Republican candidates for statewide office not only need to debate, but they need to debate often. It is more important in this election cycle than ever before because of fourteen letters: Schwarzenegger. You see, Arnold Schwarzenegger really is one of the best actors out there – so much so that they should have an Academy Award for “Best Dramatic Performance In A Recall Election” – he would have won. He campaigned as a fiscal conservative – and has not been. His two hallmark “fiscal” achievements are getting the voters to max out the debt he inherited on a “credit card” of bonded indebtedness, and signing into law the largest tax increase in the history of any state. And he’s not done, with a pork-filled massive so-called water bond to appear before voters this November. In other-words, he “became” exactly the person he needed to be to strike a resonant chord with angry voters who wanted to oust Gray Davis and replace him with a fiscal hawk.
Why is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting performance of 2003 so relevant today? Let me give an eight letter word : cynicism. I use this word as a good one to describe the attitude of many Republicans – leaders, activists and voters alike, when it comes to a willingness to take candidates “word for it” when they are campaigning to us – we’ve been duped before and no one wants to have that happen again.
This election cycle we have candidates running for major statewide offices that have no history in politics – and therefore no specific way to judge exactly what they will do. It is important that Republican grassroots leaders from around the state, a great many of whom still are undecided in their choices for candidates for office get a chance to see the candidates engage in a lively debate – in person.
It is for that reason that I feel strongly that especially our candidates for Governor and for U.S. Senate (and probably Attorney General) should be debating at the upcoming Republican Party convention. That event would provide an opportunity for GOP activists to size up how the candidate to in a dynamic environment, and there is no doubt that the MSM and bloggers would cover that event, helping more Republicans get an idea of these candidates beyond what you hear in a radio spot, a television commercial, or a rehearsed, pre-scripted speech
For my party, I’ve heard from a great many of the 400+ members of the California Republican Party State Central Committee whom I represent as the Vice Chairman, South. Everyone wants to see a debate amongst the candidates for major office. Everyone is far more interested in that, than hearing yet another speech that repeats the same sound-bites over and over.
If you are a major candidate for the GOP nomination for Governor, and you’ve not yet agreed to participate in a debate at the Republican convention, the time to do so is now. Show your support of, and respect for hard-working GOP volunteers by appearing before them with your sleeves rolled up, ready to take whatever questions should be posited the event.
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