Posted on 07/24/2005 6:26:47 AM PDT by SmithL
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has relished the role of the fearless "Terminator" armed for battle against an army of special interests, is suddenly looking more like Gulliver -- besieged, tied down, and overrun by his opponents.
And no wonder: After months of campaigning, fund raising and warning of a Nov. 8 special election he insisted was "guaranteed,'' the governor's team blinked this week. Campaign adviser Mike Murphy floated a trial balloon -- most likely to gauge Democratic Party as much as voter reaction -- with Friday's public acknowledgement that Team Schwarzenegger has discussed the impossible: dumping the much-heralded special ballot altogether.
Rob Stutzman, communications director to the governor, insisted in a Saturday e-mail that the notion of pulling the special election is "not a serious consideration.''
In areas like redistricting of legislative lines, and budget, he said firmly, "the governor is committed to fixing a broken system and will continue to fight for those reforms.''
But the official line from the governor's office hasn't diminished speculation over the possible effect on Schwarzenegger if the election is a no- go.
"How do you declare victory in defeat?'' is the first challenge the governor faces, said Bill Whalen, a Hoover Institution research fellow who has acted as an adviser to Schwarzenegger.
"What the Democrats have done here undeniably has been very effective,'' said Whalen. "They have attacked Schwarzenegger's policies; they have attacked his character, his ethics, his trustworthiness, and it has driven down his poll numbers.''
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Arnold lives for adulation, and therefore can't stand the heat. He was a wussy from the beginning.
Is he morphing into Ted Kennedy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.