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I’ll have my Demon Sheep Well Done

By: Neil Stevens (Diary)  |  March 1st, 2010 at 04:01 PM  | 

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Demon Sheep

How do you like your Demon Sheep cooked? Or maybe you prefer him squished, mocked, or just plain sheared? Whatever your preference, today’s the day to Finish Him! with a hop on over to Chuck DeVore‘s new Demon Sheep extermination website.

The California Senate primary has heated up in recent weeks. After Tom Campbell tucked tail from the Governor’s race, he immediately drew fire from the previous frontrunner, Carly Fiorina. And while her ad drew… attention, it is true that Tom Campbell is not the libertarian Republican he appears to be. Many support him because they believe he is a compromise: strong on fiscal issues, and “moderate” on social issues. The sad part is though: he’s neither.

The Demon Sheep ad focused on Campbell’s ties to the girly man Governor Schwarzenegger, but Tom Campbell has a lengthy voting record in Washington we can look back to. That record is not promising. Time and again Tom Campbell had opportunities to take stands for small government, but time and again he refused. Campbell repeatedly voted against a Constitutional Amendment to require a supermajority to raise taxes. Campbell repeatedly voted against conservative budget alternatives to reduce spending and shrink the government toward Constitutional levels. There’s also the matter of his proposal last year to raise gas taxes in California. Carbon tax anyone? Campbell was, and is, a moderate on fiscal matters.

The fact also remains that Campbell is anything but a moderate on social matters. I didn’t originate the statement, but it’s conceivable that Barbara Boxer could run to Campbell’s right on social matters, as Campbell is an extremist on marriage, having come out as such in Reason Magazine even as the state came together for Proposition 8. All Boxer has to do is run as a moderate Democrat, respecting federalism and the wishes of California’s voters while backing tinkering with marriage in other states, and she will be to Campbell’s social right. Both Campbell and Boxer are pro-abortion extremists, after all. Campbell, while in the House in 1999, offered an amendment to allow US government funds to aid the UN Population Fund, with the only restriction being that the money not go to China, leaving the rest of the UN’s “reproductive health” arm unfettered to spend our money.

Nuke a demon sheep. Help nominate a conservative for the Senate to join Jim DeMint’s army. Help out Chuck DeVore.

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COMMENTS

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  • raydawggie

    I’m pulling for DeVore, of course, but I think Fiorina would still be a big trade-up from Boxer.

    Campbell would not. Unlike many moderate Republicans, he doesn’t have any good things going for him. He’s worse than a lot of Dems when it comes to terrorism and the Middle East.

  • GT350

    Sorry, but I think it has to be Campbell or Fiorina for the Republican entry into the Senate race.

    I live in the La-La-Liberal Bay Area, home of the loony left. I am a staunch conservative on many, many issues, and a respectable conservative on the remaining ones. So I hope my credentials aren’t questioned here.

    I will vote for whichever Republican comes out of the primary, since Barbara Boxer is intolerable. Although moderate Republicans are big-taxing, big-spending types, they are likely to be far better on the whole than crazy Babs.

    However, Chuck DeVore is not electible in a statwide race. Simply put, a staunch conservative can’t beat a liberal, especially one like Boxer with full support of Dem+Union machines. There, I said it. I wish him well, but if we want to ever see Senator (R-CA) in our lifetimes, it has to be from a moderate. So the choice goes to Campbell vs Fiorina. I’m not a fan of Fiorina due to her poor management at HP. But right now I simply don’t know if Campbelll is any worse than Fiorinia.

    So, I am considering either Campbell or Fiorina, and I and I hope it isn’t a bloody primary. It’s a matter of “Least Worst” among Campbell, Fiorina, and Boxer.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Saying it doesn’t make it so.

  • kicker

    Obviously, what the Left is seeking is validation of the principle of Rule of Man under which the opinion of a Person in Authority takes precedence over some antiquated law passed by a bunch of dead white guys.

