Let's keep the Dem's on the run!
Click the Pic!
Posted on 10/08/2003 1:36:24 PM PDT by PokeyJoe
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sex and politics have never been easy bedfellows in American
politics.
But to hear the political pundits tell it on Wednesday, Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as
California governor despite being portrayed as "The Groper," has more to do with the
peculiarities of a historic recall race than a sea change in national ethics.
In a nation where so many politicians have been brought down by their sexual peccadilloes,
Schwarzenegger's success in shrugging off widespread, and potentially criminal allegations of
sexual harassment provoked more sanguine resignation than shocked indignance.
"Part of the reason Schwarzenegger (a Republican) overcame this is because so many
people knew about this going in. This is not some true-blue conservative and all of a sudden
one day you wake up and find he is groping women," said Republican political consultant Allan
Hoffenblum.
"The Republican hierarchy were able to convince themselves that this is not the Arnold
Schwarzenegger of today, that he really is a different person. And as a group they were so
hungry for a win that they overlooked things they may not have done under other
circumstances," Hoffenblum told Reuters.
California -- solidly Democratic, home to movie stars, a champion of gay rights and liberal on
issues such as the death penalty and gun control -- is also less prudish about sex than many
other U.S. states, especially in the post-Clinton era.
"California is generally more libertarian. People here care less about a candidate's personal
behaviour. That was true of Clinton (during the presidential impeachment crisis) and is true of
Schwarzenegger," said Anthony York, editor of the California newsletter Political Pulse.
"The last 5-10 years have dulled people to all of it and there is a feeling that private life
doesn't matter," he said.
A LIBERAL PLACE
The rumours about Schwarzenegger's past as a womaniser were hardly new. But when the
Los Angeles Times, in the closing days of the campaign, printed graphic and detailed accounts
by six women who claimed they had been groped by the actor over three decades, most
commentators cried "dirty tricks" by a newspaper already perceived as left-wing. At least 10
other women later came forward with similar stories.
Ironically, the lateness of the allegations, together with Schwarzenegger's swift but blanket
acknowledgement that there was "no smoke without fire" may in fact have saved him.
"It was too little, too late. Gov. Gray Davis was already damaged goods. Too many people
had already made up their minds and there weren't enough of the 'undecided' to move into the
'No on recall' column," said Joe Cerrell, a Democratic political consultant.
Hoffenblum said the late charges made it easy for Republican voters to dismiss them as
nothing but a smear campaign, and did little to sway the vast middle ground who simply wanted
a change from Davis and politics as usual.
The driving force of the entire recall campaign, he said, was widespread intense dislike
among voters of the Democratic governor in particular and state politics in general, along with
Republican fervour to regain power in California after years in the political wilderness.
Let's keep the Dem's on the run!
Click the Pic!
Ok - it's really quite simple:
The overall morality of Americans has declined so far that "we" don't really care about the morals of candidates. If America really cared at all about Morality, Clintoon would have not have been elected to a 2nd term, he might have been impeached (removed from office) in his first term.
The media said if the wife stands by her man then it doesn't matter....remember that!!!!!
The media has a reputation for this kind of drive by assassination attempt and the public has had enough!
The dems said personal behaviour doesn't count.....so they have to live with it now!
Not to mention that the real babes seemed to be taking up for him, and the accusers all seemed to look (mostly) like washed up lezbian soccer players.
The election was held in California where actors/singers such as Michael Jackson, Michael Douglas, Warren Beatty and others have been given a pass for worse things -- not to mention the messages promoted by prime time TV.
It happened long ago with not one of the alleged victims having filed a complaint. And then there was the picture of one of them -- hardly the type to attract a grope.
All these years NOW has been preaching about one free grope and, along with the media and others, made excuses for Clinton's far worse behavior.
Since the Hitler accusations proved to be lies yet were repeatd, the other charges lost credibility.
Backlash to the media hysteria. The LA Times and others went too far.
It was either Davis/Bustemante or Arnold.
perceived ?
How do you spell "Clinton Era"?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.