Schwarzenegger ducks (more like he "clucks" like a chicken)

Orange County Register ^ | 9/3/2003 | editorial

[ellery]

A debate allows the public to evaluate how well he parries on the issues with political opponents, a skill he will presumably need when he butts heads with the legislature.

[dirtboy]

! Now if a person has convictions, a platform and proposals the smart and ethical thing to do would be to participate in a public forum and show that he/she has the courage under fire to debate them...something that "Mr. Hide & Seek" apparently does not have.

I hate to tell you this, but at this stage of the game, all the candidates, McClintock included, would minimize their number of debate appearances if they were ahead. It has nothing to do with bravery and everthing to do with winning the election at hand.

[jsbankston]

So if Arnold's "Uncle Teddy" became a Republican (RINO) you would support him and his liberal agenda simply because he would then call himself a Republican?

Please tell me one policy difference between Arnold and his Uncle Teddy Kennedy.

[ellery]

Ahhh, it's the age-old debate here -- between the people who vote on philosophical principle vs. the people who vote on practicality alone.

[FairOpinion]

The pint is that this would not be a "debate" but an orchestrated "let's gang up on Arnold, all together now" feast. He would have to be crazy to participate in this.

I am glad to see that he is smart enough to NOT bow to the pressure.

[ProtectorOfTwo]

your ability to tell the future is equally as astounding to me...

[kellynla]

cluck...cluck, cluck...cluck, cluck, cluck...cluck...When you are a chicken it's hard to show up anywhere except on someone's dinner table! Now your boy Ahnold knew better than to show up on an open forum with Tom McClintock where he would be not just a chicken but a "FRIED CHICKEN"! ROFLMAO

[runningbear]

well, looking at NBC4.com poll, Arnold is 53% and Bustataxme is only 17%........... rest are under 10%. So, no fear on Bustataxme, and besides, Davis has stuff he will pull on ol Cruz? Davis, I believe is not done with the dirt shovel yet.

[A Broken Glass Republican]

Fat Teddy would never do that. No need to ponder the question.

Arnold is a fiscal conservative. Maybe not as conservative as I would like but certainly a lot better than any rat.

[ellery]

It's that simple, and every other one of the candidates would do exactly the same if they were in Arnold's position.

I have no doubt that this is true. But the fact that everyone does it, doesn't make it right.

[discostu]

Everybody who signed the recall petition let the chicken in the race, didn't you guys read ahead to see what the rules would be for the election?

Of course Arnold doesn't want to debate, the person leading in the poll NEVER wants to debate. Only two things ever happen to leads because of debate: they remain the same, or they shrink. They never grow. This happens every year in every election, those trailing gripe for debates while those in the lead try to avoid them. If the numbers were reversed McClintock would be the one finding a bunch of reasons why he could only participate in one debate, it's just smart politics for the leader to avoid these things.

[A Broken Glass Republican]

Yes. It's one of my many talents.

McClintock CANNOT win...Not in Red California, unfortunately. I'll even go so far as to give you any odds you would like on that.

[runningbear]

Davis did too. Simon edged Davis on, only Davis got to call the shots with the LA Times, and done during lunch time debate, hence one debate, fixed?

[jsbankston]

How do you know Arnold is a fiscal conservative? All I have seen is that his top economioc advisor wants to repeal Prop. 13 and that Arnold would only raise taxes if the state were in crisis. Guess what? The state is in crisis and Arnold will raise taxes! Not only will he raise taxes but he will be pimping his Kennedy inspired Liberal Agenda!

[ProtectorOfTwo]

"Plus, every single Arnold supporter I've seen has stated they would support McClintock if they seriously thought he could win (Which he can't). But every single McClintock supporter I've seen has done just the opposite...They REFUSE to support Arnold."

I see a paradox here, Arnold supporters would vote for McClintock if they thought he would win...but he won't win becuase they won't vote for him...? So the ones who are voting their beliefs are the wierd ones? I think I need more coffee.

[kellynla]

Ya better stick to PA politics because this isn't a popularity contest. We had one RINO that nearly buried the state. And we are not going to elect another...not by a long shot or by a popularity poll. And we certainly are not going to elect a liberal posing as a Republican! Let us know when you register to vote in CA and I will be glad to sign you up.

[dirtboy]

Ya better stick to PA politics because this isn't a popularity contest.

I hate to tell you another fact you won't like, but modern politics is basically just that.

Let us know when you register to vote in CA and I will be glad to sign you up.

Lemme know when you want to hold a serious discussion on this subject and I'll come back to this thread.

[DoctorZIn]

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[ellery]

The pint is that this would not be a "debate" but an orchestrated "let's gang up on Arnold, all together now" feast.

Again, he will presumably need to be able to handle such a situation when he butts heads with the legislature. A gang-up session, especially, would allow voters to evaluate key issues such as how rattled he might get under fire.

He would have to be crazy to participate in this.

I think he's crazy to run for elected office at all. It may be clever of him not to participate, but it's certainly not principled or respectful of the voters.