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Another Time for Choosing (McClintock for Governor)
October 6, 2003 | StoneColdGOP

Posted on 10/06/2003 9:52:32 AM PDT by StoneColdGOP

With Election Day voting just hours away, conservative voters need to take a hard look at their choices in the recall election. Voting "Yes" on the recall itself to oust Gray Davis is a no-brainer, as voters of all parties and ideologies up and down the state have signed the petitions and are responsible for successfully qualifying the historic ballot question.

But while the recall itself seems headed for a decisive victory, the matter of our failed governor's successor is one that should be causing conservative voters concern. Democrats, at least those willing to recognize Davis will not survive, logically gravitate to left-wing race-baiter and Mechista Cruz Bustamante, or unabashedly embrace their socialist colors by backing the Greens' Peter Camejo. And some of course refuse to acknowledge question two, insisting on a "No on Recall" line alone.

That of course leaves us with two candidates who are contenders for the votes of California's largely conservative Republicans. Oddly enough, only one of the two is himself a conservative, Senator Tom McClintock. The other is Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor with moderate to liberal view on "troublesome" social issues, which some complain year in and year out are the reasons more traditional Republicans are unelectable to statewide office in California. And so, in the name of pragmatism, many solid conservatives have joined their more centrist colleagues in endorsing and supporting Schwarzenegger, many within days or hours of his entrance to the race and to the shock of many supporting the long-time and proven standard bearer of conservatism, Senator McClintock.

Mr. Schwarzenegger can boast the endorsement of most of California's Republican congressmen, senators and assemblymen, including many stalwart conservatives, as well as Lincoln Clubs up and down the state, the majority of the California Republican County Chairmen, and the Board of Directors (but not the full general membership, it should be noted) of the California Republican Party. McClintock's supporters include a handful of unwavering Republican legislators, Reagan advisor Lyn Nofziger, commentator Bruce Herschensohn, and the endorsement of the preeminent Republican volunteer organization in the state, the California Republican Assembly.

The common knock on Sen. McClintock, and thus the reason many say they won't vote for him, is that he just cannot win. This argument of course, is a self-fulfilling prophecy, if they all refuse to vote for him on the grounds he can't win, then obviously he won't. On the other hand, if voters who regard McClintock as their #1 choice (but settle pragmatically for someone else "electable") do vote their conscience and cast their ballot for McClintock, he CAN win. That however requires conservatives to unite, and ignore the pressure and tactics of Republican Party "leaders".

Enter the campaign to discredit Tom McClintock and discourage his legions of dedicated volunteers. The Republican Establishment is almost totally united against him, as they've never really been that fond of him. The past few weeks have seen not the kind of typically vicious attacks on McClintock from the liberal left we expect, they have instead come, sometimes openly and sometimes whispered, from other Republicans and conservatives. Some like Hugh Hewitt have continually talked down McClintock and his supporters, most recently equating a vote for McClintock to a vote for just about every despised leftist sort from Bill Clinton to the L.A. Times. One particularly poisonous opinion piece compared Sen. McClintock to Gray Davis, with "marginally better hair" (how charitable). Then came the arguments that McClintock's tenacity and stubborn refusal to drop out and hand the race to Mr. Schwarzenegger were the result of his blinding, personal and selfish ambition. Right, the same ambition led him to seek the all-powerful and celebrated job of� state controller. Twice. Especially when he could have easily been a serious contender for governor in 2002, eh? Then there were the charges of McClintock being tainted by taking EEEVIL Indian gaming money and being the beneficiary of Indian independent expenditures. I don't know that this one had much effect. I don't mind Indians. I don't mind gambling. And I don't mind Indians gambling, or offering the Pale Faces a way to gamble on their lands without taking the trip to Vegas. Besides, McClintock was on their side of the Indian sovereignty issue long before they were ever in a position to benefit him politically.

Finally there are the not too veiled threats to McClintock and his supporters of political irrelevance if he were to remain the race and cost the actor a win. There's also talk of recruiting a liberal Republican to run against and defeat Sen. McClintock in the primary next year for his re-election to the 19th Senate district seat if, as they expect, he loses the race for governor.

