Arnold Schwarzenegger is no party leader

When Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized Tom McClintock on Thursday it wasn’t the policy disagreement that bothered this conservative (although the Governor is wrong on a policy basis); it was the timing of his proclamation.

OAKLAND — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appreciates the Republican lieutenant governor nominee's opinion that the infrastructure bonds on next week's ballot are a mistake but believes he's "totally wrong."

"If you went with his way of thinking, you would never rebuild California," the governor said Thursday of state Sen. Tom McClintock as he visited the Port of Oakland to stump for the $37 billion bond package." (Read the full story here.)

The Governor does little without thorough review and scripting through his handlers, it is not likely that he took a shot at Tom McClintock on the eve of the election without realizing that it would hurt Senator McClintock’s chances of besting his liberal Democrat opponent on Tuesday. Such calculated attacks on GOP candidates are a clear indicator that this Governor is all about “this Governor;” he's not a team player, and certainly he's not a GOP leader.

A party leader would not stifle the electoral hopes of a leading GOP candidate who will be in position to carry the GOP standard as a gubernatorial candidate in 2010.

The Sounds of Silence

That other deafening sound you hear out on the campaign trail is the utter lack of any support for GOP Attorney General candidate Chuck Poochigian by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The importance of the office of the Attorney General is without question. This year in particular, there is no other race for statewide office more important. The election for AG garners the title of “most important” for two reasons. First, the election of Jerry Brown to this office is going to be disastrous for the California business climate – Chuck Poochigian is far better suited for this post. Second, the election of Chuck Poochigian provides Republicans and California a thoughtful and responsible conservative for consideration as Governor in 2010. Despite the need to build the GOP’s bench, Governor Schwarzenegger has done nothing to visibly help Senator Poochigian in his campaign.

What about Coat-Tails?

Perhaps one could argue that Governor Schwarzenegger’s campaign for re-election has provided coat-tails, and that despite his lack of Party-building those coat-tails qualify him to be California’s GOP leader. Not so; if beating one of the mighty Lilliputians by a wide margin somehow translates into GOP victories in California on the down ticket races it will be a nice byproduct of the Schwarzenegger victory, but it will not be the result of anything Governor Schwarzenegger has done to assist those candidates. Party leadership requires that the leader engages affirmatively not just to promote his own self interest, but to also develop and build the bench for the future.

The Governor’s attack on Tom McClintock and his silence on Chuck Poochigian are clear evidence that he is not a leader; he is merely a self-promoter.