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Contributor
Shawn
Steel
Shawn
Steel is the immediate past president of the California Republican
Party, activist, commentator, conservative stalwart and recall
proponent. Mr. Steel is an attorney practicing in Palos Verdes,
California.
 The
Conservative Question
Arnold or Tom?
[Shawn Steel] 9/20/03
Conservatives
are in a quandary about who to support for the Recall replacement.
When I helped initiate the Recall, my first priority then, in
January and today, is the transfer of power from the failed leadership
of liberal Democrats. Anything that interferes with that goal
must be carefully examined. So, we are all faced with a critical
question: Who? Yesterday, I answered that question in an email
conversation with a young lady, Melody Holmberg – a college
Republican leader and a movement conservative.
Dear Shawn,
As your political child, I have a quick question, why are you
supporting Arnold over Tom? Besides the common answer of "Tom
Can't win."
If everyone
agrees that Tom is the right man for the job, then why doesn't
everyone support him? I don't know,
I guess I am too naive, idealistic, and
believe that you should vote for who is qualified for the job not for who
everyone thinks everyone else is going to vote for. I was just
curious and would like
you to clarify things for me.
Thanks,
Melody Holmberg
Melody:
You ask The Important political question.
Having invested 7 months of my life for the Recall, I can tell
you with certainty, it's not about Tom. The larger purpose
is the change of governance. The objective is to remove Davis.
I would have hoped that there would be more than one prominent
Dem running to replace Davis. Fortune turns out to give voters
only one major Democrat, Bustamante. And he leads. Not surprising
given demographics and Dem registration. But the election outcome
is of such severe consequences that all assumptions must be
reexamined and tested.
In a final analysis, whichever leading Republican has the best
chance to Prevent Bustamante from winning, requires
a Grand
Consolidation.
I am joined by Dana Rohrabacher, Ray Haynes, Ed Royce, Chris
Cox, John McGraw - all hard scrubbed conservatives. The Governorship
is too powerful, too important to allow continued irresponsible
Democrat control.
More. I do not call for Tom to drop out. We
need him to campaign, stimulate voters, teach Arnold, and keep
the debate on the
economics. But as Tom himself said to the Washington
Post this past Saturday if he is behind Arnold in the ‘teens,
his "supporters
will do the right thing.” For that 'release' Tom shows
he shares the big picture. And Tom remains a true hero.
Shawn
Steel
Co-Founder Davis Recall
copyright
2003 Shawn Steel
Shawn Steel is a co-founder of the Davis recall campaign and immediate
past chairman of the California Republican Party.
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