Contributors
Carol Platt Liebau - Columnist

Carol Platt Liebau is a senior member of the CaliforniaRepublic.org editorial board. She is an attorney, political analyst and commentator based in San Marino, CA, and has appeared on the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, Orange County News Channel, Cox Cable and a variety of radio programs throughout the United States. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Carol Platt Liebau also served as the first female managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. [go to Liebau index]

Talking Turkey about California Politics
Why State Republicans Have Reason to Be Thankful
[Carol Platt Liebau] 11/24/03   

In many ways, Thanksgiving can be considered the most uniquely American holiday of all. As the only secular holiday inescapably infused with religious meaning, it is perfectly suited to a nation founded with a secular government undeniably rooted in religious faith.

In such a lofty context, it may seem jarring to speak about partisan politics. But in truth, it shouldn’t, for if a political party cannot tap into what is noblest and best in the national (and state) character, it really has no reason for being. So if the California Republican Party is to prosper in the years ahead, it must be for the right reasons – because it will strive to live up both to the heritage of our Founding Fathers, and to the generosity, courage and faith of the Golden State’s people.

Looking back at the events of the past several months, just a week after Governor Schwarzenegger was installed, it’s clear that Republicans have particular reasons to give thanks this year. First and foremost is the success of the recall – and all it has taught us. A few of those lessons are set forth below.

1. To Govern Successfully, Never Grow Arrogant

In retrospect, it is easy to see just how out of touch the Democratic establishment was before the recall. Californians were clearly uncomfortable with Davis’ handling of the energy crisis, the out of control spending in Sacramento, and legislation offering drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants, among many other things. But Davis and the Democrats refused to listen, and just ignored the recall in its early stages, characterizing its proponents as “a bunch of losers.”

Of course, they paid the price, because they forgot that voters’ confidence wasn’t something to which they were entitled – it was something public servant must earn. Republicans in California and nationwide cannot make the same mistake and fall “out of touch” with voters. That kind of arrogance doomed congressional Democrats in 1994 and Gray Davis just last month.

2. Given the Right Circumstances, Republicans CAN Reach Union Members

Gray Davis had good reason to feel confident that he would receive an overwhelming majority of the union vote. Among other things, he restored mandatory overtime and strengthened laws that require top union wages to be paid for government work, even when it’s done by nonunion shops. But it wasn’t enough. Only 56% of union members opposed the recall, only 43% voted for Cruz Bustamante, and a full 51% voted Republican -- for either Tom McClintock or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It seems clear that simply because the leadership of a union supports a liberal, that doesn’t mean the rank-and-file membership will necessarily follow. Exit polls show that the car tax infuriated many union members and blue collar workers. They could SEE the Democrats’ tax and spend policies hitting them right in the wallet.

Republicans must work to put ALL issues in such everyday terms. Voters should know that, just as Gray Davis was willing to raise the car tax, every single Democratic candidate for president is proposing to raise taxes after he takes office. And they should explain how Barbara Boxer’s obstruction of the President’s Healthy Forests Initiatives (legislation that passed just last week) prevented the thinning of the forests, which dramatically increased the severity and costliness of the devastating wildfires across our state.

Defining issues in a way that has resonance for ordinary people is the key to winning over union members – and convincing these hardworking and honest people that their true home is in the Republican Party.

3. Moderate and Conservative Republicans CAN Cooperate in Order to Win

It’s worth asking: What did Arnold Schwarzenegger do so effectively that Tom McClintock received only 20% of the votes cast by self-described conservatives? The answer is easy: He stressed his fiscal conservatism, even as he treated the Republicans who disagreed with him on social issues with respect. He stated that he was pro-choice – but he opposed partial birth abortion. He made it clear that he supported some gun control measures, but not completely outlawing gun ownership by law-abiding citizens. And although he supports gay rights, he made it clear that he does not support gay marriage.

Even as he articulated these controversial positions, Arnold Schwarzenegger did so with sensitivity to those who might disagree – an approach that has too often been ignored by other moderate California Republicans. One didn’t get the sense that he was embarrassed by his party’s right wing, or that he would find it easier to make common cause with Democrats than with conservatives. And so in turn conservatives found themselves able to support him in good conscience, and with enthusiasm.

Flexibility and good faith within the party itself are essential if Republicans are committed to broadening their party’s base, rather than simply cutting off its own wings.

4. Winners Don’t Rely on Attacks In Order to Succeed.

For three months before the recall, remember what we heard from the Democrats? The recall, we learned, was just the climax of an ongoing far-right attempt to subvert democracy – beginning with Bill Clinton’s impeachment, and continuing with the presidential election of 2002 right through the redistricting controversy in Texas. And we see where that approach got them: Nowhere. Remember Arianna Huffington attacking Arnold Schwarzenegger as a clone of President Bush? After she did it, most notoriously at the debate, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ratings soared, while Huffington fell in the polls from 2% to .04.

Such vicious attacks are not the hallmarks of a winning campaign, or of political ideas that are in ascendance. They are signs of weak and insecure politicians and partisans, who have so little to say in favor of their own policies that they must resort to tearing down others. Indeed, one of the reasons voters turned on Gray Davis was because of his unprecedented venom in attacking his opponents in the past. They saw the attacks for what they were – a giant admission of inferiority.

But make no mistake – there’s no excuse for giving our own inimitable senator, Barbara Boxer, a pass. She has much to answer for – and she must be held accountable. Yet her misguided and ignorant policy positions already provide so many good reasons for her removal that Republicans can make a compelling case against her, just by sticking to the facts. For Barbara Boxer, the truth is the most lethal political foe of all.

* * *

And so, as we look back at the recall and then ahead to 2004, there is every reason for optimism. In the recall, Republicans won 62% of the vote, and the President’s approval rating was roughly the same here in California as across the country as a whole. And in the Fox News exit poll, although 39% of voters identified themselves as Democrats, fully 37% said they were Republicans – a big shift since last year, when the Democratic lead was 7 or 8 points. And a solid majority of women voted both to recall Gray Davis and to elect a Republican.

Of course, these past results are no guarantee of the political future. But a significant window of opportunity has opened for Republicans both here in California and nationwide. It is an opportunity that they must seize.

As they step forward to do just that, however, it must be with an attitude of humility, motivated by a real desire to govern in a way that is respectful of the God-given rights and abilities bestowed upon each of us. How can such an attitude be cultivated and developed? Well, perhaps, as a start, by giving thanks for all that we, as Californians and Americans, have been given – not just this week, but every week that Republicans and Democrats alike are blessed with the freedom and opportunity that define the American Dream.

CRO columnist Carol Platt Liebau is a political analyst and commentator based in San Marino, CA.

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