Digby: Right-Wingers Gaining in … California?!?

[marmar]

via AlterNet:



Posted by digby at 9:18 am
May 11, 2010

Right-Wingers Gaining in … California?!?

This post originally appeared on Hullabaloo.


It looks like the California GOP thinks as Arizona goes, so goes the nation:

For the last decade, many California Republicans have tiptoed around the issue of illegal immigration and sought to distance themselves from Proposition 187. GOP standard bearers from Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Gold River) to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have sought to downplay the issue and set themselves apart from the views embraced by former Gov. Pete Wilson during his 1994 reelection campaign, which had a central tough-on-immigration message.

But now, apparently, it’s time to party like it’s 1994. Spurred on by Steve Poizner’s consistent campaigning on the issue, with big assists from a distressed economy and the national immigration discussion ignited by a new law in Arizona, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has decided she can ignore the issue no longer.

Whitman launched a new radio ad focusing on immigration this weekend. And who did the Whitman campaign turn to shore up Whitman’s tough-on-immigration bona fides?

You guessed it — Pete Wilson.

In a new 60-second radio spot, Whitman turns to Wilson, who says: “I know how important it is to stop illegal immigration, and I know Meg Whitman. Meg will be tough as nails on illegal immigration.”

It’s hard to believe that Jerry Brown is going to be governor again, but it looks like that’s what’s going to happen. If it doesn’t win, we will know that the right is definitely on the march. If they can’t even fight them back here, then fasten your seatbelts. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/05/11/right-wingers-gaining-in-california/

[EFerrari]

1. We nearly lost CA via Enron/Cheney/election fraud.

I wasn't even sure we could have a decent election in 2006 -- when the Republican SoS was compromising our voting systems as fast as he could. It was really close.

[mike_c]

2. folks need to remember that CA is largely pretty conservative...

...despite being paradoxically a liberal trend setter. Look at a red-blue county map of CA, say from the 2004 presidential election (which is one scary map), and although the population is numerically concentrated in those blue, largely coastal counties, the bulk of the state is solidly red. It's a strange situation, and one that contributes massively to the schizoid performance of the state assembly. In addition to Pete Wilson, Cali is the state that gave us Nixon and Reagan.

Disclaimer: I live in a liberal, north coastal California county.

[LibDemAlways]

3. No matter which repuke wins the primary, it's going to be a tough race.

The r's are running from Arnold, promising to get tough on immigration, and Whitman is talking jobs. They have much more visibility than Jerry Brown at this point - which actually could end up working against them. Time will tell.

[greencharlie]

5. latest poll Whitman and Poizner, within margin of error. nt

[OHdem10]

4. It seems things have changed since the time of Pete Wilson. While

I personally hate to see Immigration used in this way,
I find it hard to believe that Whitman would throw things
to the wind.(Millions of her own fortune ). Their polling
must be telling them something?? Just a thought.

Here is the situation, IMO,. We are in very hard times for
many Americans. Whether we like it or not, scapegoating
is often employed as a tool to distract. Leaders on the
Right are skillful at dredging up emotional issues to keep
the country in a lather. If the people are all worked up
about Immigrants, they are not questioning the Right specifically
on other policies, Free Trade, SS Reform, Cutting Medicare.
Wedge Issues are specialty for the Right and unfortunately
they usually win.