Calblog

And keep in mind Arnie did not get elected on a repugnican platform...he lied and said he was a moderate and a believer in democratic ideals...he sold those out within 2 months of his election.

Hummmmmm

Tom McClintock

Chris Cox

Condoleezza Rice

Need Flap go on...........

And it won't be if Arnold is re-elected.

Angelides and Westly are empty suits.

Methinks you have answered your own question: The faithful do not want moderation. And Californians do not want someone who is not moderate.

I'd like to see Gray Davis re-elected. He did well, and it'd be a fine slap to the creeps who went after him.

Since that won't happen, I'll take Phil Angelides or Rob Reiner (no Cruz Bustamante).

Schwarzeneggar is the empty suit, and quite corrupt to boot IMO.

From his going to a 'secret Ken Lay' planning meeting for select righties before he was governor, to his buying his own plane through a phony front in Nevada to avoid paying California sales tax, to his unprecedented special interest fundraising and so much more - he's a mess.

Good thing California saw through his power grab attempt in the election and slapped him down.

Need Flap go on...........

Flap, you did not answer the more salient question, 'When (if ever) would such candidates actually get elected to office?'

McClintock. McClintock will never, repeat NEVER, be elected Governor. It's not just that he'd be sunk by L.A. and 'Frisco alone; McClintock presents himself as a scowling policy-wonk, not as an affable, even likeable man.

Cox. While much more nearly electable than McClintock, he'd still be beaten soundly by a Lib/Dem opponent.

Rice. I've gotta admit that there's an interesting choice. Good luck recruiting her, though, so long as she's under Bush's employ.

I disagree with your views on McClintock and Cox.

Flap knows them both personally and are men of conviction and integrity.

And what do you think Reiner, Westly and Angelides look like? Well, not movie stars.

When?

Probably 2010 or 2014.

Arnold has a lock on the nomination unless he quits but he won't and will be beaten in November 2006.

The nex Governor - probably Angelides.

The time has come for California's great hope to arise -- Gary Coleman, your time is now!

Flap - I agree. He's been good in campaigns for others - and I think he can use that for his now.

His image is unfortunately bland, but I think that can be nullified by many strengths.

I've been a California voter for 17 years and I've never had a very high opinion of the California Republican Party. The failure of the party to get Arnold's reforms pushed through is just another example of their ineptitude.

As for McClintock and Cox, I doubt a pro-life governor could win in California. It's too easy for the Democratic party machine to paint them as right-wing fundamentalists and the Republicans don't seem to know how to fight back.

I don't think McClintock has a prayer governor in '06, but he might in '10 if he runs for Lt.Gov next year instead.

I can see dumping Schwarzenegger in '06 because he's lost his mojo, but I can't see dumping him because he's too liberal/moderate. Anyone more conservative than Schwarzenegger would have a difficult time getting elected right now, and an even more difficult (read: impossible) time actually implementing an agenda to Schwarzenegger's right.

Flap knows them both personally and are men of conviction and integrity.

I do not doubt the conviction or integrity of either of them. I do, however, doubt their electability. And as regarding McClintock specifically, when pressed he comes across as angry rather than personable. McClintock is a non-starter outside of true-believer Republicans.

Arnold [...] will be beaten [by] Angelides.

Arnold beaten by Angelides?! You're kidding me, right? The Dems will have to come with someone better than Angelides.

Probably 2010 or 2014.

So you admit no Republican to the right of Arnold can win in 2006 anyway. Your solution, then, is to run a Republican you know will lose. You’ve already acquiesced to someone much worse than Arnold.

Further, none of your choices (save, perhaps, Rice) would have a chance as a viable contender on the "2010/2014" timetable you suggest.

It is no fluke that Arnold is governor. He occupies the nexus of celebrity and massive political fundraising. It's tough to lose an election with that combination. What he didn't anticipate is that some of us would require him to be also intelligent, not just charismatic.

As for Arnold's props losing... California is not Kansas. We will not readily vote against our own best interests as voters in Republican controlled states routinely do.

Regarding McClintock, he only makes sense to voters in neighborhoods where even the maids are white. The rest of us see him as the crazy guy on the bus who yells a lot.

I invite Cox to run. I'd love to revisit his many OC scandals and crimes. They were a hoot back in the day.

Who should be governor? Kathleen Connell! She has a mountain of integrity that all the others mentioned combined could not match.

bok bok, Chicken Hawk

California is not Kansas. We will not readily vote against our own best interests as voters in Republican controlled states routinely do.

