[NormsRevenge]

The Pied Piper of Progressives.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

It’s time CA go the upstate New York route and create a Conservative Party. Let RINOLD and his minions have a diluted GOP that tries to out-liberal the Dims there. Meanwhile real conservatives will flock to the new Conservative Party and the GOP there will become irrelevant as they will never get the votes from the liberals there.

[NormsRevenge]

the party has lost the political middle and “will not regain true political power in California” until the GOP gets it back.

—

so , in the meantime, he’s going to do business with the dems and screw the rest of us.

[ChildOfThe60s]

The middle? Just how does he define the "middle"? Anything short of pure socialism?

He argues the party must tackle issues with broad public appeal, like climate change

And, with that, I believe it is again time for......

[kingu]

Since the Republican party, in practice, is to the left of the political middle at this time, I completely agree that we’d gain voters if we went back to the middle, or maybe even started acting conservative again, instead of rushing to make us more and more like the most wacked out liberals.

[fieldmarshaldj]

He has a bizarre definition of “middle.” Liberal-left isn’t the middle.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

Yeah, claim the political middle so you can stand for nothing.

No thanks Ahhhnold

He argues the party must tackle issues with broad public appeal, Slavery once had broad public appeal. Should we claim that cause as our own Ahhnold?

The party needs to choose what's RIGHT, not what has public appeal. Like the defense of America, the defense of life, the limitation of govt so individuals can pursue their life, liberty and happiness; you know. CONSERVATIVE principles.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Why does Arnold think he represents the “middle”. I believe the middle is right here on Free Republic.

[Mr J]

Is Maria pulling Arnie’s strings or what? :-\

[Candor7]

The Governator has become a wannabee Terminator of the conservative movement.

Sorry Mein Herr, you are a case of the tail trying to wag the elephant.

You won't change conservative America .

Make your stand as a Conservarator.

At least you will be remembered like an Alamo hero rather than going down with a Teutonic whimper and whine like a democrap.

[AmericanExceptionalist]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is warning the state's Republican party to move toward the political center or risk losing voter support.

That is just another way of saying that all important political discussions should be limited to the far left (as represented by the Democrats) and the political center. Under this formula, conservatives get frozen out of the discussion altogether. Or marginalized, at the very least, and relegated to third-party status.

This is the fantasy of every orthodox Democrat. That it should be a fantasy also of a well-known (if only nominal) Republican is disappointing, at best.

[statered]

This guy can kiss my arse

[LexBaird]

Once again, the Governor proves that his political beliefs aren’t about what he thinks is correct, but what he believes is expedient to gain power. He supports things based on their pop appeal, not his convictions.

But he loses sight of the purpose of a Party. It isn’t to gain power for power’s sake, but to move an agenda. He would dump any part of the traditional GOP agenda in a hot second for two percentage points from the wishy washy middle “centrists”, thinking that the other end, the GOP base, have nowhere else to go. He’s trying to co-opt the Republican party, cannibalize it like a corporate looter, “fire” the longtime “employees”, and use the husk to create a new, centrist party with the GOP “brand name”.

[pissant]

He’s almost won the battle. Look at our top 4 candidates.

[goldstategop]

That is not conservatism. A party that stands for nothing sooner or later becomes extinct. That's what happened to liberal Republicans in the Northeast. Only by remaining true to its principles can the CAGOP hope to return to power some day.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[paudio]

What does ‘political middle’ mean anyway? Goes half way on most issues, or (very) liberal on some issue but (very) conservative on another?