    Under their system, black letter law (read and apply the law as written and intended) is replaced by the opinion of lawyers and judges who decide based on their personal views, foreign laws, concepts of social justice, and, or course, empathic feelings.

    We can all be certain that a “wise Latina” would have ignored the written law, and rendered an opinion those from the Left would consider “wiser”.

  • disintelligentsia

    While GT350 thinks Devore wouldn’t stand a chance in the general, and that may be true in a normal election year, this is no normal election year. Californians are looking at a state in fiscal collapse and a nation that’s fiscally only a few steps behind it. If Chuck focuses laser-like on his fiscal bona-fides and that could be enough to bring him across the finish-line first.

    California is actually largely red if you look at any post-election map. It’s just that you have those deep blue population centers around San Fran and L.A.. LA is more focused around immigration issues and San Fran around abortion and gay “rights”.

    He could focus on states’ rights to re-frame the abortion, gay rights and immigration issues – if proposes that they should be dealt with on the state-level because they are beyond the scope of the national government then it could help him win because he would basically be saying that he believes that the Senate (the job he’s running for) should keep it’s mitts off those hot-button issues. Clearly this is the case for abortion and gay rights. Immigration is less so because it relates to national security, but the problem there is that California and Arizona have both been frustrated by court rulings that have basically said that they cannot independently take action against illegal immigration because it is a matter of national, not state, borders and the federal laws effectively preempt state laws on the issue. Rather, both state and federal borders are implicated and both should have concurrent authority to act against an illegal intrusion thereon.

  • eburke

    as Campbell or Fiorina, you’re basing this ‘unelecatbility’ meme on….?

  • GT350

    Maybe not evidence, but it’s at least anecdotal information from the last few elections…

    In the last Senate election, Barbara Boxer won by 20 points in 2002 against Republican Bill Jones. In the Governor?s race, Gray Davis beat Republican Dan Lungren by 19 points.

    I?m sure the next thing your going to say is ,?These Republicans weren?t conservative enough.? I really don?t buy the ?if they were TRUE conservatives, these Republican would have won? line. Who are these voters that go into a booth and say, ?I really wish the Republican were more pro-life, oh well, I guess I?ll vote for Barbara Boxer instead.?

    Now that I gave you two examples, why don?t you now give me a recent example of a Republican that ran as a conservative in California that didn?t lose statewide by double digits.

    [NOTE: I Biden'ed (ie, plagiarized) this comment. I just cut-&-pasted from another poster, from the last argument we had about Moderate-vs-Conservative candidates in California.]

  • GT350

    I hope you are right. I’d like to be convinced that we can run a true conservative as a credible candidate in California. Meanwhile, I’m maintaining a firm grip on what is realistic and possible, and I’m leaving the Hopium to the Democrats.

    On my issues (ranked in order below) I will vote for any candidate that can meet these objectives. Unfortunately, compromise is part of politics.

    #1 – Strong Pro-Business Pro-Trade Economy
    #2 – Strong National Defense
    #3 – Efficient governance, ie, small government
    #4 – Fiscal sanity, ie, taxes inline with spending levels.
    #5 – Pro-Life
    #6 – Pro-Gun. I am well armed.
    #7 – Other social issues, gay marriage, etc. I’m live & let live.

    The only candidate that can meet those objectives is Ronald Reagan. If he’s available for CA Senate seat, I’ll vote for him, no questions asked.

  • GT350

    #4 should be “Spending in line with taxes” not the other way around.

  • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

    “[W]hy don?t you now give me a recent example of a Republican that ran as a conservative in California that didn?t lose statewide by double digits.”

    His name is Tom McClintock, and he lost by under four points in the 2006 race for Lieutenant Governor:

    http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/state/race/ltgov/

    It’s widely acknowledged that he would have pulled it off if the Schwarzenegger-controlled party apparatus had not denied him resources — on the belief that no conservative can compete statewide in California.

    Draw what conclusion you will. I have.

