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Tom Campbell busts 25 political myths

November 5th, 2009, 10:18 am · 7 Comments · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

tom-campbell-2009-horizontalWith an election approaching and the air quickly smogging up with political hooey, GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell sent out the following list of 25 political myths being perpetuated by candidates. If any politician has the experience, knowledge and straight-talk to make such a list, it’s Campbell.

In his typically gentleman manner, Campbell declines to attach names to the myths. Fortunately, many of the readers here are not constrained by such delicate manners - so I hope you’ll tell us which myths came from which candidates.

If you don’t already see the list below, click on the prompt.

1. The budget will be balanced if only the wealthy pay their fair share.
2. Cut taxes and government revenue will automatically rise. (The logical corollary is that government will generate most revenue at a tax rate of zero.)
3. You can balance the state budget by eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
4. You can balance the state budget by a “top down” review to get rid of hundreds of state programs.
5. You can balance the budget if you “run the state like a business.”
6. You can balance the budget by firing thousands of state workers.
7. We can solve California’s water shortage if only farms would use drip irrigation.
8. We can solve California’s water shortage if only Southern Californians would stop watering their lawns, and washing their 3rd and 4th cars.
9. We don’t need to build new dams — the system we completed 48 years ago is more than adequate today.
10. All our country’s petroleum needs can be met by offshore drilling.
11. No source of energy is worse than nuclear.
12. Global warming is all made up.
13. Stopping global warming is more important to the 3rd world than clean water, child immunization, or anti-malaria treated mosquito nets.
14. You can’t trust companies to stop producing greenhouse gases without monitoring every smokestack.
15. A new health care plan to cover everyone won’t add a dime to the deficit.
16. One Republican Senator makes a bill bipartisan.
17. Thank God for Mississippi, because otherwise, California would be dead last in per pupil education funding. (Actually, we’re 26th.)
18. California can cut funding to education without worsening results.
19. It’s OK to have more than 30 students in a class, because children really don’t learn better in smaller classes.
20. There’s no such thing as a bad teacher — that’s why we haven’t fired any.
21. You can fix education if you only allow corporal punishment back in the classroom.
22. The government can print 3 trillion dollars in new money without causing inflation.
23. The Wall Street melt-down was caused by paying greedy CEO’s too much.
24. There’s nothing wrong with Wall Street that more federal regulation can’t fix.
25. You can raise 7 million dollars without really deciding to run for Governor!

More on the gubernatorial race:
GOP governor candidates tangle in Irvine debate
Jerry Brown shows his moderate side during O.C. visit
Gavin Newsom drops out of guv race
GOP governor candidates tangle in Irvine
Field Poll: Brown way out front in governor’s race
Columnist attacks Whitman’s budget math
My Q&A with Meg Whitman
My Q&A with Tom Campbell
My Q&A with Steve Poizner
My Q&A with Gavin Newsom
GOP candidate hopes to outrun the ghost of voting past
Democrats in background of 3 GOP governor candidates
Governor candidates wary of citizens’ power

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Posted in: Elections 2010 •
 
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 7 Comments

  • BP says:
    November 5, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    I think I am what you might call a liberal. A person like me is actually becoming a little desparate for a rational republican conservative voice. I do think Obama is taking actions out of necessity, and partly because there is not a rational opposition.
    Tom Campbell has been a rational conservative. Out of all current contenders, republican or democrat, he is the only candidate I would vote for at this time.
    His is conservative, but not hysterical

    Post Reply
  • Debbie says:
    November 5, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    While I “am” looking at Cambell as a contender I have a few problems with the list. I do not doubt that they are quotes. However, my issues are:

    1. They are taken out of context. The context of a statement helps in deciding if they the statements are accurate or not.

    2. Cambell to decide these statements are myths but offers no “proof” only saying he has experience, knowledge and straight-talk does not mean these statements or myths.

    3. Cambell not naming names and hiding behind the “gentleman” shadow and spinning these are myths without proof of facts is disconcerning for me.

    I have already eliminated Poizner and Whitman but had hopes to be open to Campbell. I am hoping this is poor political advice to put a negative tone out there. I hope Campbell does not continue this.

    Post Reply
  • Dan Secord says:
    November 6, 2009 at 8:24 am

    Tom Campbell has the brains and the skill as well as the demenor to be a great governor. In a cast of billionaires, there may be a little problem unless the public gets motivated.

    Post Reply
  • Eddie O says:
    November 6, 2009 at 10:49 am

    I disagree with “debbie.” Essentially all the items on the myth list are things that “they” say, not generally attributable to any particular individual. THe myths are from lobbiests, politicians, PACs, liberals, conservatives, and generally folks with an ax to grind what like 30 second sound bytes.

    It would be nice for Tom after publishing the list to rebut each myth with a paragraph stating why the myth is false, and maybe his view on the truth of the matter.

    Mr. Campbell is the ONLY candidate from either party in recent memory who seems to have both a conscience and a brain.

    Go get ‘em, Tom.

    Post Reply
  • Howard be my name says:
    November 6, 2009 at 11:23 am

    ** 5. You can balance the budget if you “run the state like a business.”

    That’s Whitman. I think she’s also the “waste, fraud, and abuse” one (Remember when Arnold recited that? How did that work our for HIM?)

    ** 9. We don’t need to build new dams — the system we completed 48 years ago is more than adequate today.

    That’s Brown.

    ** 12. Global warming is all made up.

    Poizner.

    ** 25. You can raise 7 million dollars without really deciding to run for Governor!

    Brown!

    Post Reply
  • Elye says:
    November 6, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    BP is right about the “rational conservative voice.” He’s got more to offer than the tired “cut government spending/taxes.” Campbell is the only chance Republicans have in the general. Opportunistic Whitman can rally the base, but Campbell has a chance to appeal to the center and even center-left voters.

    I’d vote for him before Brown, but if it’s Brown vs. Whitman, Brown takes it. I imagine this is true for a lot of voters. Only problem is that Campbell may not have the fundraising power, but in the early stages he’s running a great ideas (not ideology) -based campaign.

    Post Reply
  • Doug says:
    November 6, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    Myth # 26- You can get nominated as a Republican in the 21st century if you are a rational moderate.

    Too bad the GOP has gone to POT.

    Post Reply

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