From 1 to 3 or 4.
Posted on 11/28/2006 8:10:47 AM PST by SmithL
To national political observers, Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide re-election as California's Republican governor was nothing short of miraculous, given the state's generally Democratic leanings, the Democratic tide that swept over the rest of the nation and Schwarzenegger's very low popularity when the year began.
Schwarzenegger is touting his win as reflecting a new political paradigm -- centrism and bipartisanship -- that should be emulated at the national level. He established new genres in bodybuilding and movies and implies that he's doing it again in politics (just a year after trumpeting anti-politician populism as his shtick, it should be noted). "Well, it's basically being fiscally conservative, being socially moderate and you know, being environmentally progressive," Schwarzenegger said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
A more nuanced view would be that his election stemmed from four factors: an apology for his failed ballot measure drive in 2005, thus re-establishing centrist credentials for independent voters; his extraordinary good luck in having the cooperation of Democratic legislators to establish a record of accomplishment; his error-free campaign; and more good luck in having a Democratic opponent who shot himself in the foot and kept pulling the trigger.
Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger begins his second term on a high note and is advancing a fairly ambitious agenda, topped by extending health care coverage, that he says will exploit the new spirit of bipartisan cooperation in the Capitol. It's much too early to judge whether that spirit exists and will generate real progress or whether what happened this year was merely an aberration. But politics being what they are, it's not too early to begin speculating on what may lie ahead for Schwarzenegger.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Well, anything to the right of Boxer will be an improvement. But then just about everybody is to the right of Boxer.
NO MORE RINOS, VOTE FOR BOXER
I can't imagine Arnold wanting to be one of a hundred.
Gag...Gag...BARF!!!
It is what it is, Arnold probably is the best we can do in California.
Your right, Arnold is about as good as we can get. But I think it would be a let down for him. Not enough power. I do not see it.
To national political observers, Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide re-election as California's Republican governor was nothing short of miraculous
not in my neighborhood. nightmare is more like it.
I guess that would mean he would be caucusing with the dems and his Uncle. He's so in their pocket anyway.
Don't laugh, he did nothing, zilch for the GOP candidate this year. Let the (M)ilk refute that little tidbit.
Oh yeah, 6 more years of a real Quisling in Babs. That'll work. I will vote for Arnie just to get back the Senate in Pub hands if possible. Babs is a danger to the Republic. Arnie is just a get along guy who hasn't a philosophy which will actually harm the Republic.
Agreed, but if the choice is between Boxer or Schwarzenegger, I'll vote for Schwarzenegger. Every time.
I'd vote for my cat before babs, but Arnold should run on the democrat ticket and end the charade
You're so predictable. ;-)
I doubt we will be asked to make that choice.. Personally, none of the above seems more appropriate were it offered..
It's not a question of being disenfranchised, when has the Ca GOP done much to support anyone the last few elections anway, quite frankly.
Apathy can be contagious and to be expected and a real shame when a party chooses to encourage it by offering a socialist as their pick to run against another socialist.
You know who wins that one in the end and it isn't this country or this state, imo.
A more honest view would be 1) that the CA GOP pre-empted a primary election eliminating any competition from the right, 2) Schwarzenegger co-opted the Democrat platform cutting his opponent off at the knees and 3) Schwarzenegger totally abandoned the GOP platform while touting Democrat accomplishments as bi-partisan accomplishments to embellish his record.
I'm wondering if Arnie and his democrat buddies (Núñez, et al) might jointly embrace new laws on term limits giving Arnold an opportunity to extend his governorship until 2014. They are creating quite a machine with the current leadership.
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