California Liberalism: Out Of Fashion

CommonConservative.com ^ | 8/17/03 | Tom Adkins

[TomAdkinsCC]

CALIFORNIA LIBERALISM; OUT OF FASHION?

Arnold is just buttons on a bad suit

by Tom Adkins 08/16/03

In California, everyone owns a black leather jacket. Everyone. Why? Because Californians think it's cool to wear a black leather jacket. And in California, cool means everything. If you aren't cool, nobody talks to you. Your friends stop calling. People sneer at you in line at the 7-11. So everyone wears a black leather jacket.

In California, everyone is liberal. Why? Because Californians think it's cool to be liberal. And if you aren't cool in California, well…it's very, very bad. So everyone is liberal.

The difference is that a black leather jacket, while ostentatious and useless, sets you back a couple hundred bucks. But a liberal government, equally ostentatious and useless, will set you back about 38 billion dollars. Per year.

But that's the price of being cool. Frivolous expenses you must have to maintain your circle of friends. And that is exactly what's happened to California politics.

Californians have a dangerous combination of vanity and fashion slavery. Just like nobody wants to be seen without black leather, no Californian dares show up with a "Bill Simon" lapel button. Bad fashion. Everyone would talk. Except to you. Very bad, indeed!

But for most of America, the Great Liberal Revolution is long over. Unfortunately, Californians are way behind the political fashion curve, afraid to change the style. Who will be the first to break away from being cool? So, they keep giving in further and further to the left-wing extreme. Now, hopelessly ignoring their political tailor, their liberalism wears like an old leisure suit. Liberal style is passé. Yet paralyzed by fashion, Californians can't admit it.

Then will Californians have the brains and guts to admit their political style is dated? Apparently not. Californians are swooning for Arnold Schwarzenegger like he's another guru. He's a "fiscal conservative and a social liberal," which offers Californians the "out" necessary to swallow a "R" next to his ballot. He's a cool liberal who will pay the bills, right? Wrong. Some folks can't get it through their thick skulls that social liberalism and fiscal conservatism cannot coexist. It's like claiming you are a churchgoing liquor-swigging porn star.

Sadly, Californians will discover they can't get a new suit by changing the buttons. Arnold will wear poorly. The problems won't get fixed because liberal ideas always have a price. Sometimes social destruction, sometimes financial destruction, but always a price. California got into this mess by staying at the liberal party long past closing time. Now, they have a fiscal hangover. And they are falling for that old "drink some more and it'll go away" advice. The only way out is to stop swigging all that socialism in the first place.

But that's not where the Governator is heading. With moderate Pete Wilson, former Secretary of State George Schultz, Democratic strategist Bonnie Reece, liberal billionaire Warren Buffet and maybe Rob Lowe, this campaign team looks like an Armani going through a Jackson Pollack car wash. Buffet, who proves capitalism is so amazing even a liberal fool can make a billion dollars, is the chief financial advisor. His first suggestion? Raise real estate taxes. How else will they fund Arnold's multi-billion dollar kiddie programs?

The problem with California is remarkably simple. They tax too much. They spend too much. And they created an immense bureaucracy and miles of red tape to defend the bureaucrats and unions, who have developed finely-honed skills of leeching from California. Will Arnold have the guts and savvy to take them on? Doubtful. His social liberalism can't let him. The price will be paid eventually.

There is only one way to fix a crisis caused by too much liberalism: get conservative fast. But that usually requires hitting rock bottom first. Before they have a shot at changing their ways, Californians will have to wake up in a political gutter, slathered in garbage, sludge and their own retchings,. But look at the bright side. The day that happens, they might toss away their goofy leisure suit politics, and maybe even that tired old black leather jacket. And buy a new suit made from classic, conservative fabric. That would be very cool.

[goldstategop]

I wear a Levi's trucker sherpa jacket in the cool season. The classic wear never goes of fashion and I've believed for many years now conservatism is the real, cool deal.

