This Californian is Standing Up to Jim Brulte & the CA GOP
Late last week, I received my absentee ballot in the mail. Since the primary in June, I have hemmed and hawed for months about whom I would vote for Governor. On one hand, you have liberal Jerry Brown. Although he has done very little for the state, at least you know what you’re getting with him. He follows the Democratic platform to a T. There is little to no toss up about what bills he will sign into law or what his “priorities” are. On the other hand, you have Neil Kashkari who claims to be a Republican. The reality? I believe he’s a Democrat. He just happens to be a bit right of Jerry, but not much.
Kashkari was proud to be apart of TARP. He was proud to vote for Obama. He was proud of his involvement in our excruciating national debt. Anyone who is proud of those “accomplishments” – if you can even call it that – should not be allowed to run the state with the highest unemployment rate and worst business conditions even further into the ground. It’s a set up for disaster.
After months of debating and talking to likeminded conservatives, I have decided to do something a bit…radical. I will not be voting for Governor this year. I hate to play the “lesser of two evils” game because I tell people to vote for who they want in office, not necessarily who has a chance at winning. I vote with my heart and my head, not because the party tells me how I have to vote.
My reality is I wanted Assemblyman Tim Donnelly as Governor of California. Donnelly didn’t have the support of the California GOP, which in my opinion, is part of the reason he never had a chance. The party was too focused on making Kashkari the candidate because of his more “moderate” stances. In the party’s mind, they would win moderates, independents, and even some Democrats by having a supposedly moderate candidate.
What happened to sticking to your guns and your beliefs? Yes, the GOP needs to revisit some of their stances on issues but that doesn’t mean the party needs to completely abandon their principles. You can adapt to modern times without completely losing who you are.
As the election draws near, I’m asking other Californians to stand with me, to send a message to California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte saying we are tired of these non-conservative candidates. We don’t want someone like Jerry Brown representing us–we want someone with integrity. We want someone who isn’t afraid to say no to people who come along and flash Benjamins in his face. We want someone who represents the true meaning of conservative principles, the principles of limited government, a sound fiscal budget and a platform for job creation.
As much as I hate to admit it, we all know Brown has it in the bag. I would rather not vote and send a message to the CA GOP about the type of candidates we want to run for public office than to “throw my vote away” on a candidate who has a very slim chance of winning.
It’s time for Californians to take a stand, to stand up and tell Jim Brulte that he doesn’t decide elections or the fate of candidates. We the people decide who will represent us on all levels of government.
Until you give me a candidate who proves he or she has the experience and expertise to do that, I will not be supporting candidates with the CA GOP “stamp of approval.”
