The Battle for the "Center"

Arnold Schwarzenegger told a German newspaper this past Saturday that, “I would like the Republican Party to cross this line, move a little further left and place more weight on the center.” But what exactly is that “line” the Governator wants the GOP to cross? According to USA Today, it means rights for gays, abortion on demand, ethically-questionable stem-cell research, and overly intrusive environmental regulation.

I guess the 2004 presidential election and the numerous amendments passed banning gay marriage taught Schwarzenegger nothing. For as much as I respect the Governor and continue to remain in awe of his incredible speech at the Republican convention in New York, I believe it a mistake for the Republican Party to come off its rails on the social issues. Remember that former governor of California, Ronald Reagan, won the presidency twice on a pro-life platform that brought Southern Dixiecrats to the polls for the GOP. And George W. Bush did the same in 2004, enlarging that coalition with socially conservative Hispanics and evangelicals. Here’s a message to Arnold: the GOP doesn’t need California to win the presidency and they don’t “need” you either to retain their majority status.

Why doesn’t the so-called “center” for which the Governor speaks include respect for life and marriage? No matter one’s opinion on such issues, the majority of Americans, by re-electing President Bush and providing Republicans large majorities in Congress, obviously agree with the party “line” on some, if not most, social issues. Therefore, I urge Governor Schwarzenegger, if he is serious about running for President and waging a campaign to allow foreign-born citizens to run for our nation’s highest office, to move a little further right and place more weight on the real “center.”