The convention wisdom in modern American politics is that in a primary, a Republican should run to the "right" and a Democrat to the "left" — seeking to tie down core base voters of their party. Then, in a general election, the candidates who emphasize those issues that would appeal to voters in the other party.
Apparently no one has given John McCain the important memo — the one that has two parts. First, you’re in a GOP primary. And the second — you do not get the ‘internationally famous movie star turned politician’ exemption to this rule.
Last year, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lurches to the ideological left that most infuriated GOP leaders and activists around California was his calling for the passage of Assembly Bill 32, dubbed by the environmental-extremist community as the "Global Warming Solutions Act" — legislation which has called for increasing regulations in California to fight an alleged nexus between human action and global climate change (read what William Rusher has to say about this in today’s featured Golden Pen column).
Apparently John McCain doesn’t know, or doesn’t care that this legislation that McCain heralded yesterday at an appearance with Governor Schwarzenegger (see photo above) was that only one Republican legislator, a moderate from San Diego, out nearly 50 in the State Capitol, voted for this ill-advised legislation.
Then Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia best summed up virtually unanimous legislative Republican opposition to Senator McCain’s new favorite bill by saying, "…the measure will establish the largest taxing bureaucracy in California since the creation of the State Board of Equalization, giving unaccountable state Air Resources Board members the ability to take “discreet” action – such as increasing the state gas tax by $1 or more – to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in California. Even worse, the measure will do nothing to lessen the impact of emissions generated in China, Mexico or other emerging economies, whose environmental damage has been far greater than anything that has occurred in California. (You can read all of Plescia’s remarks on AB 32 here.)
Anyways, John McCain already has a significant challenge in appealing to base Republican activists because of his jihad on the First Amendment as exemplified in his draconian McCain-Feingold campaign restrictions — but he seems to be ready to jump onto the environmental extremism bandwagon with his support, and praise of Assembly Bill 32.
Steve Schmidt, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign manager, is famously a senior advisor to John McCain’s Presidential bid. Schmidt, who worked on the re-election campaign of President George W. Bush, needs to explain to the good Senator that if he doesn’t win the primary, the general election becomes a moot point. And if McCain does get to a general election against Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democrat nominee, he isn’t going to beat her by trying to be a Republican "Al Gore" on environmental issues.
A note to all GOP contenders for the White House — Arnold Schwarzenegger is a unique phenomenon. Reinvent yourself in his ‘image’ at your own peril. Core GOP voters want a Presidential nominee who will be serious about national security, and who will do what President Bush has been unable, or unwilling to do — reduce the size and scope of the federal government.
I haven’t endorsed a candidate for President in the GOP primary (I don’t know that, as a Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, I get to), but John McCain’s trip to California yesterday hardly has me "warming" up to his candidacy..
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Uh, you forgot about the polls, Jon.
The climate change stuff Schwarzenegger is doing is approved by most Republican voters in California.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Well, therein lies the problem with polling. If you ask people, “Do you approve of efforts to make the environment cleaner?” – guess what? You will get a lot of people saying yes!
Now if what if you ask: “Do you support costly efforts to regulate businesses in California, driving up how much you pay for goods, so that there are fewer human-caused emissions in the air, which may or may not contribute to micro-changes in the global climate?”
It’s all in what you ask. If you asked people, “Do you want Disneyland to be cut their prices by 25%?” — the overwhelming response would be yes.
How would that be answered differently if you ask, “Would you like Disneyland prices to be lower by 25% knowing that it will mean that the park will close 3 hours earlier, that new planned rides will not be opened, and that food and souvenir prices in the park will double?”
Get my point?
Survey are only as good as the questions they ask.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
I know you would like to believe that, but you’re quite wrong on this.
Most Republican voters in California are not greenhouse deniers, they do want action.
And of course the premise of your polling question is, um, not serious.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Bill, do you have a link to that poll? I’m very curious to see the question(s) asked. Were they about specific solutions? Or just whether or not the respondent thought global warming is happening?
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 am
I don’t know how many times I have to write about the PPIC polls and others.
Now if you all want to believe that the only Republican governor you are likely to have it somehow stupid.
Or that the top-notch consultants and pollster who work for Arnold Schwarzenegger are stupid.
Or that I really don’t know what I’m talking about.
Or that most of the world’s climate scientists are lying.
Well, that is between you and your … :)
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
The point is, the issues McCain really seems to care about are those where he splits with conservatives. We all know he championed campaign finance deform, but the carbon dioxide crusade is not new for him either. In 2002 McCain made personal phone calls to GOP legislators asking for votes for Pavley’s carbon dioxide bill.
I’m not sure if he made similar phone calls in favor of the car tax cut but I have my suspicions.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 am
Re: Conventional Wisdom.
I’d like the candidate I vote for in the primary election to be the same candidate that I vote for in the general election.
I’d like my candidate not to run right, or left, in the primary election, and then left, or right, in the general election. I’d like my candidate to run in a straight line.
I’d like the Republican candidate that I vote for in the primary election to win California’s general election, and become the next President of the United States.
I’d like my President to be elected on the basis of who they are, not on the basis of who they, or others, pretend they are.
I’d like the next President of the United States to be John McCain.