Isolated at Home, McClintock Finds New Friends
Even as more California conservative leaders publicly call on him to clear the way for Arnold Schwarzenegger, state Sen. Tom McClintock has gained a national following.
Little known outside the state until now, McClintock has struck a chord with the right wing of the Republican Party nationwide with his frank presentation of his point of view -- anti-tax, anti-big government, anti-abortion, anti-gun control, anti-illegal immigration, anti-gay marriage.
"Tom is one of us," said Richard A. Viguerie, who has founded dozens of conservative organizations over the last 40 years and pioneered direct-mail fund-raising for the Republican Party in the 1970s and '80s. "And it's so exciting to have someone who wants to be associated with us, who will walk with us, win or lose. I see Tom as being a major national conservative leader in the future."
McClintock is seizing the moment.
Largely abandoned by California Republican officials, who are openly worried that he will cost them the governorship, McClintock traveled late Friday to Colorado for a fund-raiser held by an elite group of national conservatives. He raised more than $100,000 for his underfunded campaign and gained the endorsement of leaders influential with a national conservative audience, according to his campaign staff.
Viguerie and others are helping him tap the pocketbooks of the group, which helped finance Ronald Reagan's political climb. Through his Virginia-based Conservative Headquarters, Viguerie said that he hopes to reach millions of conservatives nationwide on McClintock's behalf, using e-mail lists, his Web site and his ties to more than 100 organizations.
The effort is a last-minute rush to raise money and is boosted by McClintock's exposure in the national media, including televised debates and interviews. Already, his campaign advisors say, such appearances, particularly his performance in Wednesday's nationally televised debate, have brought in donations from across the country, even as he has taken increasingly sharp hits from California Republicans for staying in the race. In addition to Internet contributions that sometimes amount to tens of thousands of dollars daily, his aides say, he is receiving a constant stream of e-mails from around the country, urging him not to back down.
Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the conservative advocacy group Eagle Forum, said last week's debate brought McClintock to her attention. What she saw, she said, "was an authentic conservative" who deserved support.
