Could allegations derail Schwarzenegger's juggernaut?

Sac Bee ^ | 10-3-03 | Dan Walters

[ambrose]

Dan Walters: Could allegations derail Schwarzenegger's juggernaut?

Just as two statewide polls indicated that Gray Davis' governorship was doomed and that movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger was the prohibitive favorite to succeed him, the long-rumored bomb about Schwarzenegger's personal conduct toward women was dropped Thursday -- a Los Angeles Times article alleging that he had often groped women.

[Timesink]

One possibility I haven't seen mentioned on FR is the possibility of the rats playing phone bank games on Tuesday with nonexistent "exit polls." For example, calling and otherwise spreading rumors in hardcore rat areas saying "Arnold and the recall are doing far worse than expected! Get out there and vote and we can win this thing!" While, at the same time, spreading rumors in GOP/Arnold areas that "exit polls" are showing the recall and Arnold getting insurmountably high numbers (70% or so) in an attempt to lull GOP voters into thinking they're not needed and staying home.

Not that I think this sort of penny-ante crap could possibly have enough effect to matter as things stand now, but if a truly damaging puke bomb is dropped in the next few days, it could make a meaningful difference.

[Hugin]

I'm now waiting for a discovery Arnold starred in an X-rated move recently...

Hey I think they found one. Oh wait, it's The Sperminator starring Arnold Schwangenknocker. Never mind.

[Criminal Number 18F]

OF course, the LA Times joined the Davis campaign early, and they are still on side with him. That's all this is.

Walters is the most interesting political writer in California -- even after the Bee punished him for deviating from the Davis/Dem party line and made his stuff pass through a commissar at the paper before it can go out. (Even on his blog!)

I couldn't agree more that the situation is ironic -- many here who were calling for Clinton's head on a stick are willing to give Arnold a pass, and the reverse is true in whatever sewers breed Democrats. But... there is a fundamental difference between sworn testimony from identified persons, and rape/abuse with physical evidence (Clinton), versus gauzy allegations from a sextet of nameless, faceless apparitions, appearing in a newspaper that has from the outset taken a partisan line on the election.

If the editorial staff at the LA Times is like the one at the Boston Globe, the only ones who have a clue what guys see in girls, are girls.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[ambrose]

there are nudie Arnold pics floating all over the net. I'm not sure how different the Mapplethorpes are.

[claudiustg]

I would just cite the reaction of Susan Estrich on Hannity and Combs. Intelligent women will be appalled at this sleazy political attack. A certain number of women unfortunately will be swayed by any mention of sexual aggression.

[ambrose]

I heard Estrich on the radio. She had some excellent points. Basically, if women keep making flimsy, trivial and politically charged allegations, it will make it much harder for legitimately aggrieved women to be taken seriously.

[AmericaUnited]

No one seems to really know how this is playing.

Not so. Antidotal evidence and one tracking poll show it actually has had a slight positive effect.

[Tempest]

Democrats are attempting to demoralize our votes again. It's up to you to decided whether to accept the business as usual dirty politics of Gray Davis or to reject them.

[Tempest]

I had thought that the polls had showed GWB barely trailing right before the election in 2004???

[Tempest]

I did a little search and it appears that Bush only lead Gore by 1 point in 2000.

"With 14 days remaining in the campaign, an ABCNEWS tracking poll shows Bush at 47 percent and Gore at 46, a statistical tie. "

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/Bush_Gore_trail001024.html

And this was the lead he had prior to the 11th hour attack on GWB. Since the story broke on November 1 or 2nd from all the reports I could gather.

[freekitty]

It looks like both sides want Arnold, baggage and all.

Same old hype. Let's put the person with the most scandels in office so the news media, public relations, politicians, etc. can keep their jobs.

[Republic Rocker]

They r so frickin jealous we have a candidate that will reach out to millions of centrists and independents and sway thier votes to the RIGHT SIDE!

[staytrue]

If you look at the parties at democrats.inc and repubs.inc, losing CA means about a billion dollar hit for the dems in patronage, power, fund raising, extortion ability, appointing judges, etc.

The dems will do anything to keep this power.