Posted on 08/28/2006 9:57:48 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Some day a great biography will be written about Arnold Schwarzenegger, a born-again American who proved able to remake himself in whatever ways proved necessary to succeed.
Properly explored, however, there may be pathos in Mr. Schwarzenegger's story, as well as triumph. Because it begins to appear the story of the current governor of California -- or should that be "Kauli-fornia"? -- helps crystallize the story of the one place in the world where that success story was possible: America.
Most of the story is well-known. With little else to work with, Mr. Schwarzenegger made his own body the tool of his ambition. Few have the persistence to even reach the Mr. Universe competition, let alone triumph. Five times. Mr. Olympia? Seven times.
Mr. Schwarzenegger went on to make himself over as the biggest action hero, ever. In his spare time, he earned his B.A. in business from the University of Wisconsin, and became a U.S. citizen.
Meanwhile he invested well, and married well. A movie star, a self-made millionaire, raising a family with a wife who hailed from the Kennedy clan -- as close to royalty as America has to offer, in the view of many. What more could any man want?
We did mention he's now the governor of California, didn't we? Only the birthplace requirement has cooled talk of his following the rest of the way in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan
And, most admirably of all, Arnold Schwarzenegger reached the governor's office on a platform that clearly indicated he knew how and why he achieved success -- because of a free market economy that allows people to succeed based on their own efforts.
When the new governor who wanted to help Californians return to their free-market roots found himself stymied by a left-wing state Legislature, he went directly to the voters with a series of initiatives, asking heir help to curb the power of the state employee unions, to help him cut budgets and cut taxes and reverse course from the Golden State's suicidal rush toward the very kind of redistributionism that destroyed Eastern Europe.
But California voters, terrified of losing government handouts and "benefits," failed to support the very man whom they'd elected to set things to rights. They voted down his proposals.
Is that the tragedy of our story? No. For it would be no tragedy for an already great man to go down to defeat while standing by the very principles which he knows from his own life to be the principles that California and America need to re-discover and again embrace. But as we said, Mr. Schwarzenegger is a survivor, willing to remake himself in whatever ways prove necessary to succeed.
Thus it is we now read that the favorite politician of most of the foot-dragging reactionary Democrats in the Legislature in Sacramento is not Democratic Treasurer Phil Angelides, who is challenging Mr. Schwarzenegger for the governorship, but rather ... Arnold Schwarzenegger!
The governor once opposed raising the state minimum wage, a step that outlaws the jobs of those with lesser skills. But now, Gov. Schwarzenegger favors this inflationary union-backed measure.
Gov. Schwarzenegger was once properly skeptical of the notion that the state's economy should be sacrificed to cut the emission of man-made "greenhouse gases." Forget that. All a big misunderstanding. Color me Green, boys!
The governor used to balk at punishing drug manufacturers by requiring them to offer discounts to politically favored groups. The new Arnold will punish those greedy capitalists all you want. He's here to "play ball."
"He's absolutely willing to prostitute himself on anything," complains Angelides advisor Bill Carrick. "How humiliating it must be to be a Republican in this state."
Not really. Republicans make up only 38 percent of the California electorate. Appealing to socialists, labor unions, greens, whale-huggers, Gaia worshippers, and others who learned their economics from folk songs and Captain Planet Saturday morning cartoon shows is an excellent way for Arnold and the California GOP to succeed ... in the short run.
In the meantime, of course, the governor is betraying the very principles that allowed him to come to this country 38 years ago and live out the American dream. That dream will now become less available to future immigrants -- and native-born Americans, as well -- thanks to the course of action for which the California electorate and their legislative delegates now applaud their governor in Sacramento.
That's the tragedy.
But can anyone blame Arnold? He listened, and he's giving Californians what they say they want.
Good and hard.
Watch how fast!!! I screwed up the ping and made it "FairOaks!"
Do you pay any attention at all?
There are major differences, with huge implications to CA between Arnold and Angelides.
For starters, the DEM legislature just passed universal healthcare, i. e. socilized medicine bill, that Arnold said he will veto and Angelides said he will sign. THIS alone is worth reelecting Arnold for, if he does nothing else.
California Assembly passes bill to provide universal health care
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1691665/posts
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
I saw you post the other day that you would be gone by November.
Where are you heading?
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
You better! You would be missed otherwise.
I hope it all works out well for you. :-)
Here, I'm afraid they'd confiscate my wealth. And housing here is so expensive that - it would would wipe that out. So I have to look for greener pastures, to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
YES, the majority of CA voters have a social disease. Blaming the best chance for holding the economy steady, while gradually freeing the average voter from the grips of a mass-induced delusion, is foolishness.
Can I understand the author's disappointment? Oh, yes, I can.
You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
Strongly disagree, the author nails it.
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