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For the GOP, it's More than a Recall
Lt. Col. Gil Ferguson, USMC (Ret.)

Posted on 09/26/2003 12:00:31 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP

There is no argument about the serious condition of our once golden state. Our debt is greater than all the other states combined, we are but a few million dollars away from bankruptcy. Our tax burden and over regulations are driving business out of the state at an unprecedented rate.

We are at a crucial point in our state’s history. The people themselves; Democrat, Republican and Independents, without the approval or help from any party have called for an election to recall this governor and replace him with another, one who will hopefully lead us out of this mess.

There appears to be a wide agreement on the first question; should we recall Governor Davis. The second part, choosing a new governor, will not be difficult for most Democrats: theirs is a party line vote with only one candidate, Lt. Gov. Bustamante. And even though he said he will raise taxes and further regulate and tax business, forcing more of them to leave, they will vote for him.

For Republicans however this election is about more than which Republican we should vote for. This election is more about the party itself; will we continue to be a party of principle, directed by the philosophy of Lincoln and Reagan or have we laid our principles aside? Do we want to win so badly that it doesn’t matter how or who, just so the next governor has an R behind his name?

The GOP has two candidates: Arnold Schwarzenegger, a celebrity of worldwide fame, with popularity and fame as the Terminator and recognized as a super star among movie idols. He is a good man. His celebrity status alone will attract a huge number of votes for the GOP from Independents, Democrats and especially young voters. Among the 18 to 30 year olds, he is Britney Spears with muscles. They wow over him. Most moderate Republicans and many regular Republicans, those who desperately want a Republican to win, will vote for him. They are prepared to look beyond his political beliefs and character; they just want to win.

Sen. McClintock, on the other hand, is an icon among Republicans. Since the first day he was elected to office, nearly twenty years ago, he has led the fight against the very forces and policies that have now badly tarnished this once golden state. He fought Governor Wilson’s huge tax increase, just as hard as he fought Willie Brown and Gray Davis. His credentials, as well as his character as a conservative Republican, are impeccable.

He has been our party’s leader and severest critic of fraud, corruption and waste in state government. From the very beginning of his career until today, he has warned that unless spending was brought under control, California would end up as it has today.

The knock on McClintock is that he can’t raise the money and so, can’t win this election. The knock on Schwarzenegger is that he is not a true Republican and carries a lot of baggage that the Democrats will probably throw at him just before the election.

Actually, Arnold is no higher in the polls than he was when he started, whereas McClintock has risen from an asterisk to double digits.

In the last election, McClintock was outspent 30 to 1, yet he received more votes than any other other Republican on election day. Had those moderates claiming Tom can’t win today contributed to his election, or given him his fair share of the money donated by the national party, he would have won. McClintock lost the Controller’s race by the slimmest margin in history. Had he been helped by the moderates controlling our state party, California would not now be in the awful mess in which we find ourselves today.

The moderates of the party and most of the GOP congressmen are just where they were prior to the last Governor’s race. On orders from the White House and Karl Rove, many "conservative" congressman support Schwarzenegger, just as they endorsed the moderate Richard Riordan.

The moderates in our party, including the New Majority and those in the Lincoln Club, are intensely interested in electing Schwarzenegger, a moderate. They believe the party’s future, especially in California, is to adopt the Karl Rove/Parsky plan; we must forgo the values of the liberals and accept the invasion of illegals, adopt the big tent, tax and spend and big government philosophy of the Democrats.

Conservatives know that our party’s losses in California, all during the past decade, are due to millions of illegals who have entered California, and – the continued split in our party between the moderate, "Country Club" Republicans and the conservatives.

While Arnold has a high rating in the polls, it has never risen above where it started. McClintock on the other hand has been continually rising, from as asterisk to double digits. There is a cry from moderate Republicans and "concern" from the media that McClintock should withdraw in favor of Arnold, else the GOP might not win and the dreadful Bustamante will become governor.

This dilemma among the GOP might not be so tragic or apocryphal if the contest was between two conservatives, say Simon and McClintock, one would drop out when just before the election the other was ahead. The same can be said if the two Republicans were Arnold and some equally famous, moderate movie star, but it isn’t.

