And to that, I say an unequivocal bull$hit. Conservatives can win when they run STRONG UNAPOLOGETIC CANDIDATES. McClintock is just that man, that's why he did better than ANY OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE running last year. Conservatism isn't a loser, but RINOs are. Case closed.
That's the most important statement of the thread. I'm torn (though I'm also lucky to NOT be living in California). I like many aspects of Arnold - he is very schrewd, bright, and has a very strong business sense. Economically, if he can work with the legislature, he has as good a chance of repairing the state budget as anybody and he can carry the supporting legislators upwards with him.
But there's a dark side to Arnold. He's not pro-life and, more importantly, he's not pro-second amendment. Why do I say "more importantly"? Because the second amendment provides the only teeth that 'we the people' have to enforce the constitution. Without it, all other constitutional rights are meaningless in the long run.
My take - as an outsider, I'm not going to offer my support unless Arnold backs off on the second amendment - that's my final litmus test.
Defeatist.
Why don't you just go crawl in a hole and die.
You'd be doing the republic a favor.