Are there really that few conservative voters in California? That’s what I feel like polls must be showing these days. If you look at the national political picture, President Bush and the Republican Congress are suffering hemorrhaging on their right flank due to frustrations on the inability of the federal government to grapple with the issue of illegal immigration, the desire for an exit-strategy for Iraq, and the out-of-control spending that is taking place under GOP reign.
Conservatives have strong feelings on the issue of illegal immigration, and our preferred way of dealing with the many millions of undocumented people who have violated our nation’s laws by coming here are articulated well by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher here. You can understand more about the spending problem here.
So I find myself frustrated on two levels. As I look back in Washington, D.C., I am dumbfounded that faced with this polling data about the frustration of GOP base voters, that the President has tacked to the center with proposals to grant amnesty to illegal aliens in America. Clearly the GOP base is also interested in an exit-strategy for our major presence in Iraq, and I have seen nothing on that being spoken of by the administration. On top of that, there seems to be no acknowledgement by the klatch of moderate Republican United States Senators that are single-handedly keeping the GOP from delivering on the very promises that help to sweep these very GOP Senators into office. Meaningful tax cuts and spending cuts languish in the Senate, leaving the GOP with unkempt promises.
Then we turn to California where it is understandable that Governor Schwarzenegger is not marching lock-step behind Bush. Frankly, Schwarzenegger is a maverick who doesn’t really march behind anyone else. But that said, for the Governor to reach out to disaffected conservative voters, he seems to be taking the wrong approach. In today’s news alone, he is critical of the idea of posting the national guard on our nation’s borders (the only part of Bush’s immigration proposal that scores some points with base voters), he is proposing to have the state bureaucracy approve a hike in a draconian mandate on state employers, requiring them to artificially increase wages — in a rebuke of the free-market system, and he is apparently going to name another Democrat to a key role in his administration (running the Cal-EPA) – a former aide to Steve Westly no less.
I will be penning a column soon about what I think that Arnold Schwarzenegger should be doing to give conservatives clear reasons to motivate and help the Governor get elected. Right now, it seems like the main focus for turning out GOP voters in the fall is based on how liberal his opponents are — and that conservatives will do anything to keep Phil Angelides or Steve Westly out of the Governor’s mansion.
Look at the polling in the 50th Congressional District to see what happens when a mushy moderate (Brian Bilbray) faces off with a leftist (Francine Busby). In what is an overwhelmingly GOP district, specifically drawn to be ironclad for the Republican Party, some polls show the race neck and neck, others show Busby with a narrow lead. Conservatives need a reason to get excited and come out to vote. And with the dour mood of base GOP voters right now because of the lack of performance by the GOP in Washington, more than ever the California strategy to turn out a strong GOP vote this November will have to include issues that are important to conservatives. Without strong issues that motivate conservative voters, the largest, most organized State GOP Victory program will not be able to succeed.
I want Governor Schwarzenegger to be re-elected to a second term. I’m just concerned about whether the current path will turn out conservatives that I think are essential for that victory.