[TBP]

Supporting liberal Kennedy Republicans only loses ground for our cause. It gains us nothing. Never support a policy or an individual just because there is an R appended to it.

Schwarzenegger is a liberal and it's not as if there aren't good conservatives in the race, such as Simon, McClintock, and the woman from the AIP.

Principle over party.

[Texas_Dawg]

Enjoy Cruz.

[Roscoe]

If they can't have Arnold, his supporters seem to want Cruz to be elected.

[DoctorZIn]

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[hobbes1]

Enjoy your upcoming Cruz.

If Larry Kuldow says he's Ok. And Arthur Laffer likes him, well, I am hardpresssed to disagree.

...In a dramatic news conference this week, actor-turned-gubernatorial-candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger made it clear that he will occupy right-of-center territory when it comes to fiscal matters in the forthcoming recall election to throw out California's incumbent Governor Gray Davis.

That only leaves the question of ... Are drowning California Conservatives SMART enough to grab the lifeline within their reach

[.cnI redruM]

What is needed is a viable 3rd party that doesn't get hijacked by dingbats. I agree with you on principle and then see Cruz Bustamonte v. Arnold or Howard Dean v. Bush.

Perhaps the GOP does write off its conservative base the way the Democrats just assume they will dominate amongst minorities. However, until there is a tenable alternative, we're genuinely stuck.

In order to posit a choice between conservatism and Republicanism, there has to be a doctrine which can in turn support a platform that specifically elucidates what makes a conservative non-GOP.

Secondly, the 3rd Party candidate has to have the national organization to beat both the Dems and the GOP. If all that party garners is a 5% protest vote, they do nothing except Nader the GOP and cause national policy to drift further to the left as more Democrats win in congressional races down ticket.

So what needs to happen is the following:

a) A National grassroots organization needs to be established to field a wide array of down ticket candidates first. This insulates the party from being hijacked by well-funded political gadflys who want it's money to wage quixotic presidential races.

b) These candidates all have to run on a similar platform. Something similar to Newt Gingrich's Contract With America.

c) Money in large amounts needs to be raised and invested to maintain viability in off years. THis is the only way a 3rd party can legitimately hope to exist 3 years after it's first presidential candidate has been destroyed at the polls.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Arnold is not a liberal. In his press conference this week he spoke clearly in support of conservative causes like being over taxed, how he legally became an American citizen, how important it is to be fiscally responsible. He may not be as conservative as we would like, but the alternative is Bustamante.
Splitting the Republican vote is just going to elect Bustamante. McClintock and Simon do not have a chance in California. I voted for Simon the first time, but in this race he cannot win.

[A CA Guy]

I am a conservative and would be right of Reagan in my views.
I also was blessed with logic and good common sense.

You can't always get everything you want "To quote the Stones" so you have to achieve your goals in STEPS!

McC and Simon are unelectable in this race at this time, so logic tells me that even though Arnold isn't everything I've ever hoped and dreamed of, he is by for the best choice between Cruz Bustamonte and Arnold.

Some claim an issue with their high principles involving this race. This is a problem and not a virtue when it in effect gets Democrats/liberals elected.

There is no common sense or logic in empowering Democrats. By only backing the perfect philosophical candidate, conservatives are throwing away their vote to the benefit of Democrats.
In this case it is KNOWN that McC and Simon are unelectable unless there is a miracle and the rest of the field drops dead before election day.

Arnold might be conservative lite, but he is a member of the team and it is moronic to stay on a legless horse in a race and to also try and sabotage the only winnable horse on the same team.

Some applications of principles can be totally stupid!

STEPS, our goals in this state can ONLY be achieved in STEPS.
There is a voting advantage favoring the Democrats and they vote in numbers because many have their employment attached to some form of government. The only way to win California back is to gather a bunch of smaller victories into eventual bigger ones. Conservatives are not in a position to make large strides all at once here in CA.

This is heavily tilted enemy territory that has to be reclaimed back for conservatives little STEPS at a time.

Califonians need to quit shooting themselves in the foot over their valued principles. That is foolish and self defeating.

[NathanR]

"Conservative First or Conservative First?"

BZZT! WRONG! Thanks for playing.

American first and Californian second. Cruz Bustamonte is neither, despite being born in California's Central Valley. He is a Mexican Nationalist.

In his world there are the "Good Mexicans", "Coconuts" (Coladas?), and the "Gringos". He is a "good Mexican". Arnold is a 'gringo'. Cruz probably has more in common with Arnold's father, the Nazi, than Arnold himself.

But then you knew that. You just don't care.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Republicans First or Conservatives First?"

Neither, America first!

[MEGoody]

Republican - conservative.

There is a spectrum of opinions in either 'camp.' Being a Republican (or conservative) doesn't mean you march in lock step on every issue with every other conservative.

The one thing we should learn to do, however (and this message is to our members in Congress), is to disagree 'softly' in public, saving vehement disagrees for behind closed doors.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Women and Children First!

[John Lenin]

Principle over party.

That will be the epitaph on the GOP grave in CA. Reaan was just as liberal as Arnie was on social issues. Worse comes to worse we can vote him out in 06.Simon and McClintock don't have the numbers to even beat Cruz. Wake up people !

[Clemenza]

"Conservatives" have been supporting Liberal Republicans like Patakifeller for YEARS here in New York. Nothing new. :-(

[ExSoldier]

"Principle over party."

Amen. When I first registered to vote (1975) and joined the Republican Party at the same time, the words Republican and "Conservative" meant the same thing. That was then, this is now as the saying goes. I only recently became aware of the meaning of the acronym RINO. Suddenly I began applying the term to people all around me. Everything suddenly "fit" with them.

I had to think about this when I was recently published for the first time this year in the Miami Herald (I average about six such editorials a year---just enough to keep my fellow teachers seething lol.) and said that if GWB actively pushed the renewal of the AW/mag bans, I would resign my membership in the Republican Party and vote something more in line with my conscience. A man's gotta have basic values or he means nothing to himself. Once a basic line is breached...some form of action must be taken....no matter what. This is my feeling.