CA: Conservatives still dominate California GOP

SF Chronicle ^ | September 09 2007 | Carla Marinucci

[calcowgirl]

It's a wrap on the state GOP convention in Indian Wells, where the 106 degree temperatures nearly matched some of the reaction from the podium regarding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call for moderation this weekend.

The governor warned the party is "dying at the box office" unless it appeals to moderate voters on issues such as global warming and health care. Some delegates appeared supportive of his efforts, but they were in the minority at the convention, which was dominated by conservative activists.

State Sen. Tom McClintock, a favorite of conservatives who is considered a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010, hit it hard. He told delegates that "European socialism won't work any better in California than it will in Europe."

The Ventura County senator charged Schwarzenegger with misrepresenting the words of the late President Ronald Reagan before the delegates. The governor quoted Reagan as warning the GOP "can't be a narrow sectarian party which must sear allegiance to prescribed amendments." But McClintock said the governro failed to include the next sentence in Reagan's quote: "Let no one, however, interpret this to mean compromise of basic philosophy or that we will be all things to all people for political expediency."

[calcowgirl]

PING!

McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list

Dueling coverage:

CA: GOP divided over Schwarzenegger's speech in Indian Wells
Riverside Press-Enterprise ^ | 9/8/07 | Michelle DeArmond
Posted on 09/09/2007 6:30:28 PM PDT by NormsRevenge INDIAN WELLS - Gov. Schwarzenegger's clout among

[sheana]

State Sen. Tom McClintock, a favorite of conservatives who is considered a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010,

Dang, could we be so lucky?

[Humble Servant]

Good for Tom; I remember hearing him in the debates to replace Gray, and really liking him.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>>State Sen. Tom McClintock, a favorite of conservatives who is considered a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010, hit it hard. He told delegates that "European socialism won't work any better in California than it will in Europe."

Tell'em Tom!

The Ventura County senator charged Schwarzenegger with misrepresenting the words of the late President Ronald Reagan before the delegates. The governor quoted Reagan as warning the GOP "can't be a narrow sectarian party which must sear allegiance to prescribed amendments." But McClintock said the governro failed to include the next sentence in Reagan's quote: "Let no one, however, interpret this to mean compromise of basic philosophy or that we will be all things to all people for political expediency."

Yes indeed, political expediency. A favorite of Mitt romney.

The governor's supporters, however, countered that McClintock can push the conservative hard line, but it hasn't sold with California voters. McClintock has run for state controller, lieutenant governor and governor -- and has never won a statewide race.

IOW, settle for moderate Republicanism.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"The governor's supporters, however, countered that McClintock can push the conservative hard line, but it hasn't sold with California voters. McClintock has run for state controller, lieutenant governor and governor -- and has never won a statewide race."

Yes, because the RINO establishment took great pains to sabotage his candidacy every single time. Ah-nold most recently. He clearly preferred a rodent to a principled Conservative as his Lieutenant. He's going to do all he can to help Salty Tony Villar become the next Governor (or any other rodent, for that matter).

[calcowgirl]

a favorite of conservatives who is considered a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010...Dang, could we be so lucky?

Let us hope! And let us purge the TrojanHorse leadership from the state party before that (or they will work to defeat him!)

[lowbridge]

The governor warned the party is "dying at the box office" unless it appeals to moderate voters on issues such as global warming and health care

You've been in office for almost 4 years now Arnie. Are you saying that you have been Governing from the far right all that time?

[kellynla]

“State Sen. Tom McClintock, a favorite of conservatives who is considered a likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010”

after three more years of RINOld, the CA GOP won’t be able to get a dogcatcher elected... 2003 was McClintock's best chance and we all blew it with the help of "johnny-come-lately" RINOld jumping on the recall bandwagon!

[muawiyah]

The Schwarz hasn't figured it out yet so somebody best let him in on the story ~ in America NO ONE IS IN THE CENTER.

What we have is an electorate that follows the form of a bimodal saddle.

Each mode is pretty much equal to the other of course.

The problem for a politician is to keep his base (his mode) and attract enough votes from the other base (the other mode) to win.

If a politician goes for the "center" but alienates his base, he ends up with a dramatically diminished number of voters (or voters in the right states) ~ see: Kerry, Gore, Mondale, Carter, McGovern, .... telling folks their taxes would go up didn't help any of these guys ~ even the Center (as small as it is) doesn't care for more taxes.

Republicans, in general, in the last mid-term election, tended to alienate their base ~ mostly through stupid stuff ~ e.g. coddling homosexuals, failing to be aggressive on taxes, spending too much money on "earmarks" (bridges to nowhere), etc.

The programs the Schwarz advocates Republican candidates in California pushing will necessarily alienate their base, attract few from the Center (which is very small) and probably bore the other base, which is simply resigned to gross stupidity and corruption.

[Maelstorm]

McClintock should be governor. Being conservative is not like drinking alcohol. It isn’t something to be had in moderation.
So we will only believe killing babies is good in moderation?
Gay marriage is only good in moderation? Taxes are only good in moderation?(I think we are far past that) This stupid idea is the detachment of reason from policy making. What are we fighting for if we give up our principles to appeal to those who are not?

[tubebender]

McClintock bump...

[sheana]

I didn’t blow it. I never voted for Arnold.
I have voted for McClintock for everything he has run for......and will vote for him everytime regardless of who else is running. He is one of the few good men left here.

[Man50D]

The governor warned the party is "dying at the box office" unless it appeals to moderate voters on issues such as global warming and health care.

Moderate is another term for those who have already sacrificed their Conservatives principles in order to appease the socialists. Schwarzenegger is attempting to convince Conservatives to do the same. It is a pattern occurring throughout the country and the GOP. The GOP has been incrementally aligning its ideology with the socialist democrats. They are essentially one party. Conservatives who are not willing to abandon their principles need to distance themselves from the socialists in the GOP by leaving the party and uniting with the large number of unaffiliated Conservatives to restore the two party system.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Arnold completely blew it. He had a chance to return CA to its golden years but instead drunk the Rockefeller koolaid. Hell he could have just been conservative on the fiscal problems & cut spending and balanced the budget. The social issues I can understand him compromising a little considering it’s California we’re talking here.

[DoughtyOne]

I don’t even consider Schwarzenegger moderate. He’s way left of center. Listen to him plead the case of the leftist agenda points.

[bboop]

He won’t win here. He has good ideas but is a very tepid campaigner. imho. I’m glad to hear they gave Arnie what-for. Global Warming? Yech! We’re a Global Warming state! rolling eyes//

[darkangel82]

Arnold did veto some of the worst ‘Rat legislation, but overall he just lets them do what they want.

[Haddit]

I know it is hard to believe that California still has conservatives in it,but we do have some of the best. Tom McClintoc, Elton Gallegly http://www.house.gov/gallegly/ and Duncan Hunter. Ventura is still a conservative county. They still have law and order and their cities are constantly rated as safest in the country. Their schools are still the best, check out http://www.greatschools.net/ and compare to Los Angeles. It is obvious that conservative cities are the best places to live. I will be moving back to Ventura within a year because I won’t allow my 5 year old daughter to even go to a privet school in L.A.

[ElkGroveDan]

Elton Gallegly? snicker, snicker