Arnold Schwarzenegger Write-In Campaign; Could Beat Davis, Simon

L.A. Weekly ^ | Sept. 20 - 26, 2002 | Bill Bradley

[Commie Basher]

The most interesting revelation in this aricle is that under California law, names don't have to be spelled correctly to count.

How close does the spelling have to be? I guess it'd be up to the judgment of the indivisual ballot counter -- and didn't the U.S. Supreme Court find that sort of thing to violate equal protection?

IAE, it's small wonder voter fraud is rampant in the Golden State.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

One thing is for certain, if Arnold Swarzenegger runs this year, he marks his territory for the next election. And, if he fails to get high enough quickly enough in the polls, he could also back down at the last minute and endorse Simon! I say we should trust Arnold, with the assumption that he clears the way for Simon if he can't win. The name spelling question was a big one. Freegards....

[finnman69]

While many might have trouble remembering exactly how to spell the superstar's name, it doesn't really matter. Anything close to his actual name is allowable under California law.

So a vote for Schwartaznigger would be OK! Madness!

[dts32041]

Schwartaznigger

Is that an intentional play on two languages and two words?

Signed Curious

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

GRRRR.... Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just talking about the spelling keeps peoples' minds on him. I know, I know, freepers will hate him for it now. But in the end, if he does later endorse Simon, he'd be a hero. Or if he shocks the world and wins, he enters politics with a bang. It's win, win-- but he need not make any promises to us. He should run to win, and only consider endorsing later.

[rdb3]

I think the point here is that this name would count under California's law.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Pete Wilson is trying to get Simon beat, or at least the remnants of his machine is trying to get Simon beat it would seem.

[Commie Basher]

So a vote for Schwartaznigger would be OK! Madness!

I wonder how long before Louis Farakhan imagines there's a secret numeric code in Sch-WAR-ze-NEGGER. War on blacks?

"Niggardly" is already offensive to some blacks (who also volunteer as poll workers) who mistake it for "the N word," and at the very least deem it "insensitive."

[curmudgeonII]

Sounds like a sure way of re-electing Davis.

[Bella_Bru]

The CRP is what could lead to Simon's defeat. Not a write-in campaign, not dumb Davis. Simon has NOT received the support of the state party at all.

[NormsRevenge]

DUMP DAVI$



GO SIMON

[A CA Guy]

This is a great way to get Davis elected.

I hope no one at FR is stupid enough to do this.

[doc30]

But in the end, if he does later endorse Simon, he'd be a hero. Or if he shocks the world and wins, he enters politics with a bang.

And if he doesn't win, Arnold will say "I'll be back" and mean it.

(I couldn't resist)

[breakem]

If the women, who have been telling stories of his obnoxious behavior toward them, come forward, Arnold will be dead in the water. Too many and too much.

[xp38]

Can a naturalized US citizen become governor of California?

[Congressman Billybob]

Actually, the constituutional issue is the reverse of what you ask. In New Hampshire in 1976, I was involved in petitioning on behalf of Gene McCarthy for President. We had enough signatures to put him on the ballot.

State election officials knocked off signatures by saying that "John Smith, 123 Main Street" was NOT a sufficient match for the registered listing of "John J. Smith, 123 Main Street." We whomped 'em in court.

If the write in has 80% of the vowels and 60% of the consonants in his name, and begins with an "S", I'd say that is close enough. Remember that Republicans and Democrats have a joint interest in squashing third-party and independent candidates like a cockroach in a corner. Election officials will be trying NOT to count such votes, rather than TO count them.

On most voting machines you have to do two things to cast a write-in ballot: 1) pull a lever or push a button for a write-in vote, then 2) open the slot that becomes available and write in the name on a paper tape. Doing that prevents you from voting for any other candidate for that race. So write-in votes cannot be switched by officials to any other candidate -- the voter simply loses his vote for that race if he pulls the lever, and the name he writes in is not counted.

Congressman Billybob

Click for major article on turnover in the House of Representatives: "Til Death Do Us Part."

Click for latest book: "to Restore Trust in America"

Latest column, "The Politics of Flight 93," is posted on FreeRepublic.

[ConservativeNewsNetwork]

This is a great way to get Davis elected. I hope no one at FR is stupid enough to do this.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Actors don't belong in politics. An ACTOR running for Governor of CA?

Next thing you know there will be an actor running for the presdency and getting elected to two terms, ending the war on terror, and contracting wasteful government agencies while lowering taxes to increase revenue. Madness. These people have no sense of the real world.

[Bonaparte]

I would love it if Schwartenegger did this. He's a fake Republican who is liberal to his ashes (campaigned with Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts). He can only pull votes away from Davis. My guess is that he's only trying to drum up publicity for himself to rescue his sagging movie career. His plan to campaign in front of polling places on election day is illegal in California.

[Parley Baer]

Yep that is exactly what the liberal Kalifornia press is trying to do. They have tried a couple of write in candidates that would take votes away from Simon. Notice they have not mentioned a DemocRAT write in candidate. HMMMMM. Parley

[Diplomat]

The guys not a liberal. He'd let you keep your guns. His problem is that in order to be a Kennedy, you don't have to be a complete socialist, just an adulterer. So the dude fits right in, similiar morals, marry a man like your father, the typical thing you see all accross America.

That said, he hurts Simon at this point far more than Davis because he is a Republican and is extremely popular. That's why Davis had to get him out EARLY, can't have a Schwartzenengger - Davis match can we. You'd have pictures of Terminator squashing littleman Davis. He'd be toast and he knows it no matter how many times the Running Man cheated on Maria.