The recall campaign against Gov. Gavin Newsom was supposed to unify California Republicans. Instead, it deepened divisions between the party's grass-roots conservatives and moderate establishment.
California Republicans thought they found a unifying rallying cry in the recall attempt against Gov. Gavin Newsom. Instead, the campaign exposed — and even worsened — some of the long-standing clashes between the establishment and grass-roots base, while leaving unsettled the question of how the party can stop its losing streak in the state.
The state party failed to coalesce around a candidate to replace Newsom or muster the money to counter the governor’s sizable war chest. The candidate long seen by Republican leaders as a potential savior — Kevin Faulconer, the moderate former mayor of San Diego — failed to gain traction with voters. Larry Elder captivated the conservative base, but moderates and hard-liners alike worry about his ability to expand his support if he runs for governor next year.
“In California, Republicans don’t fall in line,” said Bill Whalen, once a top aide to former Gov. Pete Wilson, tweaking a well-worn political cliche about the GOP’s supposed discipline. “Instead, they line up to fall all over one another.” The state party’s tug of war between the establishment and its grass roots predates Patterson’s tenure by decades. Their differences are in some ways a matter of varying shades of red; staunch conservatives tend to lean into the culture wars with fervent opposition to abortion, gun control and illegal immigration, while moderates downplay those social issues and emphasize business-friendly policies instead.
Republicans are in agreement they are in need of a turnaround, but find little consensus on how to do it. Moderate Republicans say the party must broaden its appeal beyond its hard-right flankIn 2007, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger famously warned his party that “in movie terms, we are dying at the box office.” On Wednesday, his assessment was even worse: “It’s now direct-to-video.”
“You’re trying to run against a Democrat as a ‘Democrat Lite,’” Park said. “If people are given the choice between Budweiser and Bud Lite, people are going to drink Budweiser.”Advertisement
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Analysis: Total recall failure shows voters haven't been movedAnalysis: California Gov. Gavin Newsom's victory over a recall attempt hardly screams harbinger of future results.
Read more »
Column: Will the recall loss jolt the California GOP out of its death spiral?California Republicans haven't offered a cogent platform in more than 15 years. Their recall pitch was worse than ever, writes columnist hiltzikm.
Read more »
Californians to decide governor's fate in Republican-backed recallCalifornia voters will decide on Tuesday whether to recall Governor Gavin Newsom in a special election that has pitted the state's majority Democrats against Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Read more »
Column: Win or lose, Larry Elder could bring about a new era of Black conservatismBlack Republicans are rare in California, but they hope the bombastic recall candidate will inspire more people of color to run for elected office.
Read more »