. The sad fact is most elected Republicans pols LOVE the current districts since it ensures a safe seat even though it's in a guaranteed minority.

[Grampa Dave]

Good for the voters of Orange County.

A pox on the walk on water conservatives like my two neighbors who sat out this election.

These same A$$holes proudly sat out the 92 and 96 elections and proudly helped the Clintoons into office to rape and plunder America. They weren't that proud of Reagan until his second term.

[COEXERJ145]

Most of those so called California conservative critics, who didn't vote and stayed home in a temper tantrum are those who perceive themselves as the Pure Walk on Water Conservatives. They had rather bitch about something in their lunacy than do something about the problem. They spend more time stabbing Arnold and GW in the back than eliminating liberals.

You hit the nail on the head.

We can see examples of this every day on FR. The huge number of Bush haters all because he doesn't do as they demand on their single, stupid pet issue.

[Grampa Dave]

"I got several mailers from Dick Armey asking me to vote against the re-districting but saying saying nothing about the other propositions. The only other mailers I got were from Arnold's group."

I didn't get that mailer, but several republicans did. One couple decided to sit out the election, because they were confused after the Armey mailer came in. However, it backfired with another couple, they voted and sent Armey a note to mind his OFB.

[Grampa Dave]

"We can see examples of this every day on FR. The huge number of Bush haters all because he doesn't do as they demand on their single, stupid pet issue."

Clearly and sadly stated.

[Grampa Dave]

"Time and time and time and time again, I have seen such so-called real conservatives find something to get their knickers in a twist just in time to either not vote or vote for some fringe candidate or third party to "send a message."

Maybe they can form a third party of those with Twisted Knickers over some petty thing or nothing.

[Grampa Dave]

Arnold vetoed over 200 rat bills this year so far. A couple of cpas who monitor this activity said that those vetoes saved us billions in taxes this year and every year.

I wasn't that great of a fan of Pete Wilson's, but I kept voting for him because of his vetoes of the insanity from Willie Brown and other rats in the legislature.

[68 grunt]

... When the next crisis comes, the Governor will find a new appreciation among Californians for what he was trying to do in this election, and a more receptive electorate to do so in the next.

BS ~ when the next crisis comes the ilk will know just what to do to negate any gains by the right.

[68 grunt]

... Are they French?

The ilk? Nah, they're phonies, just liberal scum pretending to be conservative in order to scare the middleground from joining us on the right.

[kellynla]

"Does the Cal. Governor have the line item veto?"

YES!


But little Petee Wilson(the last RINO governor we had and this RINO's "adviser" has yet to inform the governor about it. LOL)

Bottom line:
Schwarzenegger failed to take advantage of his popularity poll numbers when they were in stratosphere the first few months of his office when he could and IMO should have taken McClintock's "13 Percent Solution" and ran with it!

The state budget deficit would have been virtually eliminated by now and revenues would have pushed the state into the black at which point he could have initiated the elimination of the state income tax which in turn would have not only convinced companies like Nissan to stay in CA but other companies to move here.

But that is all water under the bridge and you can pretty much put a fork in Schwarzenegger now.
He'll be packing up and going back to the movies in 2007 where he'll know what to say and do because he'll have a script. LOL

[68 grunt]

... But that is all water under the bridge and you can pretty much put a fork in Schwarzenegger now.

Stick your fork in California conservatism now. The right hasn't a chance now, thanks to the extremists, and, of course, the ilk.

[kellynla]

I hope you are not expecting a response from me on your post...

I have a long memory and I didn't like the insult you posted in 7/2005.

You still owe me an apology...
and no I haven't been holding my breath but you are indeed a disappointment in my book.

so you can forget about posting to me in the future until you apologize for your insulting remarks made to me in July.

cyaaaaaaaa

[68 grunt]

hope you are not expecting a response from me on your post...

You just responded, bright boy. Here's your apology, rolled up, now shove it.

[Sergio]

I've told my wife that the solution to California's fiscal problems will not come from within the state, but from Wall Street.

When California's bond rating gets to "junk" status, and no one will lend the state money, that's when you'll see change.

Best Regards

Sergio

[kellynla]

"Here's your apology, rolled up, now shove it."

you're a reeeel "class act" ...

and any day you think you have the balls to insult me to my face, you just let me know..."bright boy" LMAO

[tophat9000]

These same A$$holes proudly sat out the 92 and 96 elections and proudly helped the Clintoons into office to rape and plunder America. They weren't that proud of Reagan until his second term.

Then by definition I would say these were not conservative base but "stick a finger in the wind", go with the flow, mushy middle moderates, the "me to" hop on the band wagon types" totally fickle in there core beliefs go with whatever is pop, hip and cool at the time

In other words Arnold's Hollywood Action Hero star struck "core base" of 2003 that has now bailed on him now that Arnold's glitter is gone

Gee who would of thunk it? /sarcasm off

[68 grunt]

I'm in LA, you backed out before, what changed?

[kellynla]

"you backed out before?"


Show me anywhere, any post and/or freep mail where you offered to meet me?

[Carry_Okie]

However well I understand your frustration, promoting that perception doesn't accomplish anything beneficial.

[68 grunt]

Me? I offered to stand between you and Southhack, make sure it was an honorable encounter. Thats when your feelings toward me first went sour. Thats when my impression of you went south.