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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (37035)	8/11/2003 12:59:53 AM
From: calgal	Respond to of 59480

Schwarzenegger's race helps GOP By Donald Lambro THE WASHINGTON TIMES Arnold Schwarzenegger's bid to recapture the California governorship for the Republicans could dramatically change the face of their party in a major electoral state that is one of the Democrats' biggest political strongholds. "If Schwarzenegger is able to win this and able to successfully govern California, he plants an inclusive Republican flag in a state that Democrats have taken for granted in the last several presidential election cycles," said an unidentified Republican Party official. "If you look at the presidential electoral map, the real anchors for the Democratic Party are New York and California, the official said. "You could potentially have Republican governors in both states, and that could put them in play and force the Democrats to spend campaign resources there in the presidential election that they may not be able to afford to do." With Democratic Gov. Gray Davis' becoming increasingly unpopular — less than 20 percent of the voters support him now — and unlikely to survive the Oct. 7 recall election, and with Democrats deeply divided in the state about who should take his place, Mr. Schwarzenegger looks like a candidate out of central casting. In a state with more Hispanic and Asian immigrant voters than any other, Mr. Schwarzenegger, who emigrated from Austria and became movie star, has the potential to appeal to many of them with his own story about the American dream, Republican advisers said. "There are huge national political implications in this contest, and the primary threat is for the Democrats," one Republican adviser said. "Ever since Proposition 187 [which denied nonemergency assistance to illegal immigrants] and Republican Governor Pete Wilson, Democrats have been in the ascendency here, and Republicans have been perceived as anti-immigrant and exclusive," said the party adviser on the condition of anonymity. Mr. Davis won election in 1998 with 78 percent of the Hispanic vote. Al Gore carried California over George W. Bush in 2000 with 64 percent of the total vote. "If an immigrant American can govern California successfully as a Republican, that has the potential for changing the perception of the Republican Party in that state significantly," the Republican adviser said. "If I were a Democrat, that is what I would be concerned about. Schwarzenegger is going to be difficult for them to pigeonhole." The only questions now are whether Mr. Schwarzenegger can win in a state that has not elected a Republican governor since 1994 and whether he can take a state facing a $38 billion budget deficit and bring it back from the brink. Mr. Schwarzenegger is highlighting his immigrant story as he begins to define himself for the voters and identify with those who came here to achieve the American dream. "I came to America with empty pockets but with big hopes and dreams," he said last week in his first news conference after he declared his candidacy on "The Tonight Show." "The immigrant persona is so critical for Schwarzenegger," said another unidentified Republican official. "California is the ultimate immigrant state because so many came here from other states or other countries. He can become the embodiment of that." Republicans lost several governorships in major electoral states — including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois — in the midterm election last year, but they still hold some of the biggest electoral prizes, including New York, Florida and Texas. Now California seems within their reach. Some analysts say, however, that it would be premature to forecast whether Mr. Bush and his party would be helped by a Schwarzenegger victory. "It depends entirely on what Schwarzenegger would look like a year from now," said elections forecaster Stuart Rothenberg. "If you had a popular Republican who was deemed successful, that would change the dynamics and give the Republicans a salesman to help sell Bush in the state," he said. "That would be a huge asset, but there are a lot of ifs here." Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's chief political strategist, has been pulling the Republican levers to make it clear that the party is behind Mr. Schwarzenegger. In a Republican Governors Association news release Thursday, RGA Executive Director Ed Tobin said, "We welcome him into the race and commend his strong desire to make a difference for the people of California." Asked whether the RGA sent out similar welcoming statements for the other Republican candidates in the race, an unidentified RGA official replied, "No, just this one."