"This entire philosophy here among others in the CAGOP and some, this thread, is that Republicans in the state must adopt liberalism and forego principles otherwise, "to win." "
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Do you claim that Tom McClintock, the conservative icon is proposing that Republicans must adopt liberalism?! (See his letter further up the thread.)
YOU are the one who is fighting to get Democrats elected, by attacking the Republican candidates.
To quote Tom McClintock:
"Like many of us, I too have disagreements with some of the Governor's proposals. These differences, however, do not justify the abandonment of our party's responsibility to work tirelessly to reelect this Republican governor and to elect our GOP candidates to statewide and legislative offices.
For this reason, I view any effort to attack Governor Schwarzenegger as an attack on my own candidacy and those of every Republican seeking partisan office in 2006. "
The CAGOP, by this attitude, is responsible for killing off Republicans in CA, not the Democrats. If the CAGOP would remain faithful to principle, they'd have principled conservatives and Republicans voting for the conservative candidate.
Instead, they are chasing Republican voters away by this attitude of "win" above all else.
I'd like a Republican in the Governor's office and in our State legislature as much as anyone else. I don't think the way to do that is to promote a liberal candidate by the CAGOP and then reprimand Republicans for being disenchanted.
Excellent points Miller Creek, and shame on you for FO for atacking fellow republicans! What great "rally-the-troups" rhetoric you have FO .....no, wait a minute, your rhetoric is divisive. Are YOU from the democratic party? You sure operate like a divide and conquer liberal.
Any decent conservative would take what MillerCreek said to heart, after all, the leadership needs the grassroots to walk precincts. But you FO, you give no clarion call to action....NO! You insult those who disagree with you, even though it is YOU who break Reagan's eleventh comandement. The CAGOP does not need people with your attitude.
Look, I really find these personal attack messages on FR and anywhere else to be entirely non productive.
I conclude what I conclude based upon what I read, hear and see. I read McClintock's letter and he's trying to shame people to voting for someone even he admits is not a conservative, as a Republican, and doing so with his identified incentive of if we don't vote for that (Schwarzenegger, a liberal registered as a Republican) that we're then responsible for a bad outcome, the "loss" of the office to the GOP.
But he chastises Republicans to vote FOR a liberal candidate as a Republican, which means we are being "advised" that we "need" to abandon our ideals and issues as voters for the mere and only incentive of "winning" by electing yet another liberal to office.
I find McClintock's statement troubling and I don't agree with his failed reasoning there.
I also did not vote for McClintock and after reading this letter of his, won't be at any future time.
I believe the CAGOP has and continues to pursue a bad methodology here, by holding "winning by becoming a liberal but you get to keep your Republican registration" advice as methodology, they literally defy conservative principles upon which MOST OF US REPUBLICANS have believed is incentive to be voting (and registered) as a Republican in the first place.
Draw your own conclusions but please stop pointing fingers at other voters when and as we exercise conscience over for who and how we vote. The animosity implied does more to discourage Republican voters than you seem to be able to accept.
I'm going to continue to vote for candidates that are ethical, who I find as believable as possible and who represent conservative values and ideals.
I won't be voting for Schwarzenegger and I won't consider voting for McClintock after reading that letter. If that makes me someone despicable to the "we're liberals but we're the CAGOP anyway" crowd, so be it.
I am very disappointed, as I wrote earlier, that the Lincoln Club leadership isn't confronting the obvious contradiction of terms here, however. I really had higher expectations of them, knowing many members in my lifetime -- and I can't imagine THEM as individuals not shaking their heads in disgust at McClintock's letter.