Then you believe this district is in California's best interest.

Lars, your assertion is an embarrassment.

Clark,

Ideally, the gerrymandering could be reduced or prevented.

Here's the problem: there's a national picture.

When a red state gerrymanders - as they did egregiously with Tom Delay's aggressive mid-census second redistricting - republicans gain seats in Congress. That affects us. We gerrymander to get a corresponding advantage.

If only we 'do the right thing', then we get a 'fair' split while they get an unfair edge.

So, if you support democrats here, it's hard to support reform *only* here.

So, why don't we fix the problem nationally? I'd like to - but the problem is, the constitution understandably seems to give a lot of say to the indivudual states to decide these things for themselves - so we can't fix it nationally.

We're left with the choice of two evils: local injustice, more balanced nationally; or problem fixed locally, while reducing our votes.

It's not unlike the idealistic measure in Colorado in 2004 to split their electors proportionally instead of winner take all - so that 49% of the voters don't get 0% of the electoral vote in the winner take all system.

The downside? Colorado would make themselves irrelevant if only they do it. Why fight for a couple electoral votes there, when all the other states have the whole group of electors at stake? They'd hurt themselves.

Same problem: it might be better if it could be done nationally, but it can't, it seems.

Bottom line: I support, reluctantly, not 'fixing' this problem in California alone, because I'm more concerned about the effect of reducing democratic votes. If a national solution can be found - great.

Clark,

Tom McClintock will NOT run for Governor in 2006 but would be a better Governor than Arnold or any of the lefties out there.

Chris Cox will not move back from Washington and leave the SEC - at least not until 2010 but I doubt he will ever run for California statewide office. He, too, would make a fine Governor.

Both could be elected but not in 2006. It is simply too late to put together the campaign.

Coni Rice is certainly electable in 2010 or 2014.

In 2006 Arnold will run and lose big time. The next year will be an embarassment for the CRP and him. I am afraid that John Burton's quote is the real deal. He has too many negatives and reabilitation is FUTILE.

Arnold will move to the left to placate Maria and some of his inner circle and lose the enthusiasm of his Republican base.

Angelides has the money and the endorsement of the California shadow government: CTA., SEIU, CNA, AFL-CIO, etc etc.. He will have plenty of image making and media money. He has already been endorsed by DiFi, Boxer and everyone else from the left.

Westly and Reiner will be ASKED to sit this one out early.

If Flap is wrong and Arnold wins by moving to the left he will be no better than Angelides.

Watch Schwarzenegger's judicial appointments, especially the one replacing Janice Rogers Brown on the California Supreme Court. If he stays with his two moderate picks the right may abandon him before the June primary.

Flap

Arnold is dead meat. The people of California have finally figured out what he is really about. He is not an action hero. That's only an act. Also, his actions have shown that he is not a moderate at all. He is a corporate crony, and the people of Californial know it. He is not the friend of working people, but of the rich and priviledged.

The #1 goal of everyone should be to reduce the influence of the far-lefties in the California legislature. Barring something like Orange Countians driving Friscoians out of the state, or some miraculous moderate candidate descending from heaven, the only way to do that is for everyone to support Arnold and oppose those on the other side.

If you don't do that, you might as well be knocking on doors for Gil Cedillo.

None of the candidates for California Governor in 2006 have clear, detailed plans for solving California's issues. All of the candidates are vague when it comes to solutions and none of them offer long range planning. I am the only candidate that offers solutions and long range planning for all Californians. My name is George Fellows and I am a true independent cadidate for California Governor in 2006. Visit my web site at www.georgeforgovernor.com

George, mind explaining where you get those additional billions per year to pay for your programs?

I want more than just a gubernatorial candidate who will turn to spending cuts before tax and fee hikes, fight socialism, and seek to expand revenues by growing our economy. I want a slate of legislative candidates on the same mission. I want a Party behind them busting its rear to persuade more Californians to our point of view.

Instead I get a rag-tag bunch of misfits whose top advisors preach that the opposition is granite-solid, and therefore -I- have to be flexible enough to root for people who will govern in ways I won't like, just to keep the other guys from REALLY screwing up.

If Arnold wants reelection he can put up enough of a fight that no Republican gubernatorial candidate would be strong enough to win in 2006. So if he wants it, I say let him have it, and focus our energies getting McClintock and others like him in Sacramento in other jobs.