Editorials
Republican Party's Splitting Headache

The Republican Party in California has long suffered from an identity crisis. Should Republicans in the Golden State stand firm upon the solid conservative principles which have guided the party for decades, or should the GOP compromise its core values to reach out to moderates and swing voters? This very question continues to plague the Republican Party in California today, causing a deep rift that has led to complete Democrat control of the state government.

Generally, the Republican Party of late has had two main factions that have refused to make amends. On the one side are the traditional conservatives who want to stick to their beliefs no matter the consequences. On the other side are the moderates who believe that the Republicans should cater to those in the middle and embrace select liberal ideologies. They believe that the GOP has no chance of winning in California as long as it pursues a strictly conservative line. Meanwhile, the traditionalists wonder what winning is worth if you betray everything you believe just so you can win.

This ongoing division in the party has revealed itself yet again in the Recall Election. Given the golden opportunity to oust an extremely unpopular Democrat governor and take control of the governorship of the state, Republicans have risked defeat through running two major candidates, while the Democrats have unified behind one man. In a state where it is hard enough for Republicans to win, splitting votes among two candidates is asinine. With the possibility of Cruz Bustamante winning the election, it's no wonder Darrell Issa said he would withdraw his support for the recall if either State Senator Tom McClintock or Arnold Schwarzenegger did not drop out of the race. Indeed, if the recall of Governor Davis succeeded only to have Bustamante take the governorship, it would be a travesty from which the California Republican Party might have a hard time recovering.

So the question remains as to what the future of the GOP should be in the Golden State. We believe that it is possible for a true conservative to be elected in California, but only if the party unifies behind the candidate. Bill Simon would have defeated Davis in the last election if not for major campaign blunders on Simon's part. In fact, polls indicate McClintock would defeat Bustamante should Schwarzenegger drop out. If it were not for the media spreading the belief that McClintock had no chance, he might have won the election even with Arnold still in the race. Moreover, due to his experience and economic recovery plans, we believe McClintock would be the best governor of any of the candidates.

However, the deal has been stacked against McClintock. Not only is a large majority of his constituency supporting another candidate, but the media has written him off as hopeless, the effect of which may have actually eliminated him as a true contender. Hence, we are left with the option of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite the fact that he is moderate to liberal on many issues, Schwarzenegger is still a much better choice for governor than either Davis or Bustamante. While Schwarzenegger himself has had little experience with orchestrating a budget of the size or import of California's, he has assembled an impressive array of advisors, much like George W. Bush has done. Moreover, we believe Arnold would be a capable and quality governor. Therefore, since we think McClintock has no chance of winning with Schwarzenegger in the race, we believe the people of California should vote for Schwarzenegger as he is the best hope for ensuring at least some conservative values in state government and for restoring relevance to the Californian Republican Party.