Not backing McClintock will cost the GOP

[ReadTomPaine]

What I found most disturbing regarding the California Recall is the Republican support for Schwarzenegger over Tom McClintock. While I don’t agree with any of McClintock’s political views, it’s easy to see that he is the real, red meat conservative. What’s more, under the special rules in place for the recall, he would have been actually electable, a situation that is unlikely under any other political circumstances as California is so overwhelmingly progressive and Democratic.

With the media’s reading of his strong performance last debate, they could have had a candidate who actually represented their interests if the GOP had thrown support behind him instead of Coconut Grove debutante Arnold. Best case scenario now for the conservatives puts an “up to the task” Schwarzenegger in the seat but would still deny them access to their best issues- most of which he campaigned against. Ironically, worse case scenario for them also involves Arnold – in that case a headstrong, scandized incompetent with a Democratic wife “whispering in his ear” and the (R) next to his name only serving to discredit them just before what’s sure to be a contentious election. It’s no wonder that sharper party strategists didn’t want this to happen, there are just so many things that can go wrong. Some already have.

Remember, it’s Schwarzenegger himself who decided to run, and from all accounts it was an impulsive and ego driven decision- a habit of his it seems. While Arnold is likely to play water carrier for some aspects of the Bush Administration, he won’t be nearly as good an instrument for conservative interests as a man like Tom McClintock.

There’s a strong possibility of a Ventura-like situation if Schwarzenegger takes the governorship, where neither party nor people are served, just a PR-like stunt for personal aggrandizement. Let’s not forget that Terminator 3 has lost at least 20 million dollars so far, a fact that might be closer to the reason Arnold decided to run than anything I’ve seen mentioned so far. As a mid 50’s action movie lead with his hottest film property starting to fade, it would seem he’s the biggest beneficiary from this whether it’s successful or not.

A lot is still up in the air, and I have a strong feeling the Recall won’t pass and Davis will stay in office where he belongs. One aspect of this situation seems bankable, however. Win or lose, the GOP will come to rue the day they financed Arnold’s midlife crisis instead of a viable, party-loyal conservative republican.

[barbaraann]

1. I think that every Republican who does not condemn Arnold

for his indecent, immoral, and illegal behavior will be tainted for eternity.

[asjr]

12. backing

They certainly had no problem condemning Bill Clinton.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. I agree and I love your screen name

What this proves is that the GOP's conservative GOD/ morals tripe is a mile wide and an inch deep. As much as my politics and McClintock's are completely at odds, he is respectable and actually has been an effective legislator for his causes. The GOP has alienated their conservative base by telling them to get to the back of the line and vote for Arnold and it will come back to bite them in the ass.

Hopefully, it will drive a stake through the heart of Jim Brulte and finish off the Republican party's descent in California.

[revree]

3. Totally agree and I have more respect for McLintock.

At least he SAYS what he is and means it. Arnold is a liar, a cheat and a pig and NOBODY on either side can trust him.

[atreides1]

4. Arnold Can Be Controlled

Arnold like his Terminator character can be programmed, and he will
do the bidding of his puppet masters in DC.

Tom Mc Clintock is his own man, and would do what was best for his state. That's not to say McClintock wouldn't throw his support behind
Shrub next year, but I don't think he would sell out the people of CA.

[LeftCoast]

5. The basic problem is that McClintock probably couldn't win

Most CA voters view him as too far to the right. Folks like that don't get elected on a state-wide basis here in CA. Arnold has a shot because 1) he's a celeb., but also 2) because he claims to be socially moderate. For people in the 'mushy middle' that means they can get rid of Davis (who rightly or wrongly many in the state can't stand) and get the "moderate" celebrity candidate.

If Arnold hadn't run I can't imagine any of the other Repugs would've stood a chance (except for Riordan).

[ReadTomPaine]

7. In a normal election he couldn't, but under recall rules he had a shot.

Esp. if the GOP had put the machine behind him. Riordan was also viable, and another GOP loyalist sacrificed for Schwarzenegger's ego, but I don't think he's got the political 'knife fighting' skills McClintock has displayed thru his years in state government.

