Simon's departure helps Arnold

LA Daily News ^ | 8/24/03 | Harrison Sheppard

[veronica]

Businessman Bill Simon heeded the call of the Republican Party for a united front Saturday and dropped out of the race to replace the governor in the October recall election, strengthening actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's chances of winning.

Simon did not immediately endorse Schwarzenegger, state Sen. Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks or former Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, the top three Republicans in the race competing for governor against the leading Democrat, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, to take over the governor's mansion if Gov. Gray Davis is recalled Oct. 7.

In recent days, more Republican activists have called for the other candidates, particularly Simon, to drop out so that the party does not split its votes and clear the way for Bustamante in the winner-take-all election.

"There are too many Republicans in this race," Simon said in a videotaped message. "And the people of our state simply cannot risk a continuation of the Gray Davis legacy. For these reasons I think it's wise to step aside."

Although he will cease campaigning, it is too late to remove Simon's name from the 135 on the Oct. 7 ballot. But his endorsement could swing some conservative Republicans to vote for another candidate.

Simon was not available for interviews. A spokesman denied the move was a result of direct pressure from party activists. Still, the calls for Simon and other Republicans to drop out had amplified the day before his announcement, as the influential Lincoln Club of Orange County endorsed Schwarzenegger and called on Simon, McClintock and Ueberroth to step down.

Schwarzenegger praised Simon, and said he expects him to "continue to be a force for change."

"Bill Simon is a friend and man I respect. I know his decision today, which he called me about personally, was difficult for him and Cindy," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

"I hope Bill's personal sacrifice will serve to unify Republicans and other Californians who are eager to join the movement to give California back its future."

Ueberroth will be listed as a Republican on the ballot, but has said he is running as an independent. His campaign consultant said Saturday he will remain in the race. His campaign will feature a series of town hall meetings with voters, including one in the San Fernando Valley next weekend.

Many Democrats have broken with the governor's Davis-only strategy and backed Bustamante in his "No on recall, yes on Bustamante" campaign. Davis has indicated he, too, may change directions, saying the lieutenant governor could help bring out more Democrats to oppose recall in part one of the ballot.

Bustamante, appearing in Van Nuys on Saturday, said he wasn't surprised to hear that Simon dropped out.

"I think people are getting over the celebrity hype and understand that they have a very serious issue before them. Anyone who thinks they're just going to go out there and wow the voters when they're angry is going to find that's just not the case."

A Davis spokesman dismissed Simon's withdrawal as "irrelevant."

"We're still focused on defeating question one on the ballot," said Gabriel Sanchez, spokesman for the Davis anti-recall committee. "Question two has become a sideshow with one less clown."

McClintock has made it clear he intends to stay in the race and predicted a come-from-behind victory.

"They said that War Admiral couldn't be beat and shouldn't have to run a race against the likes of Seabiscuit," McClintock said in a written statement. "Let me assure everyone that I am one horse that is in this race to the finish line."

Staff Writer Lisa M. Sodders and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[AmericaUnited]

Now you complain that you're given a small dose of the same rudeness

No, I didn't complain. I was pointing out what a hypocrit you were being.

I'll let you know when I want you to be my posting cop. Till then, stop whining, it annoys the adults.

[Bonaparte]

Here's a quote from an interview with Schwarzenegger:

He also approves of human cloning "as long as you make sure that it's not going to be used by someone to create his own little army and abuse the thing." Of course, for Arnold, cloning would mean duplicating himself, and that's an idea he loves, "because I want to do so many things in life. It is not just I. You are probably the same. You say to yourself, 'Gee, how can I have my family and work?' At night, I wonder how I can go to sleep plus direct a movie while in the daytime act in two movies simultaneously, go home and be with the family. Wouldn't that be wild?" Schwarzenegger says boyishly. "Then all my clones could get together and have a meeting, go out again and attack."

Now, here we have a man who not only believes his own clones will have the same interests and abilities as himself, but that they will mature to adulthood before he's reached old age.

Since you consider yourself a judge of others' intelligence, how would you rate the intelligence of Arnold's above statement?

[Kevin Curry]

McClintock has 21 percent of the Republican support versus 39 percent for Schwarzenkennedy. A shift of a mere 9 percent of that support would bring the two candidates into a tie. A ten percent shift would give McClintock the lead.

McClintock is a viable candidate--Buchanan was not.

McClintock's support is holding--actually climbing--despite a chorus of non-stop attacks by Schwarzenpubbies and the liberal media screaming that McClintock doesn't have a chance. That's pretty good for someone that you assure us is destined to be annihilated by Schwarzenkennedy.

I believe Dean will lose. Sure, I would be more than pleased if the Dims make him their go-to guy. But Dean is not McClintock. McClintock has a shot; Dean (at this point) does not.

[The Old Hoosier]

We still have one in the race...and he's going to make the debate...

[Bonaparte]

AmericaUnited [post 28]: "...Proposition 49--an initiative he sponsored last year to expand after-school programs to every school in California. In a stroke of political genius, the initiative didn't raise taxes or cut any other program."