[fr_freak]

*sigh*

Too many people view California as this monolithic liberal bastion and they take glee in watching while it collapses under the weight of all of the leftist, socialist policies that have dominated it for years. But what people in the rest of the country, and even some in the narcissistic areas of LA and SF, forget is that a very, very large number of those people suffering under that weight are actually conservative people who probably have found the strength to remain in California today only through the hope and faith that one day their vote will finally count against the throngs of leftist freaks primarily along the coast. But, barring that in the near future, at least we can get some recognition and support from the sane part of the nation instead of being told how stupid and leftist we are.

[DoctorZIn]

PING!

Join Us for a Complete Listing of All The Recall Threads.

[George W. Bush]

Some folks can't get it through their thick skulls that social liberalism and fiscal conservatism cannot coexist. It's like claiming you are a churchgoing liquor-swigging porn star.

LOL. This applies to a lot of RINOs...

[George W. Bush]

But what people in the rest of the country, and even some in the narcissistic areas of LA and SF, forget is that a very, very large number of those people suffering under that weight are actually conservative people who probably have found the strength to remain in California today only through the hope and faith that one day their vote will finally count against the throngs of leftist freaks primarily along the coast.

Look, the illegal voter schemes and payoff systems for the Lefties mean they will always be able to import enough freaks and aliens to maintain Dims (including Arnie) in power. If that should fail them, they still have the courts packed enough to last at least a decade.

This has been apparent for years. Don't expect anything else. Move away from California if you don't want to continue to subsidize it.

There is considerable glee in watching California finally pay the price for its policies. But then, the rest of us have seen California's bad ideas seep across the country for a long time. For conservatives, California is the political equivalent of an open sewer.

[goldstategop]

Which may not be worth saving. The Democrats can't turn the state around with their liberal policies and Arnold may have too weak a mandate to resist an ultra lefty State Legislature in the event he is elected Governor.

[tkathy]

Social issues have nothing to do with fiscal conservative issues. The two are entirely different.

[usurper]

Social issues have nothing to do with fiscal conservative issues. The two are entirely different.

I respectfully disagree. The liberals have used California’s wealth to pay for their grand social experiments. Every social issue from education, homelessness, medical care comes with a price tag.

Primarily for many democrats it’s simply about buying votes, “Vote for me and I will give you free stuff”. Now that the money is all gone along with the “free stuff” the voters are upset. Unfortunately, the majority of Cali voters will never understand that when you give the government a dollar and they give you back a quarter you are not getting something for free.

[=Intervention=]

How do you think that the government gets the funds to pay for social programs, if not through increased taxation? Thus, the two are linked.

[George W. Bush]

bump

tkathy, you should think about what Intervention just said. It isn't really rocket science.

[George W. Bush]

The Democrats can't turn the state around with their liberal policies and Arnold may have too weak a mandate to resist an ultra lefty State Legislature in the event he is elected Governor.

Which is why so many of us think that California should be left to simmer in its own juices under Dim management until they learn about voting for Dims. Some temporary fix isn't desirable. We need to change the way the majority in California votes. To do that, we need to let them suffer the results of their voting habits. Their own votes are what got them into this mess to begin with.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Good article.

I'm a California conservative Republican and I live in San Francisco. I'm always ahead of the cool curve. After me others WILL follow...as usual :)

[Charlie OK]

great article

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

Gray Must Pay
Cruz Must Lose

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[BunnySlippers]

In California, everyone owns a black leather jacket. Everyone. Why? Because Californians think it's cool to wear a black leather jacket. And in California, cool means everything. If you aren't cool, nobody talks to you. Your friends stop calling. People sneer at you in line at the 7-11. So everyone wears a black leather jacket.

Right off the bat, this guy is an idiot!

[gcruse]

social liberalism and fiscal conservatism cannot coexist.

Bull puckey.  It's called libertarianism.  You may do whatever you please that does no violence to another.  Just don't expect that rest of us to pay for it or its consequences.  Any more questions?