  • eburke

    last time we had a President who’s approval ratings were as low as TheOne’s are after his first year…the last time the state of CA was teetering this close to the edge of bankruptcy…that Congress was held in this low of esteem…Indies are choosing the generic R brand by 2 to 1 over the Dems…the last time the GOP had this large of a lead in generic Congressional polling and that a Republican, *any* Republican won a statewide office in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts (oh, and btw, Scott Brown is to the *right* of both Fiorina and Cambell and MS is to the *left* of CA, as hard as that may be to believe).

    And…you still haven’t explained away the *fact* that conservatives stand a much less chance of winning than a moderate/lib, why DeVore polls even with said mod/libs against Barbara Boxer.

  • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

    After just one year everything is falling apart. Even Carter was not this bad after just one year.

    Of course it is all Bush’s fault don’t ya know.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    This primary may hinge on foreign policy yet.

  • IJB

    I’ve got a better one for you: try and name a “moderate” Republican who ran statewide, and who did any better than your so-called conservatives?

    Anyone?…

    Bill Fong?… Nope.

    Anyone?…
    Anyone?…

  • sdsundevil

    Dems really have no reason to go to the polls. Conservatives should be more than motivated and you can only blame yourself if you don’t vote. The democrats have offered nothing but empty promises on how to fix the budget and other promises in California. They pledge to keep up the CARB Global Warming lunacy and drive out what remaining industry there is here. These are the cold hard facts of electing left-wingers who mean well, but are clueless on forming good policy and are beholden to too many special interests with conflicting goals.

  • IJB

    …is on our side. Even in CA.

    In fact, the turnout advantage in 1994 was so great that the GOP actually had numerical superiority in the State Assembly that session.

    I don’t think that’ll happen this time (though I haven’t looked closely at those races this year), but I think it’ll be a similar kind of ‘wave’ in CA in 2010.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Oh wait he lost too.

  • Tbone
  • SteveLA

    1) McClintock has never won a state wide election period. That Lt. Governor race, he lost it by 34,000 votes, it wasn’t even close, despite whatever “reasons” you choose to site.

    2) McClintock won his current house seat (CA 4) by a whopping 1800 votes beating Charlie Brown.

    3) Aren’t you the communications director for Chuck DeVore ? Is that not a fact that should be stated?

    Last point, Chuck DeVore would probably be a better Senator than anyone else running on the R side and a 1000 percent improvement over Boxer…but he would be beat over the head during the general election with his abortion stance which is pro-life as every R that has run for Senator or Governor over the last 20 years and loose.

  • breeanneh

    I’d like to insert my shameless plug for my anti-demon sheep store here http://www.zazzle.com/breeanneh
    All proceeds to benefit the eradication of the demon sheep. Thank you : )

  • Aaron Gardner

    1) GT350 said to name one conservative who came within double digits, Trevino provided that. If you would like to move the goal post’s that’s fine, but at least be honest about it.

    2) A slim margin of victory does not negate the fact that it was a victory.

    3) Trevino has disclosed his relationship with the DeVore campaign many times. Why don’t you stick to real issues instead of a trivial attack? BTW, you obviously also have a bias, should you disclose that bias?

    Your argument against DeVore is so weak that you have to admit he is the best candidate for the job and then rely on a flimsy prediction of future events as evidence against him.

    If you believe he is the best candidate for the job, that should be all it takes for you to vote for him.

  • disintelligentsia

    Run on ideas, not party. Don’t emphasize the R, emphasize #1, 3 and 4. People are tired of both parties as can be seen by the generic congressional approval ratings and why the tea parties have flourished. He needs to run on ideas – a positive message and convince the people that he wants to slim down government and protect them, their money and their children’s future, not the government ‘s largess.

  • janis
  • SteveLA

    Well those might be good points, but first do you live in CA, do you understand the voters of the state?

    My point, Beat Babs Boxer, full stop. I don’t think DeVore can. CA is much more like Mass and it’s going to take a Scott Brown sort of moderate candidate to beat the Democrats, I don’t think DeVore is that guy.

  • SteveLA

    You betcha.

