Total California Recall [David Horowitz: Arnold is "the only possibility of a win for state GOP"]

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | August 11, 2003 | David Horowitz

[BibChr]

Imagine that! Never happened to ME.

{ ominous rumble of thunder }

Dan
(c8

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I'm looking forward to Arnold's victory speech:

"Governor Davis, you are terminated!"

Nah - it'll be "I crushed my enemy - so lets go to his headquarters so I can drive him before me while listening to the lamentation of his women".

[Swanks]

Without the recall Republicans would have contended for an open seat in 2006 against a non-incumbent Democrat running on a crippled legacy.

Yeah but at a huge price to pay. This Bozo in office now is @ $38B deficit. Leave him in there for 3 years and I'll bet he can happily grow it to $68B without really trying too hard.

Dave, ya gotta stop thinking beltway mentality - winning "the prize" of governership in 2006, at all costs, even if it bankrupts the friggin state in 2004, is not a very admirable goal.

[pogo101]

"Hasta la vista, GIRLY MAN."

[tame]

I must disagree with both Horowitz and Hewitt. Horowitz assumes a deistic worldview in his analysis of things (which is similar to assuming a static, rather than dynamic, model of economics when arguing for tax increases as opposed to tax cuts).

Finding a wise balance between the puristic and the pragmatic ends of the spectrum is a good thing. But in striving for pragmatism, you don't want go soooo far away from purity that you become a political whore. That's what the R.I.N.O.s are in danger of doing by supporting Ahhnold.

If I wanted to be that "pragmatic" I would join the Leftist/communist democrat party.

"God grant me the courage to change the things I can, the peace to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."

[aruanan]

Met Horowitz. Wasn't impressed.

Met Horowitz. Later, in another visit, on his No Reparations tour, saw him acquit himself brilliantly against black socialist demagogues. Was impressed, as were most of the other people on a largely liberal campus.

[Thud]

More hair.

[Thud]

Right now Arnie is unknown, and so a perfect vehicle for people to project their fantasies onto.

[Thud]

Davis would have beaten Riordan, who had major, major, personality problems. Riordan thought we should all be so grateful that he was Mr. Wonderful. He had so little control of his temper that he could be goaded into erupting on camera. Riordan was basically undisciplined as a candidate, as well as being a pompous fool.

[Thud]

Davis was also often lucky in having feeble opponents. Lundgren was a disastrous GOP gubernatorial candidate in 1998.

[Joy Angela]

I agree!!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Bumping your post 79! Good point!

[alwaysconservative]

Another six new Republicans from my family planning on voting for Arnold. Just think, 13 new Republican voters from just two FReepers, who wouldn't have voted at all if AS wasn't in the race. Hmmm. It would be interesting to find out how many new pubbies come out of this race in the 2003-2004 cycle because they were energized by the persona.

[rodeo-mamma]

I very much agree with this article. If only someone could bop the newspaper over the heads of both McClintock and Simon by saying "Down Boy!" maybe we might get it through their fat heads to go home!!!!

[rodeo-mamma]

I guess then the fact that this recall got on the ballot is a miracle then. Don't slap a gift horse in the mouth then and go ahead and vote for Arnold. McClintock is the leader the loser minority. Some good he has done! And Simon is insisting on losing twice. What does that tell you?

[djreece]

I agree! I think part of the problem there was that Lungren was the "annointed one," so he did not have a real primary and his weaknesses as a candidate were exposed far too late.

I think the Republicans tried to do the same thing with George W. in 2000. Instead, he ran into some real opposition on the way to the coronation, which I believe made him a better candidate in the long run. Republicans need to remember competition sharpens candidates.

[Rummyfan]

For all these reasons Republicans of all factions should rejoice at the Schwarzenegger candidacy. It offers the only possibility of a win for state Republicans or for the Bush campaign in California. It will help to revive the California Republican Party. And it could reshape the politics of the nation.

I value Horowitz's opinion a lot and am glad to see this. Besides, Arnold is going to win so we may as well try to make the best of it.

[HamiltonJay]

Oh bull its no more an example of being fed up with their elected officials than an election where those in power are swept from it.... but this isn't happening in california is it?

The people of California had every chance to remove Davis from power in the last election, they had every chance to sweep aside the democrats from all statewide positions, and they didn't do it. For good or ill... to spin political enemies financing a recall against a governor for their own agendas as some grass roots uprising is dubious at best.

This entire episode is completely and utterly an example of mob rule, or more importantly selective mob rule, since effectively only a small number of people of Californias population triggered this thing. Mark my words, no good will come from this nonsense. Just like the dems tried to use the courts to take power, now the other side is doing nothing but the same to undo a fair election.

This is not a great day for this republic, the republic of California or the people of this nation or california. Its going to happen yes, and frankly couldn't happen to a nicer guy, but in the great ideal that is the American Representative Republic, its just one more slide down the slippery slope of public manipulation and party politics.

All this is doing is setting the stage for future elections to never end. Because even if a governor is "safe", it won't take either side much money or effort to force elections... there are a lot of liberals with a lot of money in Cali, and believe me, they won't think twice about starting recall efforts when its the other side in power.. backed by special interests, and national parties, it will just get bigger and bigger messes. True Democracy has always been and will always be a failure... as far as I am concerned the people manipulating and pushing this whole fiasco are absolutely no better than Gore and his cronies in 2000 and FLA!!!

We have regular elections in this nation for a reason... this circus does nothing to help our nation or her political system of governance. If you want to relearn the lessons of Athenian greek society thousands of years after they were taught, then you are certainly setting things on the right path.

We were given a REPUBLIC and hopefully we were wise enough to keep it.... sadly I fear the latest generations lack greatly the wisdom to.

[HamiltonJay]

The media are guilty the people funding the recall effort are guilty and Davis is guilty, the whole things a fiasco. However I am not underestimating Davis... Simon was a JOKE at every level, he was the absolute worst canidate in recent memory, he had no business being the canidate... he was the only Republican who could manage to lose to Davis and by god the Republicans of California put him up as their canidate.. they have NO ONE, NO ONE TO BLAME BUT THEMSELVES FOR THAT!...

Davis' bashing of Simon didn't cause him to make wild accusations and claim proof when he had none, Simon was taken to the shed like a red haired step child, and should have never been there in the first place.

Davis didn't beat Simon because Davis is a masterful politician, he beat Simon because Simon was a complete boob. Davis beat Simon because Simon really was THAT DARN BAD!! No wonder the Republicans in the golden state can't win a statewide office, they still can't bring themselves to accept the responsibility of their actions.

[HamiltonJay]

Thats one opinion, however I was in Cali in 2000 and 2001 and I don't think anyone in the state of moderate blood would have held anything against anyone for exploding on camera at Davis... rolling blackouts, fiscal fiasco, oracle contract kickbacks, corruption... any politician with even a monicum of experience would have eaten Davis for lunch... Simon had no business on the Ballot... he never had a chance statewide.. R's did the same thing here in PA last time, put up a completely unelectable person statewide for governor, and frankly PA is a pretty conservative state, and the R's lost here too.

Simon should have never been the canidate he brought no regional backing, no statewide appeal, and was a complete fish out of water, Davis shot him like a fish in a barrel and waltz back into office with a popularty rating well under 50%... R's shot themselves last cycle in golden state, and until they stand up and accept responsibility for it, they will remain irrellevant in statewide offices there.