Replies

Consider the demographic shifts urged as reasons for Republicans to move left. The LA Times? March 2000 exit poll showed Latinos as the ethnic group most strongly supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, 65 percent ?yes? to 35 percent ?no.? Second? Blacks, the Times reported: 62 to 38 percent. Asians? Third, at 59 to 41 percent in favor. Fourth, and last, Whites, 58 to 42, which might explain Republican leaders? reluctance to champion the issue of family with Latinos ? Hispanics are too conservative for them!

This effectively refutes those in the GOP who advocate appealing to voters along ethnic lines, which is moving 'left' if anything is. To hell with sops to ethnic blocks such as printing campaign literature in foreign languages, etc. How about the GOP holding its ground on the moral issues and for a change show some b*lls? How about even going on the OFFENSIVE on these issues?

Seems to me to be a much better way to attract voters of ALL stripes and not nearly as divisive. Along with tax reform the GOP would be UNBEATABLE in ANY state in the union.

How about the GOP holding its ground on the moral issues and for a change show some b*lls? How about even going on the OFFENSIVE on these issues?

One is forced to conclude that the GOP elite don't really believe in conservative issues - they are just looking for the best short-term ad campaigns they can find to get them through the next election.

The article point is the GOP would win elections here and in other archtypical "left coast" states if it reached out to disaffected Democratic voters on issues they agree on with Republicans. It can be done. But if Republicans never take advantage of the opportunity they will always face defeat at the polls. Its Republicans' failure to emphasize the universal appeal of conservative values with ALL voters, nit just Republicans that turns Republicans seemingly near permanent minority position into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Having said all this the very worst thing President Bush could do is write Bill Simon off now and in the process alienate millions of conservatives in this state who are counting on the President to help revive the party's fortunes here. The truth is its better to go on the offensive and give the Rats hell and if Simon at the end of the day somehow should still lose we can take comfort in the fact that the President didn't give up when the conventional political wisdom told him to just walk away. (Which I trust he will ignore and throw caution to the winds; no one ever won anything in life by playing it safe.) In the end the President should listen to his gut rather the RNC poll; he should take the results with a grain of salt and consider there are other factors than polls that measure the difference between victory and defeat. In particular, let's hope he remembers his own campaign, where he won despite the polls. When all is said and done California is still very much in play, people loathe GrayDown, and given visibility and help, Simon will win big in November.