Posted on 11/17/2008 7:47:13 AM PST by SmithL
SACRAMENTO — Orange County conservative Assemblyman Chuck DeVore's decision to challenge U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2010 wasn't exactly what some Republicans had in mind when thinking about revitalizing an image that took a bruising in the Nov. 4 elections.
A darling of the hard-right wing of the party for his positions on abortion, taxes, regulations and energy, critics say the Irvine Republican is tied too closely to past battles already waged and lost. He doesn't do what they need, they say, to expand the party beyond its shrinking base.
For one, his staunch anti-abortion stance is a hurdle that will be difficult, if not impossible, to clear, based on history. No anti-abortion candidate has won a statewide race since 1994. The last anti-abortion U.S. senator from California was George Murphy — and he was appointed in 1965 and lost his only election in 1970.
"If you want to win a statewide race, you have to win over Democrats and independents — and you have to be abortion rights to do that," said Mark Herrick, president of the California Republican League, a group of moderate Republicans based in Palo Alto. "Step one is you (have to) be abortion rights. It's ridiculous to talk about anything else until you get past that. Until the Republican Party accepts that brutal fact, discussing any other issue or strategy is pointless."
One Republican consultant who spoke on condition of anonymity said that a Latino or a woman who has an ability to raise at least $20 million would be "ideal" in a race against Boxer — rather than an unapologetic, unbowed conservative like DeVore, who is known for his confrontational style on the Assembly floor.
"It would take an unconventional candidate," the consultant said, "who could talk about issues like ...
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
Article is right. You need a giuliani in a state like that in order to be competitive.
This sounds like my kind of guy!
This is why she can always be such an attack bitch....totally bulletproof.
As evidenced in the past presidental election:
NEW CAMPAIGN STRAGETY FOR THE RIGHT: Either don’t mention or lie about how he stands on abortion, or any issue for that matter.
I am serious about him not mentioning it though, it seems to be a “don’t tell don’t ask media” and if he can avoid the subject he should do ok.
You AND me, but where do we get the other 10 million votes?
Babs never runs on her record - her modus operandi in the past two elections has been to do nothing but smear her opponent. But California is adamantly opposed to amnesty and we have Babs on record supporting it. Maybe this time the Republican party in California will run a real candidate and not simply roll over and play dead like it did in 2004.
Why bother running as a Republican if you believe Democrat things?
It boggles the mind — as has been said — you do not respond to polls, you CHANGE them.
Boxer also ALWAYS defaults to abortion when she has nothing else to campaign about. And it works every time. That’s exactly what she will do if DeVore is the Republican nominee.
A giuliani type would be a further compromise of conservatism. I will no longer back folks the GOP wants me to..
In California? This is a state where abortion was legalized BEFORE Roe v. Wade and the law was signed by Ronald Reagan! Abortion has been legal in California for over 40 years.
Read tagline.....
Well.......California did pass prop 8...no H8...:) so there’s a fighting chance for a conservative if they spread the message correctly...
“Good on Guns, Illegal Aliens, Abortion, limited government, strong defense”
Those American virtues are a tough sell in CA. We’ll see.
Prop 8 enjoyed minority support Devo ain’t gonna get, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.
In the worst possible environment for Democrats, in a landslide GOP year, with high turnout, a Conservative still loses CA.
Have we forgotten the last 10 or so experiments otherwise? Riordon, etc.?
Ahnold for senate 2010!!!!!!!!!!!
So we should run Rush Limbaugh in Vermont then?
I don’t think so.....
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