Moderate Mustings in the Valley

No one political party has a monopoly on the truth. That’s a lesson I learned early after my election to the State Assembly in 1994.

I'm Jim Cunneen and I'm a Republican......Ok, not much of a confession. And, frankly, at the local, state and federal level, my wife and I seem to endorse almost as many Democrats as Republicans. That's earned me the ire of some in my Party. But with all but one party rule in the Bay Area, I think we could also use a little balance. That’s why I dedicate this blog to ideas and candidates, not the blind orthodoxy of the major party political bosses.

While my friend, moderate Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado represents a small portion of the West Valley, I was the last Republican to live in and represent a state legislative district wholly in Santa Clara County. The average voter here is tech savvy, global in perspective and environmentally conscious. “Capitalist by day, environmentalist by night” is a good way to describe the typical resident in Santa Clara County. Entrepreneurial, open-minded and hard working, Silicon Valley residents believe that no political party has a monopoly on the truth. Moderate Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won Santa Clara County with a slight margin in his 2003 special election while losing in 7 of 9 Bay Area Counties. President Bush lost all 9 Bay Area counties in 2000 and 2004.

My overall approach and philosophy towards government can be summed up in one word: Moderation. I believe the truth is often the line between two opposite extremes. I believe the individual is pre-eminent in our society, not government; but I also believe that being conservative has to mean more than being tight-fisted with other people’s money – it should mean conserving our environment for future generations, trusting individual women on questions of choice, and investing mightily in a reformed education system.

I’ll probably focus most of my blogging on matters of economic prosperity in the Valley, but will probably wander into areas unrelated to politics as well. I’m not even sure how active my posts will be. Above all, I look forward to helping promote a civil dialogue on the pressing matters confronting our community, state, nation and the world.

I plan to be in MN for the Republican Convention September 1-4. Look for my posts throughout the week.