Posted on 11/10/2005 6:30:07 AM PST by Frank T
The across-the-board collapse of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot propositions came down to this: They were ideas with narrow appeal, further damaged by a flat-footed campaign and an unpopular messenger, the governor himself.
And that's just what his fellow Republicans said.
California's celebrity governor was elected in 2003 as a centrist Republican - an essential pedigree in a state that votes reliably Democratic. But by the end of his initiative campaign Tuesday, Schwarzenegger had alienated Democrats and independents and allowed his opponents to paint him as an extremist.
"What was defeated yesterday was a caricature of Arnold Schwarzenegger, not the reality of Arnold Schwarzenegger," Republican consultant Kevin Spillane said Wednesday.
Despite his moderate views on social and environmental issues, "that's not the tone and style and implicit message that came through in this campaign, and it played right into the hands of his opponents who depicted him as an ultraconservative Republican," Spillane said.
In many ways Schwarzenegger's failure at the polls spoke for itself. Voters turned away all four of his ballot initiatives, three of them by double-digit margins, according to unofficial returns.
The propositions sought to give the governor authority to make midyear budget cuts, take away the power of legislators to redraw their own political districts, restrict the money public employee unions could raise for political campaigns, and make it easier to fire teachers and harder for them to obtain tenure.
Several GOP analysts and consultants traced the start of the governor's troubles to his choice of propositions. For a while he talked about pushing pension reform, an issue that outraged labor unions but never made it to the ballot. In the end, the four proposals he did back generated little or no appeal with the political middle and left, limiting his support largely to Republicans who are a minority in California.
"They ran a Republican campaign in a Democratic state, and they saw that yesterday in the results," Republican analyst Allan Hoffenblum said.
Schwarzenegger, who has famously called some political opponents "girlie men" and said he was always kicking the butts of others, saw such remarks come back to haunt him, said John Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College who once worked as an analyst for House Republicans.
"His rhetoric put off a lot of voters, Pitney said. "'Girlie men' was a very expensive laugh line."
Analysts also said the campaign was too slow to answer criticism from opponents, who framed the governor and his proposals as extreme in a barrage of TV ads.
"Why did they wait several months to respond to attacks from unions?" Hoffenblum asked. "They made bad political decisions all the way through."
The campaign was limited to some extent in its response by the fact Schwarzenegger's opponents raised twice as much money.
"We had to weather the beating that we took," said campaign spokesman Todd Harris, who also complained of second-guessing by people he said weren't directly involved.
"There were people who didn't lift a finger to help in the fight for reform who will now take great joy in pointing out what we should have done differently," Harris said.
Exact same thing will happen if McCain wins the '08 GOP ticket. He will get no love from the big media, unions, or other Dem-backing stalwarts, and alienate his own base at the same time.
What the Republican party right now is doing is splitting itself apart. This is going to hurt us in 2008. We are now alienating the moderates and Independents who would otherwise vote Republican and we can't do that.
True enough.
The line about more money is also on the mark. The teachers union spent $100 million.
The previous story about Californians waiting until the dam has burst, so to speak, before voting for change, is also true.
Problem: too many Democrats, liberals, stupids and relative moralists feeding off the power-hungry law makers....who take us down the path of feduciary and social ruin, with the permission of said voters.
"What the Republican party right now is doing is splitting itself apart. This is going to hurt us in 2008. We are now alienating the moderates and Independents who would otherwise vote Republican and we can't do that."
The flip side of the coin is this: you can't alienate the people who have built up the party to be what it is. If conservatives sit out, or at least a good percentage of them, the GOP doesn't win elections. Period.
They are alienating their base. By caving on every conservative cause we care about. Whether it's the borders, oil drilling, nuclear power, making tax cuts permanent, deporting illegals, parental rights,God in the pledge, they are doing nothing to advance these issues.
Republican analyst Allan Hoffenblum
Republican consultant Kevin Spillane
John Pitney, analyst for House Republicans
The above three people and the CAGOP leadership need to be fired.
So this is what happens to "centrist" Republicans: the leftist establishment will turn against you, and paint you as a conservative extremist.
-----
This is why I say, there is NO SUCH THING AS A CENTRIST. You cannot have it both ways in reality. To me, a "centrist" is a liberal that does not want to be called a liberal ---
Just look at what this "both sides of the fence" politics is doing to Washington!!! And to our country.
