Posted on 10/25/2005 7:48:27 AM PDT by SmithL
WALNUT CREEK - For the first time since he called a special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stood before an unscreened audience Monday night and fielded random questions about his initiatives.
But the unusual format, dictated by Schwarzenegger and his campaign team, infuriated his foes, who called it "just another Schwarzenegger performance."
"He defined all the rules before we got started," said Gale Kaufman, the lead political strategist for the campaign against Schwarzenegger's special election initiatives. "He got to do another show, which he's very good at, but that's all it was. Nothing more than showmanship."
Sell It Yourself Schwarzenegger has been staging "Conversations with Californians" around the state, but with audiences invited by local Republicans and chamber of commerce officials. The events had a heavily staged quality and often featured softball questions from adoring participants.
At the event Monday night in downtown Walnut Creek, Schwarzenegger took questions for 40 minutes after two of his principal foes, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Rose Ann DeMoro, head of the California Nurses Association, went first.
The audience, chosen by a Sunnyvale market research firm, was supposed to reflect the demographics of the Bay Area, so it was no surprise that many of the roughly 30 questioners identified themselves as Democrats or independents.
But Schwarzenegger refused to participate in a face-to-face debate and insisted that he go on last. He and his foes were not on stage at the same time, and he made a 90-second opening statement, which the other side didn't.
When host Randy Shandobil, Bay Area television station KTVU's political editor, said time was up, Schwarzenegger ignored him, thanked the crowd for coming, and pleaded for guests and the television audience to vote for his four ballot initiatives.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Ignore them, Arnie. Keep coming back to the East Bay. We love you!
Those opposing these initiatives hab spent hundreds of millions of dollars advertizing their position and attacking the Governor and the people of California. They got their 15 minutes, we understand their arguement and now we will vote.
I think we have heard both sides, more from the attackers then of those supporting but these are not real tough issues.
The Suck Bee still living up to it's reputation. Can't tell the difference between news reporting and editorializing.
Did you hear anything new discussed?
For those already decided , it was a waste of time. but did it make anyone else want to vote eiither way who wasn't going to vote, in your opinion.
I am not so sure it did.
I have the impression these meetings are targeted at the broad public and not the politically savvy.
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