Actually, when this initiative kicks in, it will cost as much as $550 million per year. That money will come out of the general fund, which is tax money that comes out of the pockets of Californians like me. IOW, Arnold's pet project is going to cost us up to half a billion dollars every year!

Does this sound like a fiscally conservative measure to you? Half a billion dollars per year for a free baby-sitting service? (And please don't start telling me about Chris Cox. I'm asking you. Is this "social program" of Arnold's fiscally conservative or not?)

[nosofar]

THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CONSERVATIVE VOTERS IN THE STATE OF KALIFORNIA TO WIN AT THIS POINT IN TIME!

WE'RE NOT VOTING AT THIS POINT IN TIME!

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

Davis's team and supporters are quietly helping McClintock's campaign.

Source?

That's what I thought.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

If Tom doesn't quit, Cruz will win

Ohhhh, I would be piddling down you leg so much about ol Cruz "Read my lips, no new spending cuts" Bustamante. I've never seen so much campaigning for his invincibility as I do from (R)nold supporters.

Even Demos don't like it when stupid Democrates are honest about raising taxes ($8 billion on Cigarrettes/booze etc) if my DU dumpster diving has taught me anything, along with the last Democrate that promised tax increases in an election; Walter Mondale- who had an even more attractive and larger demographically appealing minority; a woman Vice. He lost in one of the biggest landslide in US history without any scandal and against an unabashed right wing conservative.

Do yourself a big favor, and pull yourself together about "N-Word" because his "Tough Sh** for California" platform will go over like a led balloon once the non-political types, unlike you and me, take a look at the platforms roughly 2 weeks out of the election.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Who cares?
Mc is not a winner.
He will back out next week. You can stay home and not vote, or vote for the guy feeding the "attack"dogs in the Mc campaign...

governor dufus.
old tactics just like he used on simon... too bad you have fallen for it, freepers are supposed to be smart. especially you "true consevatives".

[Robert_Paulson2]

consevatives=conservatives.

[Robert_Paulson2]

read down the thread... source apparently sacremento bee:

---

quote from above sac bee posting:
" McClintock as "Useful pawn" of Davis? Last year, Gray Davis spent millions boosting Bill Simon's primary candidacy to beat him in the general election. This year, Gray Davis is pulling the same stunt with Tom McClintock. According to the Sacramento Bee, Davis intends on playing "two hands at once". Specifically, he plans to leverage his relationship with California's Indian tribes to aid McClintock. The plan would be to "pump McClintock's numbers up while hurting Arnold and not harming Cruz a bit". If the GOP is a house divided agianst itself, Cruz Bustamante will cruise to victory on October 7. We should be wary of playing right into Davis's hands...again. "

---

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

" McClintock as "Useful pawn" of Davis? Last year, Gray Davis spent millions boosting

Ah, nice speculation, but I said "Source" not rumor.

If nothing else this a=b=turkey line of logic, released by the media, proves more of what I said in #160 than the ramblings of "AmericaUnited". Even that guy posted this Besides, as a libertarian-leaning Republican, McClintock is a natural ally of the Indians anyway.

McClintock has for a long time championed the Indians in CA. He has given speaches about them "having everything taken from them, their land their livelihood, except their liberty"

You should read more of what he has said on his state website, he is a prolific conservative writer. Much like Reagan was. The quote from (R)nold's website is exactly clear, McClintock is a natural ally of them. If this is the best you got in terms of "dirt" on a guy in public office for close to 2 decades, you should be championing him-considering the record of (R)nold will soon show to be be not so a=b=turkey related.

[Reagan Man]

>>>Who cares?

I care. Obviously, you don't. So what!

I'm in good company on this conservative website. More then half of FreeRepublic supports McClintock and that includes, JimRob and Reagan Man.

McClintock's the man and Arnold is not.

[Pelham]

Right! Applying the "conservative purity test" has been great for Kalifonia

It's obvious you don't live in California if you think that's what has been going on here. We have had nothing but squishy moderates offered up by the GOP for years- even Simon ran as if he had no backbone once he won the primary.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Link to JimRob's endorsement?
Hadn't seen that.
I did see that the Mc Crowd who was touting their lead here on the last poll, has fallen to within 15 votes... and barely 50 percent, if that.

Of course the STATE of California is NO way near as conservative as the bible thumping "amen" crowd here... so amongst NORMAL conservatives, Middle of the Road americans and conservative leaning democrats... arnold will garner more votes.
and Mc C will bow out... like he is told. So much for principles... Wait and see.

[Reagan Man]

>>>Link to JimRob's endorsement?

Here's two mentions.

McClintock sounds like he's the man who can get the job done."

... the sooner Simon and Arnold will fold up their foundering campaigns and endorse the best conservative for the job. McClintock.

You know, you're a first class pain in the arse. Do yourself and the rest of us a favor, stop being such a cynical malcontent.

[AmericaUnited]

All of you delusional losers are wrong. It's amazing how even after EVERY election when your predictions are INCREDIBLY WRONG, you have the gall to keep posting.

[Robert_Paulson2]

thanks for the links.
since you're not the thread cop here... I will be just as "malcontent" and "miserable" as I want... thank you.

your boy is toast. count on it.