[LeftCoast]

11. He would still need to get the most votes

The repuke vote would've been split at least two ways. The left vote would be/is much less fractured so Bustamente in that scenario would've gotten more votes.

[ReadTomPaine]

13. The bow-out pressure would have been on Riordan...

As McClintock would have used the same playbook he's using now, but to greater effect (i.e. staying on the ticket regardless). Riordan has already shown that he was willing to bow out for the good of the party. The same has held true of the other conservative candidates (Uberroth, Simon etc). That would have left McClintock as the sole serious GOP candidate, but for the wildcard Schwarzenegger.

[LeftCoast]

14. Ok

in that case you have a single, conservative republican facing Davis (y/n on recall) or Bustamente on question 2. In that case it's either Davis or Bustamente that wins because there are more Dem voters in CA.

[ReadTomPaine]

17. No question that McClintock's a harder sell than Schwarzenegger...

But he still could have won with conservative establishment support, and the GOP would have gotten something for their money. McClintock’s early campaign traction was much stronger than expected and that was with a hostile national and state party. The Davis/ Bustamonte campaign communication problems and a few other issues have resulted in a less than effective showing for Democrats, though I found Bustamonte’s debate performances were all quite strong. While I agree with a Davis/Bustamonte outcome as the likely result of that matchup, I also feel that was going to be case whether Arnold was in the race or not. My point is that from the GOP perspective, they shouldn’t have bothered with Arnold, win or lose his campaign has been a disaster and likely marks just the beginning of their woes if he actually pulls off a win.

[LeftCoast]

26. In that we agree!

:)

[Kanola]

6. Out here in California.. I hope you are right

I agree and have posted on several threads that if Scharzanegger wins his outcome will be most like Jesse Ventura's, a huge failure for the state. I also agree that McClintock is the real conservative Republican who I think is a pretty bright guy (hate his policies). What I would like to add if the egomaniac gets the votes is will ALSO being going up againist a not too happy strongly DEM legislature. I cannot wait when he tries to blithely "clean house" with this crew. They will have him for dinner!

[Andromeda]

8. I hope you're right about Davis

staying in office. The GOP is indeed foolish to attach their hopes for power on the election of Arnold Swartzenegger because McClintock would seem to be more representive of their basic conservative views. McClintock, however, isn't a movie star and doesn't generate the kind of hero worship Swartzenegger does.

It doesn't surprise me that the Republicans would go to this extreme because they want power badly and they are willing to gamble on a hedonist like Swartzenegger to get control of California. This is all about power and control and little about ethics and morality.

As you pointed out, Arnold's star is fading and his years as a "hunk" are numbered.

Where are all these family values the right-wing is always spouting about? Seems like that has sort of gone by the wayside. There's an old saying that seems appropriate: Don't do as I do, just do what I say.

[eleny]

9. I'm watcing the replay of Maria

on Tweety's program. It really is insulting. She says that people can't get passed the "negativity". Oh, please. Maybe she got passed his groping etc but I wish she wouldn't advise the rest of us to do the same.

Btw, I don't live in California. I just am adding my 2¢.

[ReadTomPaine]

10. Had some trouble figuring her out, until..

..I read that she's ferociously competitive and ambitious (hard to work as a news anchor in LA and not have those qualities). In that light, it’s a lot easier to understand her current behavior. Still, I’m sure it makes Teddy cringe from time to time.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. and have you noticed that shiney gold cross she has taken to wearing

lately??? :eyes:

[Skittles]

34. yes

:puke:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. if i had to vote for McClintock or Arnold..... i would vote for McClintock

[hunter]

18. If Arnold wins he loses.

There will be no political "honeymoon" because everyone knows the majority of voters do not support him.

Schwarzenegger's very first day in the governor's office would not be pretty. He would find himself swimming in a tank full of very hungry sharks, circling to his left, and circling towards his right, and him all bloody.

I think the very same sort of pathological impulsiveness that causes Schwarzenegger to grab a woman's breasts is what got him into this mess.