It’s between our brightest Republican star, a conservative icon and a dazzling celebrity. Conservatives at the core of the party are incredulous at those moderates who don’t share those core values, yet are asking the conservative standard bearer to drop out. Conservatives want to win but they know that a win that asks us to repudiate our principles is not a victory, it’s a harbinger of the end.

Lieutenant Colonel Gil Ferguson, USMC (Ret.), served in the California State Assembly from 1984 to 1994.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: mcwampum; recall; tommcclintock
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To: VRWC_minion
Wrong again. Everyone starts out on the same place on the field, everyone starts out with no votes. It only takes the smallest amount of courage to vote for the best candidate. Only if weak minded lemming voters let themselves be led by the nose by their pollster masters will a real republican not win. That is what is going on in Cali.
301 posted on 09/26/2003 4:54:24 PM PDT by TomasUSMC (from tomasUSMC FIGHT FOR THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE)
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To: StoneColdGOP
I am a Republican
I am pro choice
I am for gun control
I am for open borders
I am for big goverment programs
I favor aid to the illegal aliens
I want more businesses in this state so that they can pay for more government programs
I am doing it for the children
I am so Republican that I think I will vote for the democrats

NOT!


302 posted on 09/26/2003 4:59:27 PM PDT by ssdb
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To: My2Cents
Aren't you glad we are not as stupid as they think we are? Same bunch has been doing this since 2000 with the same old, tired rhetoric and will be back for 2004!

If I actually thought they were Republicans that really voted, I would be upset, but am convinced that are not Republican or they wouldn't threaten to stay home or vote for a RAT!
303 posted on 09/26/2003 5:02:31 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Alpha Omnicron Pi Mom too! -- Visit http://www.georgewbush.com!)
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To: PhiKapMom
Let's see....They amounted to, what?...about 1% for "Go Pat Go"?
304 posted on 09/26/2003 5:06:22 PM PDT by My2Cents (Well...there you go again.)
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To: PhiKapMom
If you get banned, I am with you! We have been subjected to all kinds of name calling, threads (vanities) with lying headlines because they support McC are allowed to remain, Arnold has been slandered, we have been slandered, and what happens -- nothing! I got told the other day on here that the owner supported McC so there was nothing I could do.

Maybe if you were a little more vocal about the name calling and slander in the other direction you'd be more credible.

305 posted on 09/26/2003 5:06:54 PM PDT by nosofar
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To: sd-joe
A liberal Republican winning is the worst kind of defeat for conservatism.
306 posted on 09/26/2003 5:17:35 PM PDT by Ol' Sparky
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To: PhiKapMom
We have been subjected to all kinds of name calling, threads (vanities) with lying headlines because they support McC are allowed to remain, Arnold has been slandered, we have been slandered, and what happens -- nothing!

Good grief stop whining already. You're side is giving AT LEAST as good as its getting.

307 posted on 09/26/2003 5:20:19 PM PDT by skeeter (Fac ut vivas)
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To: VRWC_minion
Who says Schwartenkennedy is the least bit conservative? If pulls a Michael Bloomberg, it will be eight years before a conservative candidate can run. If he enacts left-wing ideas that fail, the Republican party may not recover for decades.

A liberal Republican is the worst possible outcome of any election.

308 posted on 09/26/2003 5:21:24 PM PDT by Ol' Sparky
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To: TomasUSMC
*Everyone starts out on the same place on the field, everyone starts out with no votes. It only takes the smallest amount of courage to vote for the best candidate. Only if weak minded lemming voters let themselves be led by the nose by their pollster masters will a real republican not win.*

Can't agree with you. But I'm not a weak minded lemming either, as my conservative credentials go back over 40 years.

I'm just one Rep. voter, who reads a lot of FR but rarely posts. Here's what I've done: given money to TM, talked up TM, voted in every poll I could find for TM.

Here's what I'm going to do: look at the polls before election Tues. and vote for the recall and for the leading Rep. If the election were today, that would be AS.

Here's why: polls are the best and only surrogate for a primary in this race; the recall fails if CB wins (the Dems. will never fear it again); AS is vastly closer to my beliefs than CB.

This is just the conclusion of minnow a the bottom, not intending to influence anyone.


ps. all the vitrol and name calling is not informing this minnow at all; it's just sad....

309 posted on 09/26/2003 5:30:22 PM PDT by Willgamer
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To: PhiKapMom; My2Cents
Now you two are trying to play the victim card? Isn't that precious.

