Ping: Republicans

[Subby]

This guy seems to have gotten it right.

Calif.: How Gov. Schwarzenegger Won Big

The Republican governor is still a hit in the nation’s most Democratic state. Can the wounded GOP learn anything from his win—and his second-term agenda?

By Karen Breslau

Nov. 8, 2006 - “I love doing sequels,” said a jubilant Arnold Schwarzenegger after his landslide re-election Tuesday night. There have been plenty to choose from. Since he became governor of California in the madcap 2003 recall election, Schwarzenegger has dished up political drama on a schedule that would thrill the most demanding Hollywood producer. First, there was Arnold the ribald show-biz maverick, who declared his candidacy on the “Tonight Show” and then governed from the center in year one of his reign; followed by Arnold, the hard-edged Republican in 2005, who alienated the state’s Democratic majority with an ill-fated special election that blew up in his face. In 2006, there was “post-partisan” Arnold, the environmentally progressive, socially liberal, fiscal conservative who must now qualify as the happiest Republican in America, having demolished his Democratic opponent Phil Angelides in the country’s bluest state by nearly 20 points. (Keep in mind that John Kerry beat George Bush here by over a million votes in 2004.)

Wounded Republicans hoping to draw lessons from Schwarzenegger’s victory--or for that matter, his wildly incongruous record as governor—are likely to find few pointers. “He’s a model for the rest of the country,” says campaign manager Steve Schmidt, a former aide to President George W. Bush. It will be interesting to see if Schmidt’s former boss takes a page from Schwarzenegger’s playbook this week, as he begins to grapple with the new Democratic majority in Congress. While there are no other Republican officeholders with Schwarzenegger’s pedigree or background (who, aside from Arnold, could boogey onstage with his 85-year-old mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, to a hip hop version of “Let the Sun Shine” on election night?) being married to a Kennedy does wonders for bipartisan awareness. It’s hard to imagine Laura Bush telling her husband he blew it and how to fix it, as Maria Shriver did with her husband last year, after Schwarzenegger lost every one of the government reform initiatives he forced onto the ballot in a special election.

Within days of his drubbing, Schwarzenegger had publicly apologized to Californians for his “mistake”, replaced his senior staff with Democratic veterans who had once worked for his predecessor, Gov. Gray Davis, and then sat down with the very lawmakers he had derided as “girlie men” and began hashing out a series of bipartisan compromises on issues ranging from prescription drug coverage to boosting education funding and raising the state’s minimum wage. As a result, Democrats and independents who had been alienated by his harsh partisan rhetoric returned to Schwarzenegger in droves, giving him a margin of victory over the hapless Angelides that Schwarzenegger’s team never imagined. And make no mistake: this was an Arnold-only victory. Conservative Republican Tom McClintock, who has clashed with Schwarzenegger on spending policies, lost his race for Lieutenant Governor by four points.

Another ballot measure supported by conservatives, that would have required minors to obtain parental notification before having an abortion, went down by a large margin.

Even though Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign was run by two Bush veterans--Steve Schmidt and Matthew Dowd--the tone was decidedly California.” Schwarzenegger pushed his identity as the “people’s governor,” even telling NEWSWEEK during one interview aboard his campaign bus, “It doesn’t say ‘Vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican.’” Together with Shriver, the consultants positioned Schwarzenegger as a new brand of eco-Republican, even staying away from typical campaign colors in favor of a soft apple green that went on everything from bumper stickers to his campaign bus. In a state where more than 80 percent of voters say a candidate’s position on the environment is “important,” Schwarzenegger shrewdly out-greened Angelides, who had been damaged during the Democratic primary by charges of polluting during his days as a real estate developer.

Despite having promoted the Hummer, Schwarzenegger talked nonstop about his dream of a “hydrogen highway” and his solar roof initiative. In September, Schwarzenegger signed a landmark bill cutting California’s greenhouse gas emissions. Sitting on Treasure Island, against an eye-watering backdrop of San Francisco, Schwarzenegger signed the legislation, flanked by diplomats and the flags of nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol, the 1996 treaty to combat global warming (and one that President Bush refuses to sign.) British Prime Minister Tony Blair was beamed in by videolink to praise Schwarzenegger’s environmental leadership. Angelides, meanwhile, held a sparsely attended press conference with leaders of major environmental groups.

While Schwarzenegger was invulnerable on environmental issues, they loomed large on the California ballot. In a major upset, GOP Rep. Richard Pombo, the powerful chairman of the House Resources Committee, lost his seat to Democrat Jerry McNerny, a wind-energy engineer. Pombo, a seven-term incumbent, was targeted by national environmental groups for policies perceived as overly friendly to energy producers. Meanwhile, a ballot measure that would have taxed oil producers to fund alternative energy development, which drew support from Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and a host of lesser celebrities, failed. The measure, Proposition 87, funded by Hollywood producer Steven Bing and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla drew a $100 million counter-campaign by the oil industry. Although he opposed the measure because it involved a new tax, Schwarzenegger’s aides say he will look for ways in the coming weeks to promote alternative energy research as a way of placating the 48 per cent of California voters who supported the measure.

Also on Schwarzenegger’s agenda for his second-term: devising a healthcare plan for California, reforming healthcare, promoting his plan to redraw congressional districts, this time with help from legislators, and a massive, $40 billion infrastructure improvement program. “The people have given us a mandate, not for any particular party,” said an uncharacteristically conciliatory Schwarzenegger. “But to build a new future, to work together to get things done.” At the dawn of Schwarzenegger’s second terms, there are few who would disagree.