By October next year he is going to be a very broken clown, no matter how this election goes.

It's a horrible thing to watch. That picture of an alarmed and emaciated Maria Shriver says it all.

[Cha]

19. And I Blame the Stupid people who are Enabling him, too!

[ReadTomPaine]

21. Image trumping reality...

I do find it amazing how many people are buying into the image of his film persona rather than the reality of his crude personality and lack of experience.

On a wholly gratuitous note, he’s really getting that LA leather head look made famous by such actors as Roy Scheider and Clint Eastwood. I wonder if it’s simply old age or his proximity to Maria “They Live” Shriver. Can’t you just see her yelling “I’ve got one that can SEE” into her Rolex?

[Loyal]

20. There is no doubt that McClintock

is the true Republican. The GOP is SO desperate to win in Cali that they are willing to throw their principles out the window. If they wanna do that, that's fine. I still don't think the recall will succeed.

[David Zephyr]

22. Sensible Observation and Commentary, ReadTomPaine

Glad to meet you here at the DU.

I also think that the Recall will fail. I think there will be a lot of Buyer Beware out here on Tuesday.

[Jack Rabbit]

23. Something else to say in appreciation of McClintock

Senator McClintock promised in the beginning to run a clean campaign. While it wouldn't be enough to get me to vote for him, he kept that promise. His TV spots were about what he would do as governor, not why the viewer shouldn't vote for the other guy. In the debates, he stuck to the issues and didn't go off into personalities.

I salute him for that. It doesn't matter what his political stripes are, it is something to be appreciated nowadays.

[LunaC]

24. Ah-nold was assimilated into the Borg....

in 2001 when Ken Lay held a secret conference with California Republicans to "preserve deregulation" and a special request was made for Ah-nold to attend. He's one of Da Boyz now.

http://salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/08/11/enron/index_np.html

[Catherine Vincent]

25. The only reason Arnold might win is because of his famous name.

And the republicans, democrats and independents that will vote for him are stupid.

[eileen_d]

27. Well said!

Not backing McClintock WILL cost the GOP - certainly their integrity, if not their actual souls. McClintock's views and platform are certainly not mine, but at least he's not a circus clown.

And to echo some of the stuff said earlier about Maria Shriver - whether she has forgiven Arnold's "indiscretions" or whatever euphemism you want to use -- that is NOT the point, Maria! You are the one who married the guy, so the fact that you have gotten over the "negativity" means zilch.

[hooligan]

28. I've been beating this over the heads of Republicans for weeks

You are exactly right. Republicans should be telling Arnold to drop out of the race, not McClintock. Arianna mentioned another positive thing about McClintock during the debate: he says what he believes and you know exactly where you stand with him.

[ReadTomPaine]

30. He's also got a long memory...

I wonder what the payback will be over all of this when the bill's due and they need McClintock, esp. should Davis stay in office, which is frankly quite likely.

[rocktivity]

29. Well, duh!

The GOP undermined themselves from day one by not backing Issa or McClintock. They think Arnold can win on celebrity glamour alone. But this is a RECALL election--if Davis is so incompetent that he has to be replaced immediately, why replace him with someone who has no political background whatsover?


rocknation

[opihimoimoi]

31. Ahnold is another Bush, sneaking in on name recognition only

to be found out as Peters later.

Arnold will help kill the GOP.

[ReadTomPaine]

32. The GOP's biggest flaw is the ease with which they can be manipulated...

...by right wing ideologues with personal agendas and money. It’s a huge problem that recurs regularly and makes attaining their platform goals almost impossible. It’s ironically the same problem often ascribed to communism - i.e. that it’s always going to become corrupted 'in the real world' so its ideology and goals are irrelevant. Another case of GOP 'reflection denial'.

[Skittles]

33. to their credit

I've heard the wingnuts on the radio shouting HYPOCRITES concerning Arnold Supporters. Including Glen Beck yesterday.

[KittyWampus]

35. Well, The Hypocracy is Certainly There For All To See

But there most certainly are Conservatives who are pissed... maybe not too many in California though.