What really scares some people is that if the GOP runs on conservative issues and wins representation to enact reform, then proceeds to implement the intended agenda, than those people will not get their way. It's not about moderates or independents, because those folks have no agenda.
In a two party, two agenda system, it's one or the other. And if you like "the other," what better way then to get your opposition to abandon theirs in the futile effort to get non-issue voters?
True but this goes the other way too. If we alienate moderates or Independents who vote Republican we will not win either. Republican and Democrats don't have the majority we are split 50/50 in this country. The rest is made up by Independents/moderates or as you say people who sit on the wall not knowing which way to vote. Those people make up the rest that either can make a Republican or Democrat win.
Exactly. Do you think for a single second, the leftist dems wouldn't ram their liberal agenda down our throats, if given the chance? They are already steamrolling us while in the minority. Spineless RINOs are traitors.
See what were up against here?
The proposition did such thing. It only required the unions receive the approval of its members to use dues for political purposes.
My local paper is orgasmic over Arnold's defeat. The story headline reads "Results cut Schwarzenegger down to size".
California is solidly in the hands of the lunatic fringe.
Time for some coffee.
Arnold of California is learning that it is hard to change a socialist society. Once the masses become use to government doing everything it's almost impossible to get them to do anything for themselves.
This is what the ilk herd wants. The ilk know we can't win without the moderates and independents, so they alienate them.
The ilk must be in orgasmic ecstasy today as they've helped to truly screw the right in California for a long time.
Look at the political landscape in the state of California! It's more like France than America. You can't make judgments about what the Republican Party should do or not do based on what the voters in CA think. These people were voting for more spending at the same time they were voting for emergency measures to keep the state from bankruptcy!
I really believe they went along with the Gray Davis recall just to see someone in authority rudely removed. There is not a hint of rationality about the politics in CA. They voted for 13 year olds to get abortions without their parents knowledge!
The leftist unions and partisan media will always paint a Republican as an extremist.
So, you might as well be one, so you can get the base behind you.
"True but this goes the other way too. If we alienate moderates or Independents who vote Republican we will not win either."
True enough. They just have to like the Democrats less. ie. GOP = lesser of two evils.
If they have some burning issues, better to try and reshape one of the political parties.
Look on the bright side. Arnold still is vetoing DL Bills and Perverted Marriage Bills. Not to mention that the Dems just spent all their hard earned union dues and gained nothing.
As ugly as that sounds - its the truth. I know quite a few people who will vote either way depending on the person who is running. Alot of them voted for Bush because of his strong stand on terror but on republican issues like abortion, etc. they could not care less. At that point in time they needed a strong leader - one who was tough on terror and they voted for Bush because they saw Kerry as a wimp and a liar. Who knows how they will feel in 2008.
---The leftist unions and partisan media will always paint a Republican as an extremist.
So, you might as well be one, so you can get the base behind you.---
This is the formula for standing on the sidelines. It'll be 1962 again, with a handful of us standing around with the latest copy of National Review. :^)
They called Reagan an extremist, and he won by landslides, because he knew how to communicate conservatism, instead of running from it.
Stupid Michael Savage type "Independents" will get Hillary Clinton POTUS!
---They called Reagan an extremist, and he won by landslides---
Chances are Ronnie won't be running in 06 or 08. We need those fence sitters in Minnisota and Wisconsin to consistently win.
The Mexifornian grasshoppers will think again when they get hungry.. for that to happen the ANTS must get hungry too.. Because Mexifornian ANTS are not very smart..
Arnie!!.. bankrupt that bloated parasite!!.. there are more grasshoppers than ants.. that should not be so..
It seems that effective rhetoric (in the public-speaking sense) is rapidly becoming a lost art. Especially among Republicans.
The right person with a little charisma and well-developed thoughts could be another Reagan. They need not be a genius...just able to communicate what most people recognize as common sense.
GOP candidates should be listening to Reagan's radio commentaries from the 1970s.
"his is the formula for standing on the sidelines. It'll be 1962 again, with a handful of us standing around with the latest copy of National Review. :^)"
The Reagan revolution says "hi."
More proof positive that it's only in the center where everybody can hate you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.