Arnold for governor would be powerful candidate

Sacramento Bee ^ | 7/14/03 | Daniel Weintraub

[William McKinley]

I don't know if Arnold Schwarzenegger will run for governor. But I do know this: Our standard-order politicians are dreaming if they think they are going to blow him away.

I'm not surprised that the general public sees Schwarzenegger, so far, as little more than a Hollywood celebrity. But the political class should know better. This is a man of substance with accomplishments in charity and business that would make him a very formidable candidate for the state's highest office, even if his lack of political experience makes it difficult to guess what kind of governor he would ultimately be.

[William McKinley]

Fred Barnes laughed off the description of 'pragmatic libertarian', and rightfully so. Actually, with the exception of the gun control and abortion issues he sounds pretty Whiggish.

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[pogo101]

I'd rather have Tom McClintock, but it may take a "pragmatic libertarian" AND lots of charisma & show-biz know-how for any Republican, RINO or not, to get elected. I just don't see any other Republican right now who has that combination. So, to Gray Davis, I say: you soon may be hearing,

"Gett owwtt. Ah'll drive."

[Terabitten]

If he gets elected... we all KNOW what the re-election slogan will be....

"I'll be back."

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[My2Cents]

We already have an anti-gun and pro-abortion governor, so considering what Arnold believes in which distinguishes him from the mainline Democrats, he'd be a tremendous improvement.

[jagrmeister]

Arnold is the future of the California GOP. For a long, long time - someone has needed to throw us a life preserver- too often we got the opposite- a ballast, bad advice from Republicans outside California who don't understand the political realities of our state. Arnold is it. He has the life story, the charisma, the dynamism to pull it off. And his popularity will be a rising tide that lifts all boats- making it possible for even social conservatives to win other statewide offices in California. The last thing we need right now is for some out-of-staters or some purists who've led us down a rathole for the last 20 years to abandon the greatest chance we've had in decades.

[Texas Eagle]

If Schwarzenegger runs, Democrats won't be able to lay a finger on him with issues they've long used to demonize Republicans: abortion, gun control, gay rights, the environment.

Could that be because Ahnold is pro-abortion, anti-2nd-Amendment, pro-homosexual agenda and pro-Spotted-Owl?

[William McKinley]

I agree he would be a tremendous improvement, and I unfortunately agree about the political landscape of California.

But there was an argument made to me by someone (darned if I can remember who though) that was pretty much along the lines of "a Republican governor with the current legislature is not going to be able to fix the mess California has right now, especially not in a shortened term. It would be better for Republicans, and for the state, if the Democrats ride this ship down a bit longer so that the public has no choice but to blame them."

I found that fairly convincing. I argued against him for a while, but the more I thought about it the more I started to suspect he may be right.

Is he?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This will drive some of us crazy worrying about his socially moderate stand!!

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[Texas Eagle]

It formed the basis for his successful ballot initiative, Proposition 49, which will expand PUBLIC FUNDING for after-school programs.

Just what a state with a 38 billion dollar deficit needs.

[pogo101]

I must admit it'd be fun to have a recall election campaign shape up as essentially giving CA voters a choice between Davis and Schwarzenegger.

SO many sloganeering opportunities:
1. Gray Davis: GIRLY MAN
2. TOTAL RECALL (natch)
3. "Get. Out."

Any more? Help me out here. :)

[William McKinley]

The budget deficit will be ERASED?

[farmfriend]

I think Arnold will be the next gove. That is just a guess. He is pretty centrist, maybe even left of center but it is a step in the right direction.

[ElkGroveDan]

We already have an anti-gun and pro-abortion governor, so considering what Arnold believes in which distinguishes him from the mainline Democrats, he'd be a tremendous improvement.

Nope. Davis can't claim a leadership role INSIDE our party, but Arnold can. Pete Wilson heaped an untold amount of destruction on the GOP during the 90s with his attempt to remake the party in his own liberal image. We are still trying to recover from the damage he caused.

Arnold would be bad, bad news. McClinotck, yes, Simon, yes, Issa, yes (if he stays on the conservative path) I'd even support Bill Jones if he somehow became a viable option. One of them can rise to the top and I think one will. My guess is that before the actual election it will be apparent who is leading and all support will shift their way.

NO MORE LIBERAL REPS!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pogo101]

The budget deficit will be ERASED?

Heh, yeah ... hope so ... but not until at least THE SIXTH DAY, and hopefully before the END OF DAYS ...

Oh, wait! Just thought of another great line/moment from a movie, to be used in a campaign. Near the beginning of "Kindergarten Cop," Arnold's undercover cop character busts into a vice den with shotguns raised. Asked, Who are you??, he answers, just before blazing away with said guns,

AHH'M DA PAHTY POOPAH!

[onedoug]

...And a nanny-stater, having campaigned for the essence of 24/7 public schools in CA's last statewide election.

[My2Cents]

That case might have been made by "AngryClam." He has been compelling in his opinion that the recall is potentially dangerous.

I consider it potentially dangerous too. My attitude had been that the Democrats made the mess in this state, they should clean it up, and barring that, they should go down with the ship. But then I signed the recall petition. To me, I came to the conclusion that it's a message that politicans cannot ultimately get away with rampant corruption, issues aside.

I think the argument that a Republican governor alone will not be able to clean up the mess is correct. But an extraordinary person could have an impact. And in California, there is the line-item veto, which Reagan used to good effect when he was governor. I think the argument that a Republican governor will not help, but will only be the new target of the people's wrath when he fails to clean up the mess, has some merit. But that's really a cynical viewpoint; I still hold out hope that an extraordinary person can have an impact. Tom McClintock has the smarts to do a good job, and the courage to cut, slash, and burn. But he'd be savaged by the Democrats in the Legislature. Maybe Arnold's the guy who can have an impact.

[My2Cents]

I'll acknowledge -- McClintock, yes; Issa, yes; Simon, maybe. But if it comes down to Arnold being the favorite, I'll take him over keeping Gray Davis in office. The biggest problems in California are fiscal, and Arnold appears to be enough of a fiscal conservative to be given a chance, if it comes down to him.