Back from the CRP Convention in Palm Springs, I have been reflecting on what turned out to be the Friday night debate between Texas Governor Rick Perry and Governor Schwarzenegger.

Figuring "what the heck, I need to eat anyway," I bought a dinner ticket for the Friday night dinner.  Afterwards I realized I paid (gulp) $95.  This better be good!

I walked in, as the dinner was starting, immediately noticing the sparse crowd and empty tables.  Attendance was reported to be 400 (probably generous).  In comparison, the lunch on Saturday reported 570 people, which made it difficult to find a seat.

Governor Schwarzenegger was introduced to a largely pro-Arnold crowd and he received polite applause.

Arnold then went on to tell us how good of a Republican he is and how that is hard with his wife's family and "Uncle Teddy."  His jokes were actually funny the first time he told them... many months ago.

Arnold then went on to tell us that the California Republican Party has lost 320,000 Republicans to Decline to State since 2005.  The basic message was that we need to jettison our Conservative principles and jump into the mushy middle.

What Arnold failed to say was that during the same period the Democrats lost 489,000.  He also did not tell us CRP has no plan or working bounty program to register Republicans... maybe one of the reasons for this is because Arnold ran CRP into debt trying to run up his numbers in the last election.  Yes, Arnold promised to help fund raise to pay back that debt, but he has hardly lifted a finger.

Also Arnold did not point out that there is no reason to become a Republican... with a Republican governor that is indistinguishable from a Democrat; or with a former Republican Congress who increased discretionary domestic spending (excluding defense and the war on terror) faster than any Congress since LBJ... or closer to home, with Club for Growth RePORK Card showing our Congressman John Doolittle with a recent spending record identical to your average big-spending Liberal Democrat... Why would anyone want to be a Republican?

Arnold then went on to talk about how he has cut spending, how global warming is settled science and why we should support his healthcare plan... that includes tax increases.  Right.

Arnold received anemic but polite applause as he climbed off the stage.  Expecting to be mobbed by adoring fans, few approached him while the rest could care less... let's get to dinner.

Governor Perry was introduced and received polite applause.  Almost as Perry had a howitzer, he opened fire on Arnold declaring Republicans need to hold to their principles and not give in to "bankrupt, Liberal political philosophy."

It was almost as a bolt of lightening hit and people shot to their feet in applause.

Perry went on to declare that if global warming is man made, it was caused by Al Gore's mouth.  He said global warming had become a political issue rather than a scientific issue.

He talked about healthcare reform with real solutions such as cutting costs by tort reform and malpractice suits.  (Bad news for John Edwards and other trial lawyers.)

He declared the Republican Party the Party of Life, whether it is at the beginning of life or the end.  He talked about how Texas enacted a parental consent law-- taking the abortion decision out of the purview of a nameless, faceless bureaucrat, and putting it with the parents of the minor child and that child.

He talked about how marriage is between one man and one woman.

He talked about having a deficit in Texas and they prioritized as any family or business would.  They cut what was not essential and they balanced the budget.  (If only Arnold understood this simple concept.)

Along with numerous, enthusiastic standing ovations, when he finished, Perry received an extended and thunderous standing ovation. He was given 10 minutes for his speech; but since he was so enthusiastically received, the speech lasted 30 minutes.

People mobbed him, thanked him, took pictures with him... and I heard people ask if he could stay in California because "we need a Republican governor."

This was a classic debate between the far left and the right, and, as per the usual, the Conservative blew the Liberal out ofthe water.