And on and on with the accusations that FReepers who support McClintock are all anti-Bush, Perot supporters, Buchanan brigadiers, McCainiacs, and so on. Enough with the delusions.
Prove your allegations or quit falsely attacking fellow FReepers.
310 posted on 09/26/2003 5:38:55 PM PDT by djreece (Conservative first, Republican second)
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To: Ol' Sparky
>> "A liberal Republican winning is the worst kind of defeat for conservatism." <<

I don't believe that is true. Conservatism wins by convincing others that it has better solutions, not by being a baby and saying "If I can't have it all my way, I am taking my ball and going home."

That does not convince anybody.

311 posted on 09/26/2003 6:03:14 PM PDT by sd-joe
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To: FairOpinion
Well said.
312 posted on 09/26/2003 6:03:56 PM PDT by sd-joe
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To: Ol' Sparky
>> "Who says Schwartenkennedy is the least bit conservative?" <<

There are a lot of conservatives in CA who have spent time with Arnold and say that he is (and yes, he is not AS conservative as I would like him to be).

>> "If pulls a Michael Bloomberg, it will be eight years before a conservative candidate can run." <<

Total wild ass opinion and guess. Arnold is not Bloomberg. Bloomberg has been an active practicing Demonrat, up until he ran in NY. Arnold has been an active practicing Republican ever since he came to America.


313 posted on 09/26/2003 6:12:54 PM PDT by sd-joe
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To: nosofar
70 years ago, Democrats were to the Right of present-day Republicans. The entire Communist platform of 1932 has been implemented as the law of the land and is supported by both parties. I don't say this is completely a bad thing, just that we have been trending to the left in this country for a long time.

Apparently, you are on the wrong website. I agree that the leaders of our fair land have been pulling us left for years. Consider one thing, though, most have had to at least give lip service to conservative principles to get elected (ala Bill Clinton and many others). Why? Because average Americans aren't sold on communism.

314 posted on 09/26/2003 7:13:58 PM PDT by pgyanke (We wouldn't have to fight our War on Terror if Islam would take out its own trash!)
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To: StoneColdGOP
Funny how things work. This recall was kindled by a few grass-roots Conservatives and the fire was kept alive by Joe Sixpack conservatives even while "the GOP" did everything it could to stamp it out.

Lo and behold! The recall that so many "moderate" Republicans decried and avoided like the plague has now become a raging inferno and look who is front and center fanning the flames. The same "pragmatists" who just a few months ago crawled behind any rock it could find to keep from being associated with this effort.

I have only one thing to say. You "moderate", "pragmatic", "c-c-can't we all j-j-just get along", spineless jellyfish Republicans can kiss my royal Irish ass.

315 posted on 09/26/2003 8:18:31 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (Damn the Schwarzegroupies! Full speed ahead!)
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To: Texas Eagle
Bump to your great and very succinct post!!!
316 posted on 09/26/2003 8:28:26 PM PDT by Rabid Dog
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To: StoneColdGOP
I like McClintock.
317 posted on 09/26/2003 9:35:25 PM PDT by freekitty
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To: djreece; PhiKapMom
It's not the "victim card." It's the "disgusted card." I can't speak in regard to you because, frankly, I've never seen any posts from you on FR. In regard to some others, it's best to avoid eye contact with them.
318 posted on 09/26/2003 10:48:33 PM PDT by My2Cents (Well...there you go again.)
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To: My2Cents
It's not the "victim card." It's the "disgusted card." I can't speak in regard to you because, frankly, I've never seen any posts from you on FR. In regard to some others, it's best to avoid eye contact with them.

As though the same can't be said about a multitude of Schwarzenegger supporters on FR?

I'm not talking about you M2C, but I am talking about some of your friends.

I'm not even going to begin to speculate about who started it, or who's worse; it's far too late for that. There's interposter nastines a-plenty from both sides on the recall threads.


319 posted on 09/26/2003 10:53:36 PM PDT by Sabertooth (No Drivers' Licences for Illegal Aliens. Petition SB60. http://www.saveourlicense.com/n_home.htm)
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To: wku man
The RINOs don't seem to realize they need us conservatives, but we don't need them.

That doesn't make any sense.


101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

320 posted on 09/26/2003 11:03:05 PM PDT by rdb3 (One shot is not enough. It takes an uzi to move me.)
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