[ISiddiqui]

Schwarzenegger realized that the bluster wasn't going to work and sat down and decided to chart a more moderate course. Not all that much different than what President Clinton decided after the 1994 midterms. Though Schwarzenegger has reached over to the other side a bit more, and done some great things.

[wade moore]

It would be interesting to see what he could do if he was allowed to run for President.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by wade moore

It would be interesting to see what he could do if he was allowed to run for President.

He's got a few more years to go. The Demolition Man hasn't shown up yet.

[Ksyrup]

Um...I hate to burst people's bubbles, but this is California we're talking about. Bending left + Hollywood pedigree = winner. I don't see much chance of this taking root in other states, either on the part of politicians or the people who would vote for them. You're not going to win typical Republican support by being socially liberal and compromising on raising the minimum wage, for example.

I think the lesson of compromising to get things done is a positive one, but I think the political climate of his state was tailor-made for what he did. I'm sure the most strident conservative Republicans had no ability to sway these issues, and I don't think the same holds true in many other states.

[Warhammer]

A social Republican can win in California. Heck, one of the big things in California has always been fiscal responsibility.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

He's got a few more years to go. The Demolition Man hasn't shown up yet.

You realize he can't legally run, right?

[Subby]

He has done a pretty solid job of occupying the middle ground that the Republican party seems to have abandoned nationally.

But - yes - what I took from that article is the spirit of bi-partisanship that seems to exist in California. Hopefully both parties notice what hapepend there and take it to heart.

[TRO]

Originally Posted by wade moore

You realize he can't legally run, right?

Have you seen Demolition Man? Go watch it and be on the look out for the 61st amendment.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by TRO

Have you seen Demolition Man? Go watch it and be on the look out for the 61st amendment.

Ahhh... I'm slow.. I saw it so long ago, I'm clueless and missed a reference...

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by wade moore

You realize he can't legally run, right?

LeninaHuxley: I have, in fact, perused some newsreels in the Schwartzenegger Library, and the time that you took that car...
JohnSpartan: Hold it. The Schwartzenegger Library?
LeninaHuxley: Yes. The Schwartzenegger Presidential Library. Wasn't he an actor when you...
JohnSpartan: Stop! He was President?
LeninaHuxley: Yes! Even though he was not born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st Amendment which states...
JohnSpartan: I don't wanna know. President.


Edit: Damn, too slow...

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

A social Republican can win in California. Heck, one of the big things in California has always been fiscal responsibility.

Did you type that with a straight face?

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by digamma

Did you type that with a straight face?

OK, let me rephrase that, when I lived out there, and prior to Gray Davis, it was about fiscal responsibility. I forgot that the state went to hell in a handbasket after I left in 84.

[Subby]

"I'm the Governor Pete Wilson you know The baddest governor, to ever grab the mic and go BOOM! Give me a budget and watch me hack it..."

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by Subby

"I'm the Governor Pete Wilson you know The baddest governor, to ever grab the mic and go BOOM! Give me a budget and watch me hack it..."

*Applause* Fantastic reference.

[Buccaneer]

The Republican governor is still a hit in the nation’s most Democratic state.

The article had me at that point. That is a stupid, ignorant thing to say because California, with it's largest block of conservative voters (at least in the recent past) in the SD-OC area, does not even come close to "Democraticness" of Mass. or Vermont or Hawai'i. Or perhaps those states don't count?

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

The article had me at that point. That is a stupid, ignorant thing to say because California, with it's largest block of conservative voters (at least in the recent past) in the SD-OC area, does not even come close to "Democraticness" of Mass. or Vermont or Hawai'i. Or perhaps those states don't count?

When did your title change?

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

When did your title change?

It's just another stupid SD act to go along with JG.

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

It's just another stupid SD act to go along with JG.

John Galt or Jim Gindin? I've seen JG for John Galt before...

[Arles]

I hate to break it to people, but if this Arnold's "governing stature" was done by some normal politician named Bob Smith, he would have no chance. The only reason he is governer is because he is a celebrity and many people know/like him. As long as he doesn't come off as a right-wing nuthead, he will probably stay governer because of his name, not any specific governing strategy.

[Karlifornia]

What about Ronald Reagan? I wasn't old enough to know what his rise in politics was like. Is it similar?

[sooner333]

The only thing surprising me in this article was that in this "most-democratic state" that Tom McClintock only lost by 4 points! That guy was the conservative republican alternative to Arnold in the recall election.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by Arles

I hate to break it to people, but if this Arnold's "governing stature" was done by some normal politician named Bob Smith, he would have no chance. The only reason he is governer is because he is a celebrity and many people know/like him. As long as he doesn't come off as a right-wing nuthead, he will probably stay governer because of his name, not any specific governing strategy.

I disagree with that. Arnold was very unpopular at this time last year, after he called a special election pushing a bunch of right-wing initiatives. His approval rating was pretty similar to Bush's at that point. His approval ratings went up when he reversed course, started working with the Democrats (particularly on the infrastructure bonds that passed in this election), and started stressing green issues.

Also, the "blueness" of the state is exaggerated. The truth is that moderate Republicans like Schwarzenegger are usually pretty competitive. The problem the Republicans have is that they rarely nominate the moderates for offices other than governor, and while fiscal conservatism can be a winner, social conservatism is an almost guaranteed loser in California at the state level.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by sooner333

The only thing surprising me in this article was that in this "most-democratic state" that Tom McClintock only lost by 4 points! That guy was the conservative republican alternative to Arnold in the recall election.

I don't like McClintock, and would never vote for him, but I did gain a lot of respect for him for the way he conducted himself in the recall election. He ran a very clean campaign then, and was very good spokesman for conservative values. I think that goodwill helped make him as competitive as he was. The other far-right candidates did not far nearly as well.