Arnold Considered Party Switch

thedailybeast.com ^ | Feb. 23, 2009 | Joe Mathews

[Free ThinkerNY]

How bad did things get between Der Governator and his fellow Republicans? Schwarzenegger’s biographer, Joe Mathews, reports that he recently considered dropping out of the party altogether. It’s the latest blast in a long-running war.

A few months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a few close associates discussed whether he should leave the Republican Party, according to two people familiar with the conversation. His friend Mike Bloomberg, the New York mayor, had become an independent. Maybe Schwarzenegger should, too. But the governor and his people quickly concluded that Californians already saw him as independent of the Republican Party. So what would be the point of a switch? (A spokesman for the governor declined comment.)

To people outside the state, Schwarzenegger’s recent battles with Republican legislators over a budget and his criticism of GOP governors and Congressmen for their opposition to President Obama’s stimulus package might sound jarring. Schwarzenegger once was “Conan the Republican” (the first President Bush’s nickname for him), a politician who declared in his 2004 convention speech, “I'm proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan and the party of George W. Bush.” Now he is on ABC News saying that “it doesn’t really mater if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”

[WorkingClassFilth]

Please explain, first, how it is that Arnold is not a RAT in the first place. Changing parties would only correct a lapse in labeling a known product.

[nomad]

He`s thinking of leaving?They should toss his sorry ass out!

[Digger]

I wonder what the ‘you have to be able to win’ folks would say if Arnold changed parties.

I luv it. Just read my 2yr tagline.

[skeeter]

Yup.

Looks to me like the last word, don't it?

[mass55th]

GO!!! ASAP!!! PLEASE!!!!

[libertarian27]

Why can’t we just kick him out?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Go, Ahnold.

Please.

[pissant]

Is that Medved’s, Hugh Hewitt’s and Hannity’s lipstick still on Ahnuld’s privates?

[pogo101]

Why JUST leave the CA GOP when you could destroy it first?

[J40000]

Arnold should be BOOTED out of the Republican party!

[fieldmarshaldj]

The Socialist PUKE who was gonna save California, huh ? Making his switch official would be the first honorable thing he’s done in his political career.

[calcowgirl]

PING!

McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list

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Joe Mathews (Arnold's biographer) writes a post mortem of Arnie's career.

When did the marriage between Schwarzenegger and his party go bad? The truth is that it was never much of a marriage. Schwarzenegger’s criticism of Republicans pre-dates his entry into political life. ... Schwarzenegger says he decided to run in part to change politics. But his party was in power nationally, and not receptive to change. ... Schwarzenegger won over McClintock voters only at the end of the race, when the Los Angeles Times published its now famous story about the actor’s history of “groping” women. Anyone who drew that kind of attack from the liberal media, conservatives figured, must not be so bad.

[TeddyConAZ]

Don't Let The Door Hit You Where The God Lord Spalten You, Arnie!

BE GONE!

[Tijeras_Slim]

I see this as a “quit before you’re fired” type of thing.

[Reagan Man]

No surprise. Arnold's liberal politics have been well known to many on this forum for years. After all the crap we took during the recall election process for daring to oppose Schwarzy, we've been fully vindicated.

[Seadog Bytes]

LOL... Thanks!

[Mojave]

Schwarzenegger won over McClintock voters only at the end of the race

Not this one.

[Jim W N]

Thank God at the last minute I changed my mind and voted for McClintock, not the "expedient" Arnold vote. I was listening to a Christian radio show at the time and felt strongly that I should not vote for Arnold who I knew was a social liberal but thought he was a fiscal conservative.

McClintock for Governor

McClintock for President

(whichever comes 1st)

[calcowgirl]

I voted for McClintock (and left the 2008 Presidential box blank. The latter vote made no difference in California as McCain was destined for massive defeat.

In retrospect, I wish I had had the foresight to vote against the 2003 Recall once it became obvious that Arnold was the leader.

I predicted Arnold would be bad, although not quite as bad as he turned out.

[bmwcyle]

Maybe he should consider a country switch.