  • janis
  • nessa

    …look at the performance McLame gave during HCR last week! That wasn’t the “Maverick” that was “oops, I’m being primaried, better act like a conservative!”

    I would also point out that at the end of November nobody in MA or the rest of the country knew who Scott Brown was. If we can’t gamble during the primaries and vote for the candidate we want, when can we? I’ll save my pragmatism for the general but all bets are off during the primary!!

  • SteveLA

    McCain won Primaries, did he cheat or something?

    If not McCain, who then should have been the nominee, Hucka Hucka or Fred? I’d have been proud to vote for Fred, but he just seemed to not want the job very bad.

  • Aaron Gardner

    Why is it that you always want to comment on other states but when someone out of state comments on your state, it’s a no no.

    Quit being a hypocrite and make your case. It shouldn’t be that hard.

  • Aaron Gardner

    Janis was talking about who people supported in the primaries. She never even insinuated that McCain cheated.

  • SteveLA

    nessa

    No argument, but I’ve been out here in CA for 30 years, and I’m not seeing that DeVore is connecting on issues that people actually care about. That’s mostly spending, mostly good government and for some reason DeVore is not catching on.

    Throw in when I see McClintock’s support coming DeVore’s way, and some of DeVore’s comments at CPAC about making this primary about the base and base issues, well that’s how to loose general elections. The TEA party folks are energized and they and the base of the Republican party in CA are on way different pages, as are the large number of Ronulians and there are a bunch of them.

  • janis

    But I wish I had 5 bucks for every time you hammered on the notion that we HAD to choose McCain as our candidate because he was the only one who could beat Obama.

    How’d that work out for you?

  • Aaron Gardner

    Vote for Mickey Kaus in the Dem primary against Boxer, then vote for whoever wins the R primary in the general.

    That way you can vote for a moderate and not have to attempt to tear down a conservative in the process. Best of both worlds. And you could even pat yourself on the back for being bipartisan.

  • SteveLA

    janis

    About as well as the nonsense that some else could have beaten Obama if they just went all smash mouth that you like to try to sell.

    People were tired of President Bush, and in my view nobody was going to beat Obama, no matter how you “feel” that if only someone besides McCain had been nominated. It was Bush fatigue at work, it was Republican out of control spending at work and people wanted a change.

    They bought a pig in a poke and are now regretting that purchase, I think everyone agrees with that.

  • http://seekingliberty.wordpress.com fmaidment

    …the @Demonsheep will not be trifled with.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • SteveLA

    Aaron

    So besides the abortion issue, can you actually explain why voters in CA should vote for Chuck DeVore in the primary and in the general election?

    What other conservative issues should voters measure those seeking our votes in the R primary by? I’m sure you’ve studied on this matter and there are other reasons besides the abortion stances of Campbell and Fironia that voters in CA should care about and vote for DeVore.

  • Aaron Gardner

    I think DeVore is better on Fiscal and National Security matters than either Fiorina or Campbell.

    Nice try at shifting the goal posts once again.

    And why would you not support Kaus? Is he too conservative for you?

  • Aaron Gardner

    And this is what I get when I try to find a reasonable compromise with a moderate. Just more boiler plate assertions that conservatives only care about abortion and nothing else. It seems to be that you have a visceral reaction to those who are pro-life.

    Why do you hate babies Steve, why? /sarc

  • aesthete

    but I’m pretty sure that a) we still had a fighting chance, as the polling indicated at several points, and had we had a better candidate, we would have gotten much closer to 50% than we did w/McCain. b) More importantly, we would have been better off down ticket with a) a more conservative, and more focused, message (most of the Dems’ gains were made in traditionally conservative states).

  • Scope

    n/t

  • eburke

    “conservative” with “pro-life”. For whatever reason, he has a visceral reaction to social conservatives even if they’re more fiscally conservative than his beloved moderates.

