July 28, 2003

Recall Rumor: Candidates

Hugh Hewitt at 3:25 pm. Dr. Laura is talking about running and Willie Brown is calling the powwow. Dreier is coy about supporting Riordan if he runs.

I came to my decision today. McClintock is our best hope. He is focussed on the budget while everyone else is deciding the best time to announce whether they're running or not.

Yes, I know he is way to the right on social issues but the Democratic legislature won't let him stray too far right and he is going to ignore those while he gets the budget isn't worked out.

So starting now, this blog officially throws in behind McClintock and will be even less neutral than usual.

Posted by Justene Adamec at July 28, 2003 03:32 PM | TrackBack
Comments


He's probably the one politician with the guts to actually shut the government down. I like McClintock, a whole big bunch. I still can't shake the feeling that this will kill us in 2004 and 2006.

Posted by: Andrew at July 28, 2003 03:39 PM (Permalink)

I'm a social liberal and a fiscal moderate-conservative. As it stands today, i'd vote for McClintock - because he is the state's premiere budget hawk, because he is the only candidate who I think has demonstrated an understanding of fiscal reality in the past, because he is the one guy I can trust to count all of the nickels and dimes and make sure not a spare penny is being spent.

I don't like the fact that his campaign seems to be based on lowering taxes, but that will sell well with the populist crowd, and I ultimately don't mind if he can restore a balanced budget while so doing. I'm not afraid of his stance on social issues as he won't have the power to do anything in support of that stance - and because I believe that he'd view the budget crisis as being more important a focus, under the circumstances.

I have no idea what effect that will have on the elections of 2004 and 2006, and I don't particularly care, either; the state is careening on the edge of fiscal catastrophe, and McClintock is the only currently declared candidate with an aptitude for dealing with that problem.

Posted by: aphrael at July 28, 2003 03:58 PM (Permalink)

Justene:

I think you're addressing the wrong issue: McClintock's social conservativism is a political liability because California is a very liberal state, and a conservative candidate is seriously handicapped in a statewide race. It doesn't matter what effect a Democratic-controlled legislature will have on moderating McClintock's views because Californians disagree with his views so much we won't get a chance to find out what he would do.

That said, I like McClintock, and think he has the toughness to deal with the Assembly to resolve the budget crisis, but I'm standing by Riordan (who, it is often forgotten, frequently clashed with the LA City Council and knew how to leverage his position to extract as many concessions from the Council as he could).

Posted by: Sean at July 28, 2003 07:57 PM (Permalink)
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