Tom McClintock: Where does he fit in?

[Thelakedoctor]

Does he steal enough votes from Arnie to let Cruz cruise in?

Or is he really not a challenger?

[Melinda]

1. McClintonock is a true conservative

I may not agree with his politics, but I respect the man very much. One would think (I swear we are all in a bad episode of the Twilight Zone) that he would have the GOP lock on the vote... An overinflated power ego who has been a hollywood success, Arnold is an opportunist at all cost - the new Rovian Frankenstein - while McClintock embodies traditional republican values in every aspect of his life.

Arnold is the real thief.

[ComerPerro]

2. No kidding

I respect McClintock, and feel bad for him because of that asshole Arnold.

[PurityOfEssence]

4. a true "extremist-fundy-modern conservative", maybe

but the very term "conservative" has been very co-opted of late. A true conservative would be more fiscally strict (although he's close on this count) and less invasive on the subject of religion. He is a religious-based ideologue.

Your point is well taken, though, because he is definitely sincere in his insanity. (His eyes look like those of a madman, like Manson's in the key art to "Helter Skelter".) He is definitely more in line with the modern conservative platform in this country, but that ideology is absolutely unelectable statewide here. There are pockets of extremism out here that rival anything anywhere else in the country, but there are a lot of pragmatic moderate conservatives, and the state is just to diverse to ever tolerate someone like him.

Schwarzenneger shows that winning is more than anything for the power bosses of the Republican Party, and it's a clever and pragmatic move, even though it does starkly point out the hypocrisy of their siding with the ideological religious right.

McClintock's not a meanie, he's just a serious, straight-laced, wild-eyed true believer. I give him credit for honesty, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. Steal votes from Arnie?

I think he is sticking to his guns because he had dropped from another race a few years back at the request of California party leadership and it pissed off his conservative base.

[PurityOfEssence]

5. Oooh, I'd forgotten about that

That makes me think twice for crediting him on the sincerity/ethics issue. That also brings up the element of narcissism, which is definitely evident.

[ReadTomPaine]

6. There was a recent thread here in GD that covered the issue pretty well...

Give it a read when you have a chance.

"Not backing McClintock will cost the GOP"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=466253