Posted on 06/11/2006 9:26:08 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
There is an Associated Press article from yesterday that highlights the unprecedented investment that is being put together to mobilize Republican volunteers to turn out voters for the GOP ticket this November, headed up by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This operation represents a significant financial commitment by Team Schwarzenegger to a ground game. He has hired top notch operatives to head up the effort, and has assembled a field staff many-dozens strong that is deployed throughout the Golden State. The Governor should be applauded for his financial commitment to turning out Republican voters. This level of resource-commitment is truly unprecidented!
However, to use the proverbial saying -- "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" -- the key component to the success of the large scale effort is going to be the volunteers (the target goal is to mobilize 90,000 volunteers). Therein lies the single biggest challenge for the State GOP's Victory Program. Governor Schwarzenegger must do more than invest dollars and professional staff into a statewide mobilization effort -- he must campaign on themes and on issues that are going to excite Republican volunteers. In this case, good Republican policies lead to good Republican volunteerism.
First and foremost, I should make it abundantly clear (which I do quite often on this page) that I support Arnold Schwarzenegger for re-election. So my observations here are well-intentioned, with the idea that they will hopefully spur some thought or contemplation by those in a position to give him input.
Right now, core GOP volunteers are not energized and excited. I know this because I interact with them all of the time. I also get a lot of feedback as this website is read by many, many Republican volunteers. The lion's share of their frustration is stemming from the DC calamity -- where Republicans are dropping the ball on the illegal immigration enforcement issue, and have completely squandered the GOP mandate to be the party of lower spending as federal largesse has risen substantially under the Elephant banner. These are not California-specific creations, but it is a national downer for GOP enthusiasm.
This makes the challenge even greater for Governor Schwarzenegger, who, being at the top of the GOP ticket, is going to be the primary attraction to get GOP volunteers involved. To do this, the Governor needs to have a campaign theme that is going to get these disenchanted GOPers excited. He needs to create the energy and enthusiasm so that his large investment in a Victory Program can pay off. Without the volunteers, the effort will finish exactly where it starts -- with a core group of paid workers.
Right now, the Governor seems to be intent on framing his campaign around a theme of spending. He is trumpeting his infrastructure spending plan as a key reason for why Californians should get out and vote. He is emphasizing his environment credentials, as well as his commitment to making a taxpayer investment in preschool education. These themes may all resonate with centrist voters, but they are not going to excite core GOP volunteers. While most Republicans agree with the need for infrastructure fixes, bonding to do it instead of spending from our record-high annual state income does not sit right. Furthermore the bonds are filled with so much pork that you have to sort out the infrastructure from the social-engineering projects inserted by the Democrats. Let's not forget that GOP legislators by-and-large overwhelmingly opposed placing these bond measures on the ballot - so they are, by definition, a divisive issue on which to campaign.
In order get those volunteer cards signed by earnest, energized Republican workers, the Governor should consider some ideas espoused by the Republican Party, such as:
Taking a harder line on the State Budget. It won't take much belt-tightening to make the Democrats scream, and bolster the Governor's position on being a fiscal conservative.
Announce some solid initiatives to try to "disincentivize" criminal aliens from residing in California -- employer sanctions, requiring proper ID for state services, and a pledge to never sign a bill to allow illegal aliens to have a license to drive.
Furthermore, he should call for legislation to impound the car of anyone driving who is not a documented, legal resident. A strategic retreat from support of a "guest worker" (read: AMNESTY) program would be helpful. (These items are important because they counter the exact issues about which GOPers are concerned -- the "DC doldrums".)
Propose tax CUTS - or one-time tax refunds. It should be California families, not state government, that enjoys the fruits of a healthy economy.
Endorse both the parental notification and the Protect Our Homes property rights measures on the November ballot.
Prepare a statewide "veto tour" of California, rejecting the flurry of liberal legislation that will land on his desk in the coming months, courtesy of the left-wing legislature.
It would be a mistake to assume that merely contrasting an ultra-liberal Phil Angelides with a centrist Schwarzenegger is going to motivate core GOP activists. Volunteers are best motivated not by being 'against' something -- but by being 'FOR' something. No one is expecting Arnold Schwarzenegger to be a right-winger -- but the ideas I mention above are just a few main-stream things he can do to help the great team that is being assembled to be best able to do their job. I know many of the folks on the Victory '06 ("V6) team and they are very capable. But it will take some campaigning by the Governor on positive, GOP-friendly issues to enable them to be successful and to really turn out the vote.
Even with all of that, the whole California ticket had best hope that the GOP in Washington comes up with some achievements on spending control, does not pass some sort of amnesty/guest worker program, and perhaps even comes up with a definable exit-strategy for the engagement in Iraq (I get a lot of e-mail from Republicans on this). If not, there will still be a volunteer program. Some volunteers will still 'step up' just to fight off the specter of Angelides being Governor. But the numbers of enthusiastic volunteers will be a lot less than their potential if the Governor doesn't adjust his campaign rhetoric to appeal to the Republican base. The Governor can't control what happens in D.C., but he can create an energetic campaign that quells, not feeds, the concerns of grassroots Republicans.
