Posted on 10/03/2006 10:58:47 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Those of you who choose to read the FlashReport over the weekends will recall on Sunday morning I pleaded for the Governor to start campaigning on behalf of our down ticket Republican candidates after another major poll put his re-election at almost certain. Well, San Jose State just released another poll's results with Schwarzenegger in a double digit lead. McClintock is leading Garamendi by one point in a recently released LA Times poll and the action superstar (as much as it might pain me, a conservative, to say) could have a solidifying effect on this race. The Sacramento Bee has acknowledged the McClintock groundswell. The other Republicans on the ticket are in very similar situations. And I don't seem to be the only one who has noticed.
With sincere humility, it seems the infamous Garry South, Democrat Steve Westly's gubernatorial campaign consultant, either read my commentary or otherwise shares my sentiments, for yesterday he posted a left-wing rallying cry on the California Majority Report.
In it, he says this:
With apologies in advance for once again appearing to be the skunk at the Democratic picnic, it is time for us Democrats to consider battlefield triage on our statewide ticket. With three successive public polls showing Phil Angelides behind Arnold Schwarzenegger anywhere between 10 and 17 points -- and not an iota of traction evident in his campaign -- it behooves us to consider how we save some of the fine downballot candidates who are running under Angelides on the ballot.
And concludes that:
Self-immolation by the head of a party ticket always risks a nasty downdraft that can singe or totally torch the downballot ticket mates. We Democrats need to get our arms around reality here. Angelides is going to lose big, and we should not throw good money after bad by acceding to all of his continuing, unrealistic demands on the party and labor, while starving the downballot candidates and risking a partial repeat of 1994.
Now, some may spin this as sour grapes, but I think it's more akin to Paul Revere. "The Republicans are coming! The Republicans are coming!" Real concern has begun to manifest itself within Democrat circles.
South isn't alone. Bill Bradley, the prolific left-of-center Los Angeles blogger, the guy on the other side of the aisle whose ideas I most respect (don't get too worked up Bill and others), is saying much of the same thing.
Here are some excerpts from his posting this morning (linked on the main page as well):
That big Democratic wave predicted across America, that would sweep right through mostly blue state California? Not happening here.
Tom McClintock has a slight edge over John Garamendi for lieutenant governor, for example, reversing the Democrat's previous 10-point lead in the Field Poll...
...most of the rest of the Democratic ticket is in a tough spot. Brown and Lockyer have the reputations, experience, combat skills, and resources to take care of themselves. The others are underfunded and in need of help. Will they get it from a Democratic Party and an organized labor apparatus that is still more focused on Angelides?...
...Labor and the party can't afford to let Angelides collapse; that would be demoralizing to Democratic base voters, which itself would doom a number of down ballot nominees and ballot initiatives. The question is how to find the right mix of resources and moves to support Angelides and intervene effectively in the other campaigns.
The Governor has the ability at this point to turn that fear to dread with an active campaign schedule alongside our Republican statewide nominees. He should toss Don and Fabian and the increasingly unpopular bonds overboard and focus on what's most probable: the election of fellow Republicans to executive offices.
The paper has had a lot of photograph's of our Arnold signing bill, after bill, after bill. I only saw one thing missing in all the photos.
Republicans.
Arnold vetoed a lot of bills that Angelites would have signed in a heartbeat - gay marriage, drivers' licenses for illegals, gay agendas as part of school curriculum, etc. Of course Republicans aren't going to be present when he's signing some dem's cr*p bill, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't support Arnold, because the bottom line is that he's a whole lot better than the alternative. And we can whine and moan all we want about not having a true conservative as governor, but this is CALIFORNIA! We don't get that many chances, but we do have one as a candidate for lieutenant governor, so let's not throw the party under the bus just because Arnold isn't perfect. Sorry for the rant, but we can't just give up. We've got ballot measures to defeat and a few conservatives (McClintock, Poochigian) to elect.
Exactly. Politics (and politicians) reflect their political constituencies. If you don't like the image being reflected, go convert your liberal neighbor to vote conservative -- and stop engaging in mindless, unproductive activities, like throwing rocks at the mirror.
He can't throw Don and Fabian overboard... they are the ones supporting the massive borrowing via the pork-laden infrastructure bonds that Arnold is pushing, anathema to most Republicans. I very much doubt that Arnold will now start listening to Republicans about a pay-as-you-go plan for highways and such and abandon his "build it" mantra.
The CA GOP could give some money to the downticket campaigns (I looked yesterday and couldn't find a single contribution). And Arnold could stop acting like the downticket candidates have the plague.
But the Republicans/Schwarzenegger aren't supporting/endorsing any of the downticket candidates, are they? I thought they gave up on everybody except maybe McPherson?
The CA GOP has their Democrat-recently-turned-Republican Steve Poizner to support.
But he's rich enough to fund his own campaign.
Pray it is so.
I am sick of this.
Also if there's any conservatives out there with some extra cash, please, start buying some of these papers.
The Press Democrat would be a good start. Sonoma County where I live could be a LOT redder.
What about all the Victory '06 offices? They are supporting ALL the candidates. At our office, we have signs and bumper stickers for all the candidates and will be delivering the info on all the candidates when we do precinct walks. Most of the money for these offices is being raised by Arnold. They may not be giving specifically to the campaigns, but they are trying to recruit volunteers to get out the base for ALL Republicans.
I was thinking of advertising, which is very, very expensive.
Wasn't Mr. Poochigian at your SVYRFC event last year?
That'd be great if he could beat that old hippie Jerry Brown.
~ FairOpinion ~
no he wasn't but he has been a great friend to the club for many years. Every time we are hosting an event he donates something to us. We will try to have him next year.
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