Actually, The Maha-Rushie is wrong on this one. Schwarzenegger is, first and foremost, an economic and fiscal conservative, and that's California's problem right now. You're right, it's a free country, and that loudmouth blowhard is free to demonstrate his ignorance to his heart's content.
That's what he says and it sounds real good. So far, Arnald has talked about straightening out California and making it more business friendly. That's fine. However, Arnald is a self proclaimed social liberal and wants to get the California budget out of the red, so all the social welfare programs will have enough funding to run and no services will be further jeaprodized. That is not the agenda of a fiscal conservative and that's what Rush is tlaking about.
Getting rid of Boy Davis is the #1 priority, but don't expect Arnald, if he wins, to cut taxes and reduce spending in California.
FISCAL CONSERVATIVE: don't spend excess monies from government on social programs best handled from the private sector: we trust market forces to do this; gov'ts have no business in social engineering.
SOCIAL LIBERAL: spend all kinds of gov't monies on social programs, for we don't trust the private sector to do anything.
I'm sorry, but Arnold's OWN WORDS belie him: he believes he wants to do both of the above, which is impossible! Rush is merely pointing out that he's NOT the next incarnation of Reagan.... or even GW Bush, for that matter! Rush's point is simply this: Arnold is telling you Californians what he would do: and it's not conservative. Elect him if you like (it's obviously your choice), but do so with your eyes and ears open.
What I really don't get about his "platform" is this:
(a) He sez we can't afford social programs: they have driven away business.
(b) He then says that once business comes back, he can resume the social programs.
Excuse me, sir, but that won't bring 'em back: the over-regulation and over-taxation drove them away -- the only thing that will get business prosperous is to reduce the burden permanently.
No candidate, not even a celebrity as big as Arnold, can talk about cutting social programs openly and get enough support in the urban areas they need to win overall. The numbers just aren't there. He must couch his words and use misdirection and euphemisms like "business climate" (much like RATS have to fool the voters in other parts of the country). Out here, a Republican needs to trick enough voters into voting for him, because their natural position would not be to support anyone calling for government cuts or lower taxes. In fact, on the west coast, it is something a radical statement to support a better "business climate". Business is seen as the fount of all evil out here.
The entire west coast is a greener-commie-anarchist mess. The entire coast has gone insane. Sanity and reality will need to be delivered and re-entered into the public sphere in measured doses. The west coast public at large will not give up their cozy utopian haze that easily.
He made it clear that he wants to get rid of the defecit in order to be able to afford MORE social programs. And do you recall the after-school program debacle he was behind a few years back? Arnie ain't no damn fiscal conservative.
How can one be fiscally conservative and socially liberal?
He doesn't like to spend money, but he favors government programs? Sounds like an oxymoron...
That sure is an ironic couple of sentences. Speaking of which, I'm still waiting for that link that demonstrates that Arnuld is "first and foremost an economic and fiscal conservative" other than the ones regurgetating these Talking Points.
*taps foot waiting*
Have you been listening? Arnold says that the children have the first call on the state treasury.
Then the seniors?
Then the single moms?
Then the disabled?
Then the state workers?
How far down on his list are the taxpayers? Arnold's a one-trick pony and we saw that one yesterday.
The only thing that he will do for the Republican party, if he gets elected, is embarrass them when he fails. I'd much rather see him run as an independent.
He's already talking about keeping up the funding for all the social programs, and tax and spend socialism that is driving businesses out of CA in the first place.
Seems to me Rush is right on this.