[Robert_Paulson2]

It's not gaul... they are the "true conservatives"...

deceived yes, arrogant, perhaps...

[Spiff]

What's not to understand?

Here's what I understand about Schwarzenegger:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's views:

• Pro Gun Control

  "I'm for gun control. I'm a peace-loving guy." - Time magazine cover story Aug 18, 2003

• Pro Abortion

  Schwarzenegger appeared on FoxNews' "Bill O'Reilly" program in May 2001 and said he disagreed with President Bush's pro-life position. "I'm for choice," Schwarzenegger said on the program. "The women should have the choice. The women should decide what they want to do with their bodies. I'm all for that."

• Pro Gay Agenda

  From Cosmopolitan magazine, "I have no sexual standards in my head that say this is good or this is bad. Homosexual-that only means to me that he enjoys sex with a man and I enjoy sex with a woman. It's all legitimate to me." He also supports gay adoption, despite the fact that both conservative Republicans and moderate Democrats voted by a 61 percent margin for Proposition 22, the Defense of Marriage Initiative, which defined marriage as that between a man and a woman. Newsmax, 28 July 2003

• Pro Big Government Programs

  Regarding the passage of Proposition 49: "Every California child deserves access to a proven, quality, life-changing afterschool program, and now they will have it. My hope is that, as goes California, so goes the rest of our nation."

• Pro Clinton/Anti Impeachment

  In 1999 Schwarzenegger told George magazine of his bitterness about the frenzy over Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton and the waste of time and energy it represented. "That was another thing I will never forgive the Republican party for," he said. "I was ashamed to call myself a Republican during that period."

• Soft on Illegal Immigration

  Last year, while campaigning for his Prop. 49 after-school programs initiative, Schwarzenegger...declared in answer to a question from the audience: "I would never stand in the way of any child going to school, whether he or she is here legally or illegally, it does not matter." - Sacramento Bee, 24 August

Rush spanks all of you who are timid about pushing a conservative right now when the time is ripe to elect a REAL conservative.

California Needs Conservatism

California is a liberal proving-ground run amok. Its crushing debt - resulting from years of pandering to unions, bureaucrats, illegal immigrants, environmentalists and trial lawyers - has led to huge tax increases, major cuts in basic services, a reduction in the state's credit rating, brown-outs, water shortages and a large exodus of citizens from the state.

None of this decay is surprising. The left's promises of Nirvana never measure up. But what does surprise me are the reactions of some conservatives who see California's problems as so severe that they can't be solved by the application of conservative principles. Their thinking has led them to support Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, to my knowledge, has yet to embrace any conservative positions, though he has embraced Warrent Buffett. Hasta la vista, whatever.

There's no better time to advance conservative principles than when they're most needed. And California needs a large dose of conservatism. Recent history should be our guide.
.
.
Conservatives need to learn from Ronald Reagan. They need to stop being timid, pessimistic, and insecure. California needs solutions. There is no better time and place to establish and illustrate the primacy of conservatism. True, not all of California's problems mirror those of the late '70s and '80s, but many do, particularly those that forced this recall. Now, if one man with a vision completely changed the course of a nation, why can't it happen in a single state?
-Rush Limbaugh, Wall Street Journal, 20 August 2003

Obviously, Rush is saying that we need a true conservative and one with vision. And he makes it clear that it isn't Arnold who, he says, "has yet to embrace any conservative positions."

Rush doesn't rehabilitate Arnold much at all in the whole 'Arnold Got His (Conservative) Groove Back' thing. Far from it. Rush's support of Arnold's alleged conservative credentials it as tepid as Coulter's. So Arnold brought in Schultz? And?! That certainly doesn't immediately make him a conservative. Other people he's brought into his campaign detract from the conservative illusion. For example, he's brought in A. Jerrold Perenchio, the leftist CEO of the Univision and a long-time Davis supporter.

Either conservative principles are right and worth promoting or they're not. Either conservative policies are the best thing to save California or they are not. Either the Republican Party is the vehicle for electing representatives who will promote conservative principles - or it isn't.

Right now, with the Democrats in disarray and failed liberal policies obviously destroying the state of California, is the best time - an extremely rare alignment of the planets - for electing a true conservative. Yet so many Republicans are getting distracted by Arnold's star power and forgetting why we're Republicans in the first place. They are about to waste the perfect tactical opportunity to elect a real conservative because it is far easier to just go with Arnold and not do the work to get McClintock elected.

This could be conservatism's finest hour - the opportunity to prove that liberal policies are destructive and that conservative policies can succeed, save a nearly bankrupt state, and prove to the rest of the nation that we need conservative policies everywhere. We might be able to save California through true conservative ideas and capitalize on that victory to advance the conservative message nationwide. Or you can elect an inexperienced RINO and cross your fingers and hope. If, somehow, purely by luck alone, the RINO saves California all we have is the appearance of a victory for RINO, non-conservative principles. A "new direction" for the Republican Party - away from conservative ideals- will be celebrated. Thereby, the cause of conservatism would suffer a serious, possibly deadly blow.

As Ronald Reagan said, ""We’ve come to a moment in our history when party labels are unimportant. Philosophy is all important." Now is the time.