Daniel Weintraub: Don't bet on Arnold Schwarzenegger to fail now

SACBEE ^ | 10/09/03 | Daniel Weintraub

[Pikamax]

Daniel Weintraub: Don't bet on Arnold Schwarzenegger to fail now By Daniel Weintraub -- Bee Columnist Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Thursday, October 9, 2003 For all his bravado and bluster, and even with his convincing victory on Tuesday, Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't going to get very far as the state's chief executive unless he can persuade the Legislature to pass his program, or, as Gov. Gray Davis once put it, implement his vision. But the doubters should proceed with caution. California's new governor is a man who has succeeded at virtually everything he has done in