Could allegations derail Schwarzenegger's juggernaut?

Sac Bee ^ | 10-3-03 | Dan Walters

[ambrose]

Dan Walters: Could allegations derail Schwarzenegger's juggernaut?

Just as two statewide polls indicated that Gray Davis' governorship was doomed and that movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger was the prohibitive favorite to succeed him, the long-rumored bomb about Schwarzenegger's personal conduct toward women was dropped Thursday -- a Los Angeles Times article alleging that he had often groped women.

[ambrose]

ping

[onyx]

What's your opinion, Ambrose? Recall, yes? Arnold wins? If so, by how much?

[EternalVigilance]

But women remain a problem for the actor, with just 31 percent supporting him in the Field Poll, compared to 41 percent of men and -- giving some hope to Democrats -- a quarter of women still undecided. If there were to be a massive shift of women against the recall and Schwarzenegger, it could change the outcome, but that's a huge "if."

Maybe they'll all decide at the last minute that intelligence, vision and experience are sexy and vote for Tom! ;-)

[Support Free Republic]

Hi mom!

[goldstategop]

There won't be a shift. People have up their minds already. I love that the Los Angeles Times keeps it on its front page. They're starting to look like one of Larry Flynt's smut publications. There's just so much trash people will put up with in a "family newspaper" before they say "enough!"

[Fledermaus]

Simple answer...NO.

Recall YES wins big, Arnold gets 40-45% on part two.

[ambrose]

It is a work in progress. I expect more revelations right up until election day. The "he pat my ass 20 years ago" stuff isn't gonna cut it though. The Hitler stuff might be more of a problem, but probably isn't sticking.

From the start, I always figured that Bob Mulholland would produce the "gangbanged" woman from the Oui article if it was needed. If it is just a day or two before the election, she can just claim that Arnold gangbanged her, and it will be too late to check her background...

We shall see...

[goldstategop]

Yeah par from the course from the Hustler party. I'm now waiting for a discovery Arnold starred in an X-rated move recently...

[onyx]

I'm waiting to here from some girlie men from his gym days that Arnold is bi-sexual.

[Rokurota]

Yeah par from the course from the Hustler party. I'm now waiting for a discovery Arnold starred in an X-rated move recently...

Not just an X-rated movie...a gay, pedophilic movie entitled "The Boys From Brazil."

[ambrose]

No one seems to really know how this is playing.

I remember when the Bush DUI thing hit. There was a definite sense that it was bad - and it was. It cut Bush's lead down to the point that we had the Florida fiasco.

[WOSG]

Letter tothe columnist ....

Dan,

You should raise the hypocrisy angle on the feminists who attack Arnold but defended Clinton, but:
"Democrats defended Bill Clinton when similar allegations arose during his presidency, saying personal sexual conduct had nothing to do with one's ability to govern."

The charges against Clinton were more serious and involved perjury.
The Democrats falsely but smartly tried to make it "only about sex" when in fact it was about abuse of power
in several forms (harrassment - Kathleen Willey etc.; perjury in a sexual harrassment case; rape - Juanitta Broderick).
Republicans were not accusing him only of boorishness, but of lying and abusing his power and his office.

No such allegation regarding Arnold has been given in these tablioid-style accounts of his forward behavior to women.

Another difference: When given the chance to come clean, Clinton lied. Arnold apoligized.

[goldstategop]

Do you have that sense here? I think people are just disgusted with this sleaze and the Democrats if anything are tossing more chum into the water. Its frenzy feeding time!

[DoctorZIn]

Join Us…Your One Thread To All The California Recall News Threads!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

[microgood]

a quarter of women still undecided. If there were to be a massive shift of women against the recall and Schwarzenegger, it could change the outcome, but that's a huge "if."

Maria Schriver had a press conference yesterday and did a real good job of sticking up for Arnold. It was impressive.

[ambrose]

My sense is this is missing the mark. The fact is that Arnold's numbers went UP after the initial slime attack. That's why the Democrats' attacks grew even more shrill and desperate today.

Generally, when you score a successful slime attack on a political opponent, you just stand back and enjoy watching them twist into the wind. I don't think they were counting on Arnold's quick pseudo-admission and apology.

On the other hand, we can expect them to toss out new mudballs over the course of the weekend. Arnold only recently gained momentum and his poll numbers have been described as "soft". It is a fluid situation, but right now it looks much better for the recall/Arnold than it does for the Rats.

[ex-Texan]

The latest allegations are being ignored. I talked with a good friend today who lives in So Cal. He said Arnold went up 2% in the polls yesterday after the first Los Angeles Times hit piece settled in peoples minds.

As for those nudie pictures of Schwarenegger, they may drive up his appeal with gay voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles County. Arnold is not gay and he was just a very young guy when he posed for them anyway.

As for the pictures themselves, they are no big deal. They were released on October 3rd on the Internet.

An indirect link to the photos is Here which is a news site which has a link to the rotten.com site that released the photos. Don't know if the link will stay up on the site.

Gray Davis is Just Jealous of the Photos: The Wimp!

[Hugin]

The only post-dirtbomb poll I've seen showed 10% of voters said they were planning on voting for Arnold, but now wouldn't. However 12% said they were not going to vote for Arnold but now were going to. So the RATS plan has failed and Arnie picked up a net 2% from the backlash.

[ambrose]

One overnight "flash poll" doesn't tell the full story. Sometimes people might brush of charges on the first day, but then change their tune after being hammered with the lurid stories day after day.