Question for all who are voting for,or supporting Arnold?

[Delphinium]

Just curious,for what principals are you voting for?

[Kevin Curry]

How typical.

[Yaelle]

At first it was because he was not the worst idea I'd heard and he definitely had the name recognition, and he was at the least in the center of the political spectrum. Davis is a prostitute, and Bustamante is a racist.

Now, I believe he is conservative where it counts, fiscally and also most likely on illegal immigration, though he has not been able to fully express this until after the election, when I believe he will.

This issues where he is liberal do not bother me so much. My best college friend is gay with a terminal illness and I see the need for some partnership benefits; she and her parnter have lived together for many years. (No, she does not have AIDS.) I am anti-abortion but most people in CA are not. We cannot coerce them. Do you realize how many MEDICAL DOCTORS will all but CONVINCE women having amnios (IN THEIR 2ND TRIMESTER) to abort all babies with problems? Most families choose to abort babies with Downs or other genetic problems, and some choose to abort babies with malformations, etc. And the doctors really push it. For a great book on this subject, and a beautiful story anyway, read "Expecting Adam." I do not see how even making first trimester abortions illegal will stop this above-mentioned medical practice.

I think Arnold is a powerful man who can stand up to party intimidation, both our own and the opposing, and also that his ego (if not more of him) received so much stroking in his youth, and he has so much love of his family and friends, that he is not a greedy-ego, needy man who is doing this out of pure self-interest. This latter psychological health is something many people running for office do not have. Arnold is comfortable within his own skin, and sees the benefit of compromise and not dying on each and every hill to achieve your goals.

Arnold became a Republican for the same reason I did: he lived under socialism and saw where it got you. I was once a marvelously healthy young specimen in Europe whose high-paying job was made redundant. All while I was collecting 90% of my previous salary for two long, happy years, I and my like-minded laid off American ex-pats became rabidly conservative. The system does not work. Arnold has lived it. He has done his homework in economics. He knows.

[Godebert]

Arnold Schwarzenegger's views in his own words:

Pro Gun Control

• "I'm for gun control. I'm a peace-loving guy." (Time magazine cover story, Aug 18, 2003) When interviewed on the issues by Sean Hannity on August 27th, Schwarzenegger admitted that he is for gun control. He said he supported both the Brady Bill and the ban on so-called "assault weapons." He said, "Also I would like to close the loophole of the gun shows." When asked by the Sacramento Bee to detail his positions on gun issues (scroll down), Arnold stated that he supports legislation to ban .50-caliber rifles, force gun buyers to pass a state-defined test in order to purchase a handgun, and require load indicators or magazine safety disconnects on new semiauto handguns.
• Pro Abortion
  Schwarzenegger appeared on FoxNews' "Bill O'Reilly" program in May 2001 and said he disagreed with President Bush's pro-life position. "I'm for choice," Schwarzenegger said on the program. "The women should have the choice. The women should decide what they want to do with their bodies. I'm all for that." When interviewed on the issues by Sean Hannity on August 27th, Schwarzenegger admitted again that he is "pro-choice".
• Pro Gay Agenda
  From Cosmopolitan magazine, "I have no sexual standards in my head that say this is good or this is bad. Homosexual-that only means to me that he enjoys sex with a man and I enjoy sex with a woman. It's all legitimate to me." He also supports gay adoption, despite the fact that both conservative Republicans and moderate Democrats voted by a 61 percent margin for Proposition 22, the Defense of Marriage Initiative, which defined marriage as that between a man and a woman. (Newsmax, 28 July 2003)
  When interviewed on the issues by Sean Hannity on August 27th, Schwarzenegger admitted that he is for legalized "domestic partnerships" which would give gay couples the same benefits as marriage.
• Pro Big Government Programs
  Regarding the passage of Proposition 49, a big government social scheme providing funds for after school programs: "Every California child deserves access to a proven, quality, life-changing afterschool program, and now they will have it. My hope is that, as goes California, so goes the rest of our nation." When interviewed on the issues by Sean Hannity on August 27th, Schwarzenegger said that he believes that social programs should be focused on children. He said, "I think the important thing, again, is that we work on education and really make sure that the kids have the first run at our treasury."
  In the same interview with Hannity, Schwarzenegger said that he supports big government programs to buy back leases as a measure to protect the environment. He said, "I think that our state government and our federal government should negotiate to buy back the leases [from the oil companies.]"
  
