Caveman Republicans Need To Go If GOP To Win

Over on the Sister City, I've posted at least a few times about how the Republican Party continues to spiral into being not only a minority party but an oblivion party in California. I've called for new leadership within the Los Angeles County Republican Party to replace Doug and Linda Boyd who treat the party organization as their own personal pleasure palace, failing to produce any election results and refusing to develop the party as a real alternative for disaffected Democrats.

We know that both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in California are now more than ever controlled by the most extreme factions amongst their ranks. While most folks in California think like Arnold, both parties are giving us Jackie Goldbergs and Tony Stricklands.

The opportunity exists for Republicans to capture the votes of disaffected Democrats - Democrats who are not big on taxing and spending, who don't go for racial politics and are visibly concerned about the effects of illegal immigration. However, as long as the GOP continues to serve up the Rotarian du jour middle aged white guy who is on a jihad against gays and Mexicans, those folks are not moving over to the other side of the ballot.

In the 60s, Ronald Reagan - hardly a liberal but nothing akin to the right wing nuts of today - built a Republican party based on limited government, pro-business policies, personal freedom & responsibility and a strong national defense. Indeed, Ronald Reagan was but one of a few Republicans in 1978 to oppose the Briggs Initiative, which sought to ban gays and lesbians from serving as teachers.

To be sure, there are a few moderate Republicans out there who offer some promise. One is Abel Maldonado, the GOP State Senator from Santa Barbara County. He is considered a young rising star. Another is State Assemblyman Keith Richman from the San Fernando Valley. Richman is often referred to as the "Mayor of the San Fernando Valley" because of his first place finish in the Mayor's race during the ill fated 2002 San Fernando Valley secession drive. Richman tells us that "...some of the most conservative members of the California Republican Party work against the mainstream (Republican) candidates best positioned to beat Democrats."

Had the Boyds and others placed a decent local Republican party structure in place, Richman could have potentially made a credible run for Mayor of Los Angeles this year. Instead, Doug Boyd took $30,000 to attempt to deliver Republican votes to James Hahn, who was oh so rightly tossed out on his ass. Richman - a second generation doctor whose father once served on the Los Angeles Community College Board - is making a bid for State Treasurer in 2006.

"Some of the most conservative members of the California Republican Party work against the mainstream candidates best positioned to beat Democrats."
Assemblyman Keith Richman

As older, leftist leaning Democrats from the Roosevelt generation begin to die off, Democrats are going to be scrambling to look for new voters. They're looking at getting those votes from immigrants, primarily from Latin countries. However, a real opportunity exists for the GOP to cobble together a strong coaliton of young professionals, libertarian leaners and second, third and fourth generation Hispanics (as well as younger African Americans whose middle class ranks are growing by leaps and bounds) who are beginning to recognize how the Democratic Party has sold them a bill of goods. However, those folks aren't going to come over if the current leadership continues to shoot itself in the foot and nominate unelectable troglodytes.