Reply #30: Californians [View All]

[RandomUser]

I agree. I don't think anyone from California would play well on a national ticket. Pelosi and Fienstein have some national exposure, and I think they're doing a great job representing the liberal point of view. But if they run a national ticket, they'll get slandered and labelled as morally corrupt hollywood liberal gay activists. Yes, I know it's not true, but that's how they'll be painted. Hollywood has long been demonized by the Republicans as being a promoter of sexual promiscuity and violence. This plays well in the conservative states. And the gay-tolerant progressive atmosphere will be a major negative for them to run with.

In general, I believe that on the national scene, the best hope is to run against stereotypes. That was partly why Regan was successful, a conservative from a liberal state. And that's why I think Clark will be successful, a liberal from a conservative state. In this way, the liberal/conservative political positions placate one group, while the region's association with liberalism/conservatism placates the opposite group. That's why I think someone who runs as a Northeastern/Californian liberal or a Southern/midwestern conservative will have a hard time with a nationwide electorate. Even Bush had to tinker with his image and run on a moderate image of "compassionate conservatism" instead of as a pure conservative or neo-conservative image.