Analysis: Schwarzenegger Increasingly Seen by GOP as Party's Best Bet

Sacramento Bee ^ | September 15, 2003 | Amy Chance

[pogo101]

LOS ANGELES -- It was only last year that many state Republican Party activists were opting to back newcomer Bill Simon over former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Though Riordan was widely considered the more electable of the two, he had consorted politically with Democrats for years, and Simon sided with the party's conservative activists on social issues. Their pick won the nomination only to lose the general election to Gov. Gray Davis.

[pogo101]

Didn't find this in a pretty careful search by headline just now.

[68 grunt]

"I think a lot of Republicans understand that if Schwarzenegger loses the election on October 7 that the Republican Party in California is going to be entering the dark ages for the next decade,"

Shout it from the rooftops, brothers and sisters.

VOTE TO SAVE CALIFORNIA - VOTE SCHWARZENEGGER

[pogo101]

I prefer to focus on the part about how if McClintock swallows hard and drops out, there's no way the Democrats win. Me likee.

[ambrose]

Well, I'm a McClintock supporter, but this reporter is spot on in terms of her analysis of the mood of the convention.

[ambrose]

(I know this because I was at the convention this past weekend...)

[SteveH]

It seems so superficial to pre-judge McClintock as just another Simon. They're two distinct individuals with different personalities and different levels of experience in government and on the campaign trail.

If these guys are not starstruck then they will have taken the opportunity to draw Arnold aside and make sure he is what he says, and get specifics (which do not necessarily have to be transmitted to the masses or media, at least in some kind of explicit manner). It seems as if a large subset of problems could be resolved by doing that. I wonder if anyone at the convention attempted to do that? If not, it seems as if conservatives are justified in regarding Arnold with suspicion. Just imho.

[68 grunt]

To tell you the truth, I just picked a line, because I wanted to bump you early. I'm still digesting the article.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks. I was gonna post this early this morning, but you know me, I didn't want to upset any of the natives in our happy little forum we all call home ;-)

[nutmeg]

ping!

[pogo101]

It seems so superficial to pre-judge McClintock as just another Simon. They're two distinct individuals with different personalities and different levels of experience in government and on the campaign trail.

True, but their "5-second version" of positions on issues are nearly the same, and most voters -- most journalists, for that matter -- don't bother looking more closely at politicians whose views are labeled "right wing" (gasp).

[CheneyChick]

Interesting. Lee and Melanie on KSFO 560 need to read this and invite Arnold on their show.

[NormsRevenge]

Overall, it's been a good day and last 48 hours actually, imo, if ya think about it.

Clinton has jumped into the REcall with both feet,

Davi$ now feeels good about things and his chances so he will be his usual gloating idiot self,

The 9th Circus has shown their true colors for all to see.. again, (The Recall will go on , Trust Me!) :-)

Arnold didn't get egged on Oprah,

Tom is .. well, He's being Tom ... like it or not

Busty pissed a bunch of Latinos off by raising money out of state, couldn't make it to a major Latino convention or so he thought anyway, and then went and raised more money instead..

Hell, I even managed to update my browser and ISP software and now have warp speed capabilities.. on a dialup line , to boot.

Yup, a mighty fine day indeed...

Night Folks. God Bless FRee Republic and God Bless America.

[NormsRevenge]

I hear ya on Lee and Melanie, but Arnold and his staff don't return their calls, per them.

[FairOpinion]

Good article. Thanks for posting it.

People need to take this to heart:

"I think a lot of Republicans understand that if Schwarzenegger loses the election on October 7 that the Republican Party in California is going to be entering the dark ages for the next decade," he said. "If people think things are bad now for Republicans, wait until an unsuccessful October 7."

[68 grunt]

Pick a point, huh? You're a good fellow!

Even some of the party's staunchest social conservatives said they were willing to toss fellow believer Tom McClintock over the side for Schwarzenegger, reasoning that money and star appeal trump social ideology and experience.

This is why I'm speculating that the clique that is so adamant, is not amoung the 'staunchest social conservatives'. They are *%'er's.

TRUMP IDEOLOGY - VOTE SCHWARZENEGGER

[CheneyChick]

Well, they should.

[SteveH]

Lee and Melanie on KSFO 560 need to read this and invite Arnold on their show.

Melanie on this morning, attended weekend convention, comments summarized here.

[68 grunt]

Another;

McClintock, who proudly points out that he has voted for just five of the 17 state budgets he has encountered (the last one he liked was during the Deukmejian administration), argued forcefully that this is no time to put an amateur in charge of state budgeting.

I'm sure he could be of genuine assistance to Govenor Schwarzenegger.

VOTE LEADERSHIP - VOTE SCHWARZENEGGER

[NormsRevenge]

I couldn't agree more, Lee would run him thru the ringer, but Lee runs everyone thru the ringer. Good Old Uncle Ree ;-)

I want to do a cruise with him and the gang sometime, man, that ship would be one messed up boat in no time. :-)

[pogo101]

TRUMP IDEOLOGY - VOTE SCHWARZENEGGER

Such is my current plan (on BOTH counts, mind you).

But I'm waiting until Oct. 1 or so, to try to minimize the chance of a (successful) last-minute trash attack on Arnold reulting in my vote being wasted. I'm definitely keeping Tom in reserve.