    You say you like a candidate because he’s fiscally sound – Steve hears “pro-life”; you say a candidate is in favor of tax cuts – Steve hears ‘anti-gay marriage’. You say a candidate’s strong on national defense – Steve hears “right-wing social nut job’.

    It matters not that said candidate can be massively better on every issue that Steve claims to care about, if he’s pro-life, he’s worthless. He’ll deny it till the cows come home…but all you have to do is look upthread on this post (or any other post) and he’ll bring up those wascally, evil social conservatives whether anyone’s talking about them or not.

    Considering that he believes that everyone who’s pro-life is a bitter, single-issue voter who cares about nothing else, I’m gonna have to pop his bubble and let him know that moi, Mr. As Pro-Life as it gets, sent Scott Brown 3 separate sizable contributions even though I *knew* he was pro-choice.

    But…stereotypes are tough to kill.

  • SteveLA

    In what ways, be specific if you can, you can right?

    “Better” in what specific way, which specific policy issue that Mr. DeVore is better than the others in the race on? “Better” is that a measure that we apply to politicians, just “better”.. .pretty lame.

    I’ll make it easy on you, just tell me about one specific policy difference between Firoina and DeVeore. Campbell is too easy, he wanted to raise all sorts of taxes to balance the budget.

    As they said in Little Nicky, “You can do it”. Well before you start the insults that is, seems you’re pretty good at that.

  • Aaron Gardner

    I also gave generously to Scott Brown and even wrote about him on the FP. But I am just a icky socon who is too dumb to understand the intricacies of the People Republic of California.

    It is a wonder I get my shoes tied in the morning without calling Steve to first explain what a shoe even is to me.

  • Aaron Gardner

    Oh, and CAP AND TRADE.

  • eburke

    moderate, Republican candidates. I mean, the reason we just *had* to nominate McCain was because the Indies would swoon at his feet and moderates in America were just chomping at the bit to vote for a moderate Republican.

    What was the margin of Indie voters for McCain over Obama again?

  • eburke

    Deeds kicked that pro-life knuckle-dragging McDonnell in the VA gubenatorial race among Independents because Indies and moderates just won’t vote for a fiscally conservative, pro-life candidate.

    I’da thought you’d have figured that out by now.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    They flock to the demon sheep.

  • aesthete
  • SteveLA

    Aaron

    So what is DeVore’s policy compared to the Queen Demon Sheep’s? What makes DeVore’s position …using your term “better”, remember this is CA and there are a lots and lots of nutty tree huggers out here and they vote in primaries and general elections. I’m not one, I’m a member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals)

    Or is asking real policy questions “goal post” moving in your special world, or maybe real policy discussion just too hard for you?

    Oh and to your snark, no I like babies plenty. I just don’t want you or the Federal Government deciding for adult women what their reproductive rights are outside of the restrictions we have on the books right now. That’s what the majority of the voters in America believe by the way. I would however like to see incrementally improved on parental notification and late term abortions. I’ve voted for those incremental restrictions for the last 20 years.

  • Beasley Beesmeal

    hope and change, baby……..hope and change

  • Aaron Gardner

    And considering the fact that AGW is being exposed as a hoax on a daily basis, I would say that gives the advantage to DeVore.

    And no real policy discussions are not hard for me, I am not the one who constantly has to move the goal posts.

    As far as abortion goes, these women you speak of have already reproduced, what they are trying to do is stop what they have produce. Science has come a long way since you cracked open that high school text book my friend. Those fetus’ have their own DNA, they are not a part of the woman’s body. They also have their own blood type.

    But justify it any way you need to to sleep at night.

    Your logic is just as bad as that of the men in black robes who originally bastardized the Constitution to protect the killing of innocent life.

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    If he’s not sympathetic to terrorists that’s of course good. But the line should be clear and crisp.Much in the news recently on Campbell accepting donation from Sami Al Arian various sources including politico. There is also a report he wrote a letter trying to prevent deportation of Al Arian’s brother in law a few years ago. Apparently also a bad terrorist the US finally did deport. If these things are true he probably should either become a democrat or seek other employment.