Posted on 08/24/2003 3:44:18 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
The Kindergarten Candidate
In a movie released in 1990, Arnold Schwarzenegger played big city undercover Detective John Kimble, who along with his partner Pheobe O'hara played by Pamela Reed, were sent to a school in Astoria, Oregon. Schwarzenegger's character was inserted into the school as a kindergarten teacher to find a paroled killer and drug dealer played by Colin Crisp. The Chrisp character's son Dominic was a pupil and his ex-wife played by Penelope Ann Miller was another teacher in the school. A significant part of the movie found Schwarzenegger's character dealing with young children under his charge, finally getting them under control. In the movie Schwarzenegger's character also had to deal with adults who didn't always agree with his tactics. By the end of the movie, these policy issue differences resolved themselves.
On August 13th of this year, a sequel of sorts was released. This sequel finds Schwarzenegger playing the role of a political candidate for Governor of California. Interestingly enough this sequel again finds Schwarzenegger trying to get children under control. Only this time, it is unclear if he will meet with success or not.
Meet Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Kindergarten Candidate. In this role Schwarzenegger has volunteered to reign in a criminal who has violated the State Constitution of California by not balancing the state's budget, as required by law. Politically new to the citizens of California, Schwarzenegger will have to deal with supporters and detractors for his varied views. Some of them will conduct themselves like adults. Many of them will conduct themselves as kindergarten children.
In this movie Schwarzenegger will face foreign exchange students as well. Kindergarten children now have access to the internet, and in this sequel those who haven't heard Schwarzenegger's speeches, know nothing of the character of the opposition's leading candidate, nothing of state statutes, nothing of California's election procedures, nothing of it's political history, nothing of the current business social economic or accurate political climate in California, will none the less jump up and down in class, roll on the floor kicking and screaming and do anything else they can do to disrupt. Unfortunately these foreign (to the state) exchange students won't be alone in their disruption. Some in-state California kindergarten students will join with them.
The adult members of California's voting public will chose their candidates by whatever set of principles they adhere to. Many of them will do so with flawed logic or having been misled. None the less, they will go through the process acting like adults. Some will back Conservative candidate Tom McClintock. Some will back a moderate in some ways, liberal in others, candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger. Still others will will back a liberal racist separatist, Cruz Bustamante. Reasoned state citizens will discuss the issues and polices adopted or proposed by these candidates. They will agree, they will disagree, they will debate. They will not jump up and down and scream like kindergarten children. They will not have to be told hundreds of times why some things simply are.
Nobody likes it when a kindergarten student direct from Camp Dark Ubiquitous joins the adult discussion. No matter how many times you patiently explain a detail to them, they dodge, they ignore, they make false claims, they provide clearly misleading partial quotes or half truths. As much as these children are recognized for what they are when they drift on by, some of the same folks who recognize them for what they are, feel perfectly free to use those same tactics as long as it's in defense of their flavor of (R).
The nice thing about this new sequel, is that each of us get to choose not only the ending we want, but we get to choose the course of action that will lead up to it. How cool is that? Now that doesn't mean that each of us will wind up with the exact ending we desire, but at least we can determine the course of action that will lead up to the ending that the majority desires. That's the way our political system works folks.
We can either choose to conduct ourselves as adults, or we can choose to act like kindergarten screw-ups.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is for better or worse the Kindergarten Candidate. We all know that his stands on abortion, homosexual rights and gun control may not gel with what we want for our state or nation. In truth we have not heard him address these issues with candor. To act like we have and know exactly what his views are, is simply dishonest. It's the claim of the kindergarten screw-ups. The adults wish to know more. To act like Schwarzenegger is no better than Cruz Bustamante or Tom Daschle is just another dishonest bunch of noise. To act like Schwarzenegger has evaded telling us exactly what he'll do about a budget so complex that nobody knows where all the demons are buried, is another half-truth. To repeat these things over and over is nothing more than rolling on the floor in kindergarten screaming at the top of your lungs. It's disruption. It's childish. It's unacceptable.
Most of the adults have made it very clear that they wish for a McClintock win. They have also made the decision that if McClintock cannot assure us victory on October 7th, they will vote for another candidate that will be more likely to do so. The kindergarten screw-ups leave their seats and scream bloody murder at this. Hopefully the adults will see that for what it is, the extremely childish machinations of frustrated spoiled little brats.
If California's best and brightest conservatives could assure a McClintock victory, they would. If they could wave a collective wand, wiggle their noses and wish their fondest dreams into existence, they'd close the borders, eliminate about 90% of our taxes, eliminate abortion on California's soil, treat homosexuals with respect but end the legitimization process, restore all gun rights to all law abiding citizens and usher in the administration of Tom McClintock. Folks, this isn't a 1950s Disney movie. It's a 2000s reality movie. Sad but true, you'll have to come to grips with that fact and determine for yourselves if you can conduct yourself like an adult.
For the sake of the adult's peace of mind, let's hope most people can. In the end, the policy differences may resolve themselves, as Schwarzenegger fails to act on the problem areas where we disagree with him. Let's conduct ourselves with civility and respect.
Please don't make the case that folks are selling out. Please don't continue to list Schwarzenegger's supposed liberal stances on issues for the 187,201st time. You claim not to need for us to explain conservative considerations to you, please don't feel like you need to explain the difference between conservatism and liberalism to us. We know.
The adults understand that Cruz Bustamante cannot be the next Governor of California. The Kindergarten Students, may have to tolerate a Kindergarten Candidate. Reality is a bitch. But it is sometimes a better reality than hell. And hell is what California will turn into under Bustamante.
Roll on the floor, jump up and down. Kick and scream all you like. Do it right now on this thread. Get it out of your system. Then let's gather behind the Kindergarten Candidate if and when the time comes. If we're fortunate, that time won't come. But if it does, can we please agree to do it as adults?
Whoa...I didn't see that before, but I googled, and sure enough, you're right.
I better repeat that for those who missed it:
Arnold opposes Proposition 54.
Who won California's electoral votes in 1992?
Please, do name one substantive postition on which Schwarzenegger and Bustamante differ.
Schwarzenegger just signed up Perenchio to his team. You think he's gonna be a strong advocate for enforcing 187?
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