• Pro Environmentalist Agenda
  When a reporter asked him in early August to detail his positions on the environment, he said "I will fight for the environment. Nothing to worry about."
  When interviewed on the issues by Sean Hannity on August 27th, Schwarzenegger said he did not support offshore oil drilling. He said, "No, absolutely not. I think that we should stop the oil drilling and I think that our state government and our federal government should negotiate to buy back the leases [from the oil companies.]"
  
• Pro Clinton/Anti Impeachment
  In 1999, Schwarzenegger told George magazine of his bitterness about the frenzy over Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton and the waste of time and energy it represented. "That was another thing I will never forgive the Republican Party for," he said. "I was ashamed to call myself a Republican during that period."
  
• Soft on Illegal Immigration
  In a radio interview with KABC radio host Larry Elder on August 27th, Schwarzenegger said that allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the United States is "the right thing to do." Last year, while campaigning for his Prop. 49 after-school programs initiative, Schwarzenegger...declared in answer to a question from the audience: "I would never stand in the way of any child going to school, whether he or she is here legally or illegally, it does not matter." (Sacramento Bee, 24 August)

[Delphinium]

That's what I have been hearing from him, and can't figure out why they think he is for freedom if he believes peace comes from gun control.

Aren't most social programs for the children?

How can this guy fix the California economy with his committment to big government programs, and the enviroment?

[Maelstrom]

Not to mention that wherever Arnold has mouthed a somewhat conservative stand, McClintock has a history supporting it.

[Gunslingr3]

Care to flesh out your dig for everyone who might have missed it?

If they don't get the joke, why bother explaining it? Besides, 'strong' leaders and the people who crave them give me the creeps. "It is a great advantage to a President, and a major source of safety to the country, for him to know that he is not a great man." -Calvin Coolidge

[Kevin Curry]

Not to mention that wherever Arnold has mouthed a somewhat conservative stand

This is equivalent to "wherever Bill Clinton has mouthed a somewhat honest word." It's possible that this has happened. But who has the time and energy to waste in a short life of 80+ years looking for it?

[Maelstrom]

I'll allow for the possibility.

[My2Cents]

If you're taking Arnold at his own words, then I guess you need to accept his well-stated reasons at the GOP state convention why, in his own words, he is a conservative.

[GreatOne]

All I can say is that I hope you're wrong, and that if it were just McClintock, he would've been savagely attacked for his pro-life views, and his demeanor right now does not suggest to me that he would have fared and better than Lundgren, Fong, or Simon.

[stands2reason]

So you're to frightened to come out and say, "Swarzenegger is another Hitler." That's okay.

Besides, 'strong' leaders and the people who crave them give me the creeps.

Weak leaders are wonderful, aren't they? I guess you're idea of leadership is the Republican Senate starring Trent Lott...

[Gunslingr3]

So you're to frightened to come out and say, "Swarzenegger is another Hitler." That's okay.

Frightened? By what, his brownshirts?

I don't think he's another Hitler. I made a joke about 'strong leaders' and 'Austria'. Just because you have no appreciation for my humor doesn't give you automatic insight to my thoughts concerning Arnold's bid. Get over yourself.

Weak leaders are wonderful, aren't they?

If he's a weak leader that can't get laws passed that negatively impact my life I'll take him over a 'strong leader' that knows how to put himself in front of the herd.

I guess you're idea of leadership is the Republican Senate starring Trent Lott...

No, more like Calvin Coolidge. aka The kind of leaders who realize Americans don't need to be led, just to be free.

[A CA Guy]

Pro abortion actually the way he was attempting to abort the California voters and abort the Republican party for the Democrats and so on.

[BillyBoy]

>> Rinos do exist, and they are often deserving of criticism. Snowe, Specter, and their ilk are often harmful to the interests of the party as a whole and certainly to the principles that animate the vast majority of Republicans. I think that a true RINO is one that has little or no loyalty to the party, and bends over backwards to go against the party, causing people to think that they label themselves as Republican only for political expediency. Bloomberg comes to mind. I don't consider Arnold to be a RINO under that definition. <<

Really? A little reminder of Arnold expressing "loyalities" to the party:

"I'm ASHAMED to be a Republican" -- on the GOP investigating Clinton
"That is ANOTHER thing I will NEVER forgive the Republican Party for" -- on Clinton's impeachment
"Ted Kennedy is a personal hero to me" -- on his favor Senator
"Only right-wing crazies back that" -- on Prop. 54
Etc., etc.

Tell how this is different than Olympia Snowe?

>> I consider him to be a liberal Republican, as Norm Coleman. <<

Yeah, like Norm Coleman ran for the Senate promising abortion on demand, gay "civil unions" in his state, and spending $80 million on after school programs "for all the children" in MN. Obviously you can't tell the difference between TRUE moderates and liberals. You got the 'Arnie is a liberal' part right though.