Just ask the folks doing GOP turnout in the 50th Special Election, where it ended up mainly being a GOTV effort by paid staffers 'dispatched' to the area. Republicans are unhappy right now with their elected representatives. It will take an serious effort to get them volunteering, an effort that starts with the President and Congress in Washington, D.C., and the Governor here in the Golden State. It wasn't just Democrats but also Republicans that had a record low turnout last Tuesday.
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Article leads off the following FR thread.
GOP fashioning Bush-style turnout operation for Cal election
Nah...I'm sure FO and newzjunkey have 90,000 friends just like them, willing to give up vacation time and work their butts off because Arnold has an (R) next to his name and don't care that he has complete contempt for the Party Platform. The (R) is all that matters.
What would excite grassroots Republicans is that Arnold would do a 180 on many of his policies and that the national GOP would do the same. Our grassroots fervor is in much better shape when we're not nauseous.
The right in California always claims to have lots of power. The problem is the election results do not bear that out.
Arnie is Governor of California because he took his half of the voters out of the middle leaving both the left and the right as minorities. Arnie's get out the vote effort is designed to get out the middle. He appoints Democrats to positions in an effort to prove he is indeed a man of the middle. Arnie will not even try to get out the right.
Your problem is you think you are the horse Arnie wants to lead. It is the moderates who will be lead to the water.. and they will take a deep drink.
If conservatives had the power to elect anyone Tom McClintock would be governor. But he is not now and will never be governor.
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Sad, but most likely true. This state has been overrun by illegals and over the past thirty years has bred and cultivated a highly liberal, leftist breed of kids through the treasonous liberal school system, that there is not alot of hope, from a pure numbers viewpoint. A good conservative like McClintock would be near impotent unless the state legislature could be cleaned out of the socialist vermin that are running and killing this state.
So you don't think that in the Recall scenario we had that Tom was electable?
Let's just hope what's in the pond doesn't end up killing all of us. ;-)
It likely will take 4 more years to 'educate' some folks..
The state budget will continue to swell as it runs at a 10% annual growth rate, raising taxes will be inevitable as who has the will to cut anything ?
If that is some folks idea of a successful organization or operation, then the sooner it bellys up , the better.
let me add a bit to my question..
So you don't think that in the Recall scenario we had that Tom was electable if the Gubinator hadn't tossed his hat in the ring?
Excellent points, superbly expressed.
PING to Common Tator's terrific post, hitting the nail on the head:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1647362/posts?page=4#4
The state budget will continue to swell as it runs at a 10% annual growth rate, raising taxes will be inevitable as who has the will to cut anything ?
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Yes, the runaway spending and socialism in our state will be its final undoing. As the productive businesses continue to move out of the state, the libs will keep raising taxes, which will be the final death spiral for the what was the nation's strongest state economy. And of course we have to keep increasing spending on illegal aliens -- over $10 Billion per year now...again for liberal votes and empowerment.
Sad to see what was the nations' greatest state, turned into a liberal latrine, a welfare-entitlement state pandering to gutter-level voters all for the sake of liberal empowerment. All in the total absence of any kind of government spending control.
I agree, it is sad.
This state is still full of potential, but this no holds barred spending binge that started in the late 90s continues pretty much unabated, no matter how much the Gub and his staff tries to say otherwise.
The borrowing that was done after the Recall to tide the state over gave the dems an out that has been nothing but the drop in the bucket of borrowing to come.
This is not all the sole doing of the dems either btw, as one need only ask who proposes budgets and who signs them?
The real question is, do the conservatives want to have Angelides as governor? Those who don't do everything in their power to help Arnold and other Republicans get elected, at the very least getting out and voting for them, will be directly responsible if Angelides gets elected and the following disaster for CA.
Conservatives apparently don't remember Bill Clinton. It's the CONSERVATES, who weren't happy with GHW Bush, because he was "not conservative enough" for them, who stayed home or voted for Ross Perot and gave us 8 years of Clinton.
And apparently they didn't learn their lesson, because they want to defeat Arnold, thereby electing Angelides.
If Arnold hadn't gotten into the race, we would now have Goernor Bustamante.
Of course the Dem Legislature has nothing to do with the spending, (/sarcasm) since you don't even mention their part -- the main reason we have such runaway spending. They are the ones who are taking the money Arnold wants to take to pay off the debt and spend it on useless things.
Democrats push state budget to historic vote; Republicans wary
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1647082/posts
That's your opinion. there are others who think elsewise.
" there are others who think elsewise"
Yes others have other OPINIONS.
Of course facts support my opinion, but everyone is entitled to have an opinion, however removed from reality.
The dems are always culpable and a perennial scapegoat, it is folks like you who are however blinded to the spending and borrowing on the other side of the aisle, specifically driven by the Gub and his inderlings and backers who benefit form bonds bonds bonds. deny it all you want,, it's typical and to be expected from the blind mice brigade,..
your "facts" support diddly. 3 years FO, what was the increase in the budget, how much was discretionary, or do you even care?
It seems not.
"The dems are always culpable and a perennial scapegoat, "
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Now your true colors are showing, you consider the Dems merely a "scapegoat" for "Republican overspending". Of course, the Republicans are the real "big spenders" that's why you are advocating electing Democrats, like Anglides, who are "merely being used as scapegoats" by the "evil Republicans".
Why don't you post your post at DU, they'll love you for it.
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