Originally posted as More of What Happens When You Mess With the Clintons at Race 4 2008

On the Drudge Radio Report Sunday night, just as the Colts were finishing off the Pats on the RCA Dome gridiron, Matt Drudge was reporting that the Clinton machine was in the last stages of having the Democratic Party move the 2008 California primary up to soon after the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

Reason: Hillary is not liked in New Hampshire based on prior statements about the Granite State when her husband was a candidate. Obama is loved in Manchester as evidenced by the huge rock star-seeking-like crowds he drew there recently. Hillary trails John Edwards badly in Iowa polls. Edwards is loved in Iowa. No sign of same in the state for Hillary.

Drudge discussed this possibility with The Wall Street Journal’s John Fund, who did not disagree.

Then, on Monday morning we found this at the top of the web’s Drudge Report the following from the Sun-Sentinel:

California Wants Early Primary
State’s influence in presidential derby would grow

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s backing, state legislators from both parties are moving rapidly to make California a player in choosing the nation’s next president by holding the state’s primary four months earlier.

A bipartisan group of state senators introduced legislation Friday to change the 2008 presidential primary from June 3 to Feb. 5.

Another bill was introduced by an Assembly Republican on Thursday, the day after Schwarzenegger declared that moving up the primary date would make California “relevant” nationally and was “something to shoot for.”

The February date — the earliest the state can choose under national party rules — would place California at the beginning of the election season, right after four states that have secured the most privileged spots in January for their Democratic caucuses or primaries: Iowa (Jan. 14), Nevada (Jan. 19), New Hampshire (Jan. 22) and South Carolina (Jan. 29).

The Republican calendar has Iowa and New Hampshire first, with the rest of the schedule in flux.

Contenders, who now bypass California except to raise money, would be forced to establish real presences in the state.

The huge cost of competing in California — estimated by one veteran strategist to be $6 million to $8 million per candidate — would probably require all contenders to accelerate their fundraising and possibly give an edge to those candidates who have already amassed sizable war chests, such as Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz., according to operatives in both parties.

Republican moderates such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who might face opposition in Southern states for their liberal views on social issues, could benefit from the change.

“If California can succeed in moving up its primary, this truly is an earthquake in presidential national politics and the tremors will be felt through all 49 [other] states,” said Robert Zimmerman, a Democratic National Committee member from New York and major presidential fundraiser.

Gamecock believes that America has been well served by the Iowa-New Hampshire-South Carolina (with most emphasis on Iowa and NH) gauntlet, unencumbered by quickly looming major media market state primaries. Should California make this move for Hillary, and especially if NY and PA follow, as is expected, the campaigns will begin IN EARNEST years before the primaries, with the victors being almost assuredly from the establishment money candidates of each party.

The anti-free speech McCain would be the big beneficiary in 2008 on the GOP side.

We really need for candidates for the nation's highest office to be tested on the ground and in debate, and not be able to buy the position of Commander in Chief.

See also Kavon Nikrad's original This is What Happens When You Mess With the Clintons at

Race 4 2008

This all comes on the heels of former conservative tax cutter and the ostensible Maria Shriver "Republican" Governor, Arnold Swartzenegger's backing of a tax he calls a "Loan" as he Jumps the Shark, according to John Fund (and any rational conservative) of the WSJ:

When politicians break their pledges not to raise taxes, they come up with the darnedest evasions. Take Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wants to levy new charges on California doctors, hospitals and employers to help pay for his $12 billion health-care plan. "It is not a tax, just a loan, because it does not go for general [expenditures]," he told the Sacramento Bee last Thursday. "It goes back to health care."

A loan? The first reaction of many Californians was: What state office will I be able to go to and get my loan back--perhaps with interest? It's preposterous, for example, to characterize as a "loan" the 4% payroll levy the governor wants to impose on employers who don't offer health benefits. California's gas taxes are dedicated to transportation but no one would call them "gas loans." Property taxes go to local education. Are they not taxes?

The over-the-top absurdity of the Schwarzenegger statement led Rush Limbaugh into fits of laughter last Friday "Bill Clinton calling [tax increases] 'investments' was bad enough," Mr. Limbaugh says. Bruce Bartlett, a free-market economist and harsh critic of the Bush administration, thought he'd heard all the euphemisms for a tax hike ("revenue enhancements" and "solidarity payments" are classics), but he allows that "calling one a 'loan' is new."

Read it all at the link above.

Now, more than ever, conservatives need to be strong and united against the Democrats, turncoat Republicans and 11/7 Republicans. More on that in comments to follow and Updates. See also this link for now as well:

FAQ - The 11/7 Republicans!

Question: What category of a republican is this. (Lieberman got General Petreus to denounce rhetoric and resolutions akin to such as this today in this man's face, as emboldening the enemy.) More later on that issue in comments to come below, and in updates of this blog.

Gamecock, DeVine conservative Op-Ed for The Charlotte Observer
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
Legal Editor for The HinzSight Report
GC also blogs at a Race 4 2008 and The Minority Report.