What do you want in a Republican?

Among the e-mails that have come into the Pilot in recent weeks was

an interesting one from former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson.

Ferguson, despite being out of office nearly a decade, is still as

hard-charging a conservative Republican as there is in Newport-Mesa.

He leads a group, Principles over Politics, that consists of

like-minded GOPers who don’t believe the party needs to swing to the

middle to get new votes.

In an article on the group’s Web site, written after the last

statewide election (again, I feel compelled to mention that was just

last year), Ferguson says: “The major problem confronting the GOP is

itself. The party has a total lack of political leadership, and its

continuing war with itself is slowly killing it and the volunteer

clubs so vital to its success. Our last three Republican presidents,

beginning with Reagan, won with the conservative message, as did most

of the Republicans in the other 49 states, in the most recent

election. But that doesn’t satisfy the moderates who want the message

to become more like the Democrats. They apparently feel that if we

can’t beat them, we should join them.”

This is not the New Majority, in other words.

Ferguson’s e-mail to the Pilot came after Bill Simon dropped out

of the recall election.

In it, he writes: “Bill Simon’s withdrawal from the election has

suddenly made it much easier for voters, especially Republicans, in

choosing who should be our next governor. Those mesmerized by

celebrities and famous folks can more easily choose Arnold. Our

county’s ‘Country Club Republicans’ in the Lincoln Club and the

moderate, rich man’s clubs, such as the New Majority, can now more

easily solidify their vote for Schwarzenegger. Those Republicans who

long for a victory at any price, can now join them and our stalwart

GOP ‘conservative’ congressmen, in voting for Arnold.”

In contrast are the “Republicans of principle,” he continues.

They “understand that this election is about the future of this

once great state,” Ferguson said.

“There is now but one known conservative Republican candidate,

Sen. Tom McClintock, who, by his leadership and devotion to the

principles of our party over the past twenty years, deserves our

vote,” he said.

I tried but failed to get ahold of Ferguson to ask a few more

questions, including: Why should Newport-Mesa residents support

McClintock (mainly over Arnold)? Are there local issues he’s involved

in or stands for that they should know about?

I haven’t heard back, though I hope he still might respond.

In the e-mail, Ferguson -- who notes he’s McClintock’s county

chairman -- does describe McClintock as “the state’s most

knowledgeable person on the budget and state finances,” which would

seem to describe a good part of the debate team Arnold has put

together, though perhaps not the actor himself.

Conservative parts of Orange County certainly seem a place

McClintock would need if he entertains real hopes of winning.

NO VOTES IN SAN FRANCISCO

A possible piece of good news for Newport-Mesa Republicans,

including -- if not especially -- members of Ferguson’s Principles

over Politics.

As they certainly know, the buffer of votes Orange County has

provided for Republicans has been shrinking in recent elections.

Ronald Reagan pulled in 425,000 more votes in county than Walter

Mondale in 1984. That number dropped to 119,000 for Bob Dole in 1996

and rose only slightly, to 128,000, for President Bush in 2000.

That buffer is important in statewide races to offset similar wins

for Democrats in places such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

But, according to a friend of mine who lives in San Francisco,

that city’s rush of elections this fall is turning the voters off.

Not only are they facing the Oct. 7 recall, but a month later the

city has mayor and district attorney races to decide.

And, my friend says, with the real possibility that no one will

win the mayor’s race outright, there could be a runoff in December,

the third election in three months.

Rather than psyching voters up, he claims, the series of elections

has them tuning all the races out.

And that could mean bad news for Cruz Bustamante.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at s.j.cahn@latimes.com.