>> With Rudy we were rewarded with an efficient and good mayor who did not hurt conservatives because a mayor has little impact on issues like abortion. <<

Ummm...Arnold's not running for Mayor. He IS running for GOVERNOR where stance on social issues ARE a concern. Again, Rudy didn't spend most of 1998 defending Clinton and backstabbing the party of impeachment. Also, Rudy backed many conservatives in primaries over Dick Riordan types. That's because Rudy actually DOES believe in loyality.

>> There are a couple governors who act like RINOs, Ryan of Illinois being the latest example. Don't exonerate all RINOs just because we both support Arnold <<

If only you Arnold backers would simply READ up on the 1998 Illinois Governor's race instead of whining about out-of-staters, you'd figure that George Ryan ran the SAME type of campaign Arnold did. Do you really think George got elected by telling everyone he was going to triple taxes and free all the murderers on death row? Of course not! He said Illinoisans were OVERTAXED and he wanted to "keep a lid on spending and make sure Illinois lives within its means". He said "raising taxes now is unconciseable" But, JUST LIKE ARNOLD, he wouldn't actually sign a pledge NOT to raise taxes. He simply said there was no need to do so unless an "emergancy" came up. Hmmm. And just like Arnold, he wanted lots of new programs "for the children" but wouldn't say HOW he would pay for them. We certainly found out how AFTER he was elected! He was "pro-buisness" and wanted to "help bring back buisness to Illinois" (after he got elected, people 'discoverered' his idea of helping buisness was making taxpayer funded trips to Cuba to heap praise on Castro and lobby for free trade with Cuba). Do you think only liberals backed George Ryan? Of course not. We had a whole host of 'conservative' politicians, pro-family groups, lower-tax groups on the bandwagon (after the state GOP leaders bullied them and said George was the "only" Republican who "could win"). We were told that "half a loaf is better than none", because even if George loves gay rights and gun-control, he'll at least cut taxes and stop partial-birth abortion. (of course, he didn't) Any Republican who DIDN'T back King George was denoucned as a crazy right-wing "purist" who's sulking would "make the Democrats win". And, of course, we "couldn't afford" a Democrat victory, NOT in 1998, when Clinton's impeachment was on the line. (nevermind that George OPPOSED Clinton's impeachment and the Dem said Clinton should consider resignation)

>> in this particular race. I'm sure he will make us both mad a few times in the next 3 years, but he is still preferable to Davis. <<

Sure, and George Ryan is perferable to Davis because ol' George has been a "Republican for 40 years" (look it up, he has) The Clintonites were all "upset" when ol' George won too. Then they actually got to see him govern and by the end of his term they were worshipping how much he had "grown" in office and made Illinois "move forward thinking" Even the Greenies loved him. And course, Gray Davis has plenty of nice things to say about him on CNN. Having a Republican governor sure helped IL, didn't it?

[Defiant]

Sounds like your main reason for voting against Arnold is George Ryan. I'd give Arnold the benefit of the doubt, he hasn't shown any tendencies to go insane the way Ryan did. He's basically a Giuliani/Coleman Republican, and if you can't stomach that, get used to saying, "Governor Bustamante." I prefer to work on making him MORE conservative, in the way Santorum and others have over the years. If he goes too far, he'll never be as bad as Davis, and he'll be gone in 3 years.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**(did I get the word right that time?) **

pssst. I wasn't one of the multitude that corrected you, D.I always have to stop and think before typing principal or principle. sigh. :o)

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Could you explain further? Thanks.

[HardStarboard]

>>>I always vote for prinipals before personality. <<<

Prinipals.....I think thats short for "pretty pals" and it sounds sooo much better.

[gitmo]

There are TWO Tom McClintocks running? I thought there was just the one moderately conservative one.

[fqued]

1. Schwarzenegger said no new taxes over his dead body.
2. Schwarzenegger is not a politico.
3. Schwarzenegger will reform workers comp and other buisness killing taxess and regulations.
4. Schwarzenegger is against the car tax.
5. Schwarzenegger is against the driver licenses for illegals.
5. Schwarzenegger is for parental Consent.
6. Schwarzenegger is against partial birth abortion.
7. Schwarzenegger projects a strong image as a leader. McClintock who although has nice ideas, makes Davis and Bustamante look charismatic.
8. Schwarzenegger is for local school control.
9. I believe Schwarzenegger has a better chance of effecting positive change and reform in California than McClintock or any of the other candidates

GOOD LIST.