Arnold is doing more to get a real conservative elected in California than anyone else around here. But, no, when that comes close to reality, that's not good enough for California conservatives, who have to run him down AND any conservative he tries to help. I understand now why the California Republican/Conservative movement is in such a sorry state.
Many of those same conservatives bit the bullet and supported Arnold because he said he was a Republican and was a Fiscal Conservative. The "sorry state" is California, aided and abetted by a Republican governor promoting and enabling liberalism. If you want conservatism, the way to do it is NOT to endorse the actions of liberals.
I see it as the other way around...
For somebody not in California, you see things pretty clearly. Great Holy Tamales, how soon these principles-over-pragmatism prima donna "conservatives" forget that the alternative to Schwartzenegger (there's no way, sadly, that McClintock could have gotten enough votes to win, and folks can deny this until they're blue in the face but it doesn't alter the math) was Cruz Bustamonte.
EXCUSE ME! Bustamonte would have done far, FAR more damage to California than RINO Arnold in our worst nightmare. A Bustamonte victory would very likely also have seriously damaged Bush's reelection bid in 04 because of said damage to our state -- California's economy is one of the largest in the world, and though it ain't gangbusters now because of liberals and regulation and whatnot, it would be WORSE with Bustamonte at the helm, yet who would have gotten the blame for an ailing American economy dominated by an ailing California? Bush.
What really, really ticked me off to the point of downright disgust and contempt for so-called "principled" conservatives is that so many failed to vote in the special election. Schwarzenegger gave California conservatives a chance to start a hairline crack in the stranglehold Liberals have in this state with several of his propostions. But NO, that wasn't good enough for "princpled" conservatives, they stayed home, and the propositions lost by in some places thin margins. I wouldn't have blamed Arnold if he'd just said "to hell with you" and split. You're right -- these "CRUZ BUSTAMONTE IS BETTER THAN A RINO" conservatives are a big part of why this state is in such a sorry state, yet they continuously whine and blame everybody else they can think of.
Hey you guys -- California didn't get this liberal overnight, and it ain't going to heal itself overnight, either. I always liked Tom McClintock, wanted to vote for him over Arnold but realized that it would be a vote for Bustamonte. Now, McClintock is even better in my eyes. He realizes what the so-called "principled" do not: that changing California for the better is going to take time and compromise.
As far as I was concerned during the Davis recall, and as far as I am concerned now, these "princpled" folks only have principles regarding their own pride and pig-headedness.
I agree, and the two liberals running against Arnold is totally unacceptable.
Certainly not good enough for the California Ilk herd. They will try to divide the right and totally neutralize any chance of victory. Now, the faux-bull has a perfect chance to attack the credibility of the epitome of a California conservative. The 'California conservatives', who you generalize together with all California conservatives are in reality, fifth columnists. Their goal is the complete defeat of all things conservative and republican. As long as they can keep stirring the pot, they can contribute to what you called 'such a sorry state'.