I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the situation with the Republican base and its "energy" for the past two weeks.  As I stated initially, I think the free fall has subsided, and our mood has stabilized for the time being.  While we are only one policy disaster away from despair, I still sense that the GOP has bottomed out and has a chance to turn it up a notch this summer and fall.  How we handle illegal immigration and spending issues in Washington and Sacramento remain the greatest concerns of conservatives everywhere.

Last week I detailed three issues which would serve to energize the Republican base: balancing the State budget (evidently now not going to happen); protect us from crazy liberals; and define the public employee unions before they define you.  It appears that of these three, the Governor is only willing to protect us from the worst of what the legislature has to offer.  His recent overtures to the CCPOA and CTA might dull the attacks against him this summer, we will soon find out, but those moves don’t energize the base.

The Governor is going to have to quit making bad judicial appointments.  There should be a litmus test – minimally pro – death penalty, pro – property rights and pro second Amendment, regardless of the Party affiliation of the judge.  The pattern I have observed is both frustrating and unpredictable, devoid of a consistent objective.  Appointing conservative judges doesn’t drive Democrats away from the Governor – they are already voting against him in droves.  Conservative energy is sapped away rapidly when we see activist liberal judicial appointments.  Energize the base!  Change course and, as you say in your ads:  Protect the California Dream by appointing conservatives to the bench.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 27th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.