In a LA Times’ op-ed titled “GOP, take down that small tent,” former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized those in his party who “aren’t even willing to have conversations about protecting the environment, investing in the infrastructure America needs or improving healthcare.”
Schwarzenegger’s column was prompted by two California Republican politicians, San Diego mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher, currently a state assemblyman, and Congressional candidate Anthony Adams, leaving the party.
I’m sure they would have preferred to remain Republicans, but in the current climate, the extreme right wing of the party is targeting anyone who doesn’t meet its strict criteria. Its new and narrow litmus test for party membership doesn’t allow compromise.
He also taps into Reagan’s legacy:
As president, Reagan worked very well with Democrats to do big things. It is true that he worked to reduce the size of government and cut federal taxes and he eliminated many regulations, but he also raised taxes when necessary. In 1983, he doubled the gas tax to pay for highway infrastructure improvements.
Today, that would be enough for some of the ideological enforcers to start looking for a “real” conservative to challenge him in a primary.
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“It’s time to stop thinking of the Republican Party as an exclusive club where your ideological card is checked at the door…”
