Go left: Arnie tells US Republicans

The Age ^ | December 19, 2004 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview, that the US Republican Party should move "a little to the left", a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has taken an unorthodox approach since winning office last year - standing by a promise to toe a conservative line on fiscal matters while veering leftward on social issues such as gay rights and the environment.

In an interview with Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, Schwarzenegger said: "The Republican Party currently covers only the spectrum from the right wing to the middle, and the Democratic Party covers the spectrum from the left to the middle."

"I would like the Republican Party to cross this line, move a little further left and place more weight on the centre," he was quoted as saying.

"This would immediately give the party 5 per cent more votes without it losing anything elsewhere."

Schwarzenegger was guarded on suggestions that he harbours presidential ambitions, saying only that a debate on whether the constitution should be amended to allow foreign-born citizens to run was "overdue".

Schwarzenegger became an American citizen in 1983, 15 years after he emigrated from Austria.

He has said he'd consider running for president if such an amendment passed, but has also taken pains to say it shouldn't be created specifically for him.

"I would like people to remember me as someone who raised standards, wherever I got involved," he was quoted as saying.

"I brought bodybuilding from nothing, I made the action film a genre, and the same goes for politics - I want to do things that no one believed possible. I would like to bring people together as governor."

[Fiddlstix]

One word:

RINO

[superskunk]

If the Republicans moved any further to the left, what would that leave the Democrats? Communism?


The Democrats have already embraced communism, or at least socialism.

The end goal of socialism is to move a society toward a completely communist state.paraphrasing the communist manifesto.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Just cut taxes, Arnold, and don't worry about running a national party, okay?

[zerosix]

Gee, does that mean that Republicans need to embrace abortion and gay rights?

Those are whom we conservative Republicans refer to as RINOs. They only pretend to be Republicans and usually also wind up voting for tax increases.

[sully777]

Pete Wilson Part II

[superskunk]

Maybe he shouldn't cut taxes. Maybe he should sink CA's economy. It would serve them right.

[spinestein]

These were Bush's most important accomplishments in his first term:

1)Significant across the board reductions in taxes.
2)Education reform (increased federal funding with greatly increased accountability)
3)Strengthening the military and using it properly; promoting U.S. interests by replacing dictatorships with democracies.
4)Medicare reform with drug benefit

With the exception of (4) this is pretty much right of center. I don't think it's accurate to say President Bush or the Republican Party as a whole are moving left at all.

Also consider what's next on the legislative agenda from the Republicans and already being promoted by Bush.

1)bringing back federal spending caps (like we got from Republicans in the 90's)
2)partially privatizing Soash Security
3)further reduction and simplification of taxes
4)greater energy independence by increasing our domestic supply of fuels

I'm optimistic that most, if not all of this, will be realized within the next four years and all in spite of the kicking and screaming of the Democrats who still refuse to budge from their extreme left positions.

[FauxBlonde]

Right wing is NOT what we actually elected. DId anyone really think Arnie was a true blue right winger? People who wanted a real conservative in office voted for someone else. Arnold is an embarrassment.

[KiloLima]

We don't need no steenkin' 5% anyway!

[KiloLima]

The President is doing the left-step, but it's not fake.

[Kurt_D]

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview, that the US Republican Party should move "a little to the left", a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters. Well, what about selling your soul to the devil? Maybe Arnie should read Faust again. As a native German-speaker he can thoroughly enjoy the original version and find out what happened to the infamous Dr. Faust.

[Ruth A.]

Proof that Arnold is not ready for prime time politics.

[F16Fighter]

" If we do that we should be able to win a couple of presidential elections, gain control of the senate and house,......hmmmm....wait a minute....didn't we....."

Yeah, we "did," but far too many out there still insist on bending over.

[GeekDejure]

I think I'm going to barf!
=====
Howzabout we perform a duet? You Barf and I'll Puke !!!

[varon]

He has said he'd consider running for president if such an amendment passed, but has also taken pains to say it shouldn't be created specifically for him.

Don't vory Ahhnuld, it von't!

[TheOracleAtLilac]

It's been postulated in many quarters that if JFK(ennedy) were alive today, he'd be a Rep. not a Dem.
IMHO - that's a misleading oversimplification & overlooks JFK's major foibles....but
I believe Arnie believes it & is acting out on it (JFK for the 21st century if you will).
Arrogance...you bet.

Jan 2005 will tell us if he's serious about reform or is just another political hack.

[DCPatriot]

It makes sense....with the Hispanic vote.

They are fast-becoming a majority in 25 years.

General amnesty and guaranteed citizenship with the stroke of a pen could mean to the Republicans what the Jewish and African-American voters have meant to the Democratic Party.

[F16Fighter]

In the context of the time, JFK arguably governed like a pubbie; He had the heart and soul though of a RAT.

Why Arnie, Clinton, Kerry, etal. aspire to the so-called "glory" of a JFK is beyond me...

Oh that's right -- it's NOT about accomplishment, it must be about the "charisma" thing and being worshipped like a demigod -- the common thread amongst these people being self-absorbed meglomania.