You won't find me commenting much on this stuff, because I am not involved in party politics. IMO, the gamesmanship has become so extreme, that there is no longer any truth in either side of the political spectrum. Tactics and strategery have overtaken principle. Without principle, no politician will truly represent me, nor can they be trusted to do what they promise.
Instead of campaign tactics, my posts will mostly deal with specifics, usually legislation, and the pros and cons. What amazes me is the lack of truth in campaigns. There is a wave toward political speech being accepted as free speech, with little need for it to be accurate, and no accountablity when it is not. The two party system is what usually kept that in check, but 'big tent' attitudes make it hard to discern what people stand for.
For example, when Gray Davis proposed selling $8 Billion in bonds (to be paid back over a 5 year period) to solve the deficit problem in 2003, the Republicans screamed, filed lawsuits, wrote articles, etc. condemning the action. (The final deficit as of July 2003 was less than $8 billion.) When Arnold came in November 2003, he proposed selling $15 Billion in bonds (to be paid over approximately a 15 year period) for the same purpose. Did the GOP scream? No, they either went silent, or lined up behind him.
I don't care whose position it was, if (D)Borrowing is bad, then (R)Borrowing should be bad also. (I personally think borrowing is destroying the state and is leading us into a death spiral). The Dems will not attack Arnold for this, as it supplements continued high spending. If members of the GOP (or fiscal conservatives) don't speak out, who will?
I am equally amazed at the GOP now lining up behind what is being called a "Spending Reform." Buried in that initiative is an additional $10 Billion (roughly) of borrowing. This is money that probably should not have been promised (these were the behind-the-scene education deals), but was to be repaid out of revenues within 3 years. The idea was, that increased reveunues would cover it. Well, there have been increased revenues, but the current budget proposal continues to spend those on other programs and shifts this $10 Billion worth of promised spending increases (debt) into the next 15 years, with interest. What happened to cutting up the credit cards?
There are also tenuous problems with the "Pension reform." It will cost more in the short term and savings, if any, will not come about for 1-2 decades. It does however shift the power to Wall St. There are some big power plays happening that are not necessarily in the best interest of California, IMO.
Last year, we saw Arnold promote the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, something that JF Kennedy, Jr. put into AS's "environmental platform." This was an outrageous assault on property rights, one of the fundamental rights of United States citizens and a passionate issue among conservatives who value liberty. Those kind of actions cannot be easily undone, if at all.
The issues I have are ones that extend way beyond Arnold. It isn't him, or wanting him not to succeed. It is all about holding him accountable to his promises and avoiding long-term missteps that we will have to live with for years after his name is in the history book.
I hope someone else can answer your question more directly. But hopefully you understand my motivations more than before.
Well stated, calcowgirl.
Those who seek to be at the vanguard of movements and pursue agendas open themselves up to scorn and ridicule whetherit is warranted or not. It goes with the territory as many will become very personally involved and become zealots for 'their' cause.
Those who are too trusting often times capitulate to just get along, go with the prevailing mood and do not question for themselves as to what else may be behind the suggested changes or reforms that are now so necessary, yet really do not know why, other than it seems like the right thing to do.
Add to the mix, forces such as media and institutions with vested interests, unions and other special interests and before you know it, everything becomes as clear as mud.
That's why there is never a shortage of mud to fling at each other while Rome burns... again.
No party is free of fault as no government is without fault or ulterior motive as they are made up of individuals , and we all know individuals can be bought and influences swayed by means , sometimes nefarious and obvious, and other times, by means not so easily identified.