All this for a Republican who has steadfastly and resolutely stood for conservative values, fiscal responsibility, smaller government and lower taxes in the Legislature and never backed down. And he's never gone on record saying he's "embarrassed to be a Republican", either.

It's funny, because the voters I ran into this weekend while walking precincts DO remember and know what Tom has done for them and DO NOT share sentiments of retaliation and strong-arm tactics to force him from the race. Talk about a disconnect! Seems a rather large one exists between the Republican Establishment and the Republican grassroots and voters. In fact I found quite a few Republican voters quite adamant about supporting McClintock, no matter what the polls say. They were elated to know people were out campaigning for him and made it clear they'd help and try to get as many people as they could to support Tom. And I managed to convince some marginally Schwarzenegger voters to follow the prompting of their conscience and vote for Senator McClintock. They're all glad he stuck to his guns and stood his ground, no one I found wanted him to drop out.

Neither should anyone else. They should want him in the race and want him in to win, and not just keep his supporters' "Yes on Recall" votes in the equation. And yes, HE CAN WIN. All it takes is for every voter who believes Tom to best candidate to vote for him. All that is required for victory is for every voter who says Tom is his or her first choice to go ahead and support him.

That way, conservatives can stay true to their principles, Republican and other voters will know they have sided with the best man for the job, and with Tom McClintock as governor, the Republican Party will not suffer a leftward tilt that would ensure its eventual demise.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: endorsement; gopeatsitself; tommcclintock
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To: hobbes1
Hmmmm? Is that what happened to you in NEW YORK!! when you elected Hillary ???
41 posted on 10/06/2003 11:07:37 AM PDT by CyberAnt
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To: exmarine
There are plenty of REAL conservatives who have endorsed Arnold. Just check out the list:

http://www.joinarnold.com/en/leadership/endorsements.php

42 posted on 10/06/2003 11:07:50 AM PDT by Recourse
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To: bootyist-monk
Sorry .. your data is faulty .. the 30 was the group for Davis .. not Tom. I live in San Diego, and I know!
43 posted on 10/06/2003 11:09:24 AM PDT by CyberAnt
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To: buffyt
. IF Arnold is guilty of these charges he has a problem. If he was doing this two years ago, he REALLY has a problem.

How about 3 years ago?? 2000?? IF, and I say IF....these allegations are true, Bustamante WILL BE the next Governor because many GOP California voters,voted for Arnold and not Tom.....sad how casting " bread on the water....returns".

44 posted on 10/06/2003 11:10:13 AM PDT by pollywog
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To: StoneColdGOP
The second rate state senator from California's 5 minutes are about up. He has served Hillary well in her strategy to capture the White House in 2004. Tomorrow, he won't matter anymore...
45 posted on 10/06/2003 11:11:00 AM PDT by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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To: CounterCounterCulture
LMAO.. Thanks!
46 posted on 10/06/2003 11:11:15 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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47 posted on 10/06/2003 11:13:23 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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To: daviddennis
Next year your G5 will seem pretty puny compared to the Pentium V's coming out w/ 4-7GHz CPUS and 4GHz FSB memory buses... and the chip is STACKABLE when you want multiple processors! Don't know how they will cool the darned things tho...
48 posted on 10/06/2003 11:14:55 AM PDT by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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To: Recourse
There are plenty of REAL conservatives who have endorsed Arnold. Just check out the list:

In that case, they have sold out their values for pragmatism. No way around it. This is NOT a principled act - it is an act of prostitution.

49 posted on 10/06/2003 11:16:40 AM PDT by exmarine
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To: StoneColdGOP
FYI - I was out there in the fierce Fresno heat on Saturday "walking for Tom" when I happened on your average Joe working in his front yard. He thanked me for the brochure and then said, "Any one with an ounce of common sense will be voting for Tom McClintock." I rest my case.
50 posted on 10/06/2003 11:16:56 AM PDT by Saundra Duffy (For victory & freedom!!!)
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To: Impeach the Boy
YES. Is he going to win, NO.

The real winners will be the liberals if anyone other than McClintock wins. The losers of course will be the people of California. Not that they don't deserve it.

51 posted on 10/06/2003 11:18:57 AM PDT by Protagoras (The only thing worse than drugs is the war on drugs)
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To: engrpat
75% is better than 0%.

There's the problem right there. This is a division between moderate and conservative Republicans. Moderates may very well agree with Arnold on 75% of the issues, but conservatives simply do not.

52 posted on 10/06/2003 11:20:45 AM PDT by jmc813 (Arnold needs to drop out now for the good of the party.)
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To: StoneColdGOP
For more reasons, see:

'We Have to Destroy California to Save It': Arnold Opposes AND Supports Illegal Immigration

53 posted on 10/06/2003 11:23:24 AM PDT by mrustow (no tag)
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To: StoneColdGOP
Good essay.
The Republican Party Apparatus can KMA.
I'm voting for Tom. If BustaMECHA wins, blame them for
splitting the vote by endorsing a RINO.
54 posted on 10/06/2003 11:42:28 AM PDT by jrp
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To: StoneColdGOP
Your boy, Tom McClintock, was in Palm Springs on Saturday. And just what was he doing? Well, he was kissing Indian butt at an Indian dinner. There he was, Mr. Clean Tom, kissing the same butts as Gray Davis and Cruz Bustamante. And there was his picture in the Desert Sun. The only thing missing was the headline, "Tom Kisses Indian Butts."

I was a big McClintock supporter. Now, I will support whomever the Republicans ask to run against him in the Republican primary for his Senate seat in the next election. Tom is an egotistical spoil sport. He would rather have Cruz Bustamante then accept that he cannot get elected and give his support to Arnold.

And please, don't tell me that he is a man of principles. Your man of principles accepted hundreds of thousands of Indian dollars. The Indians aren't dumb. They don't want Tom. They just don't want Arnold. So they want Tom to be the spoiler.
55 posted on 10/06/2003 11:50:30 AM PDT by CdMGuy
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To: CdMGuy
No man is without sin in the eyes of God or his fellow man.

One of arnie's former staff members until recent just took a job with a Las Vegas gambling syndicate. Probably nothing there but you don;t suppose the nevada gambling folks might be trying to wangle some influence into the arnie administration thru back doors,possibly? hmmm?

Anything goes these days after all, and by the way, it is legal for the indians to support who they will. Is that a crime, or are you just one more losing frequenter of indian casinos too? Did I hear a BINGO?
56 posted on 10/06/2003 11:58:45 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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To: CdMGuy
Before Casinos, Indians lived in abject poverty. Why would you,.as a Republican, fault the Indians for spending their new found wealth as they wish and for what they wish and for whom they wish?
57 posted on 10/06/2003 12:01:30 PM PDT by born yesterday
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To: NormsRevenge
Sorry pal, I only frequent the casinos for the buffets, or in the case of Vegas, for the shows as well. And since you don't live in CA now, and won't have to live with Bustamante and his tough love tax increases now, I don't care about your opinion.
58 posted on 10/06/2003 12:03:50 PM PDT by CdMGuy
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To: CyberAnt
Despite apparently impossible odds, McClintock told a group of 40 people gathered at the ``Walk for Tom'' rally here that he is poised for an upset victory.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/6937974.htm

Yeah, I was off by 10. I'm guessing since you live in San Diego (and know!) that you were one of the ones there. What a massive base of support Tom Tom has.
59 posted on 10/06/2003 12:22:43 PM PDT by bootyist-monk (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
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To: StoneColdGOP
Now is the time for conservatives to come home and vote for Tom.

Please include a BARF ALERT with such idiotic comments.

60 posted on 10/06/2003 12:23:17 PM PDT by montag813 (Fire Tenet...Jail Joseph Wilson...Rally 'Round Our President, Dammit!!!)
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