Yeah, I know, promises promises. In case you just awoke from a coma, Arnold was elected governor of California in the recall election. This has caused a lot of hyperventilating and wishful thinking. It seems that a lot of people credit Arnold’s celebrity or moderation for the victory. I think that is right in some ways, and wrong in others. The Man Without Qualities linked to a poll in USA today from shortly before the election that tracked the results fairly well. And in that poll is a fact that I haven’t seen addressed by any commentator – namely that with Arnold out of the race, Davis would have been recalled and McClintock would have been elected governor by a margin only 2 percent less than Arnold’s if McClintock wasn’t in the race (56% vs. 58%). So my interpretation of the figures is that people wanted Davis out, didn’t want Bustamante (whether he was tainted by Davis or couldn’t stand on his own two feet isn’t clear), and didn’t care too much about the differences between Arnold and McClintock. But I do think Arnold’s celebrity and moderation earned him votes over McClintock because voters thought he could win – and it was more important to defeat Davis and Bustamante than to elect a particular candidate. Since this idea doesn’t do anybody or parties any good (except, perhaps, McClintock), I guess I’m not surprised you haven’t heard it advanced anywhere.
Posts Tagged Arnold
My Last Arnold Post
Oct 14
I’m referring, of course, to the California recall election. I have a sneaking suspicion that if Missouri had a recall election, not only would it have not generated the same amount of coverage in California as California’s did in Missouri, it wouldn’t have generated the same amount of coverage in Missouri.
Thanks to the LA Times (official cheerleader of the Keep Davis campaign), we know that Arnold (you really don’t need his last name to know who I’m talking about, and I can’t spell it anyway) liked to compliment women while he groped them. What we don’t know is that Grey Davis liked to belittle them while he shook and non-sexually abused them. Some choice. Well, if I lived in CA, I’d be voting for McClintock anyway.
Now that the same “feminist” brigades that lept to Bill Clinton’s defense are now denouncing Arnold for the same behavior towards women, we can all see that it isn’t about the women, it’s about the abuser. Thanks for clearing that up. Of course, there was a difference: Arnold has now apologized and said what he did was wrong; Bill Clinton still has others talk about a vast right-wing conspiracy. If Arnold had been a Democrat, he would have claimed that we barbarian Americans are too uptight about sexual matters and that such behavior isn’t just tolerated in Europe, but positively celebrated (along with mistresses, naturally).
Voices Arnold Should Heed
Aug 12
Arnie for governor has been covered from every possible angle but one. He should listen to some advisors who are uniquely qualified: fellow celebrity republicans. While liberal celebreties tend to dabble in politics (with the notable exception of Bill Bradley), conservative ones actually run for (and somehow get elected to) office. I have done Arnold the favor of collecting just some of the wisdom of celebrity republican politicians.
Is Arnold qualified for governor? Well, as Sonny Bono (another celebrity of modest acting ability) said, “Don’t let a lack of qualifications stop you from pursuing your career goals. I was never qualified for any of the positions I achieved.”
What should Arnold do about the fiscal crisis facing California? He should remember the words of wisdom of Congressman Fred Grandy, AKA Gofer of Loveboat fame, who said “Why is Congress so out of touch? We’re not. We are responding faithfully to the schizophrenic signals you’re sending us, which is ‘cut our taxes and increase our entitlements and do it in a noble manner so that we can have pride and respect in you.’ ”
How should Arnold approach government in California? He should take to heart the words of Ronald Reagan, another actor turned California governor, who noted that “A government that is big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take everything you have.” Congressman Steve Largent considered that important enough to quote it himself.
How long should Arnold stay a politician? Not very long if he listens to Fred Grandy, who opined about politicians that it “is a good job for someone with no family, no life of their own, no desire to do anything but get up, go to work, and live and die by their own press releases… It is a great job for deviant human beings.”
Should Arnold go on to Washington? Not according to Senator and TV star Fred Thompson, who observed of his time in our nation’s capitol, “After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood.”
Oh, and here’s a little something for Gray Davis from Bill Bradley: “Becoming number one is easier than remaining number one.”
