Re: California Dreaming

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

Driving to work to day, I heard a US National Public Radio reporter suggest that der Gropenführer's resistable rise will have a big effect on the California Republican Party. I think she's right. The Cal-GOPs are a bunch of right-wing sectarians (with a lot of money, so that they're not as marginal as us left-wing sectarians) and these days couldn't win any state-wide election. The other GOPster in the race, Tom McClintock is principled, but his principles are all wrong for California.  Mr. S wouldn't have won a GOP primary, because on "social issues" he's moderate (he's pro-choice, okay on gays, etc.) His election was a victory for him (and for the type of people who voted for Ross Perot), but in some ways a loss for the GOP. 

In some way, S's election makes a lot of sense: term limits mean that the legislature is filled with amateurs, so why not have an amateur governor. 
------------------------
Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxx &  http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine

 
> California's budget last year avoided most of the pain by passing most
> of the budget cuts on to the following year.  The hard cuts come next
> year.  Schwarzenegger will have trouble pleasing many people with his
> choices, possibly discrediting Republicans even more.
> 
> The negative side of the campaign is too obvious to mention.
> 
> --
> 
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Chico, CA 95929
> 530-898-5321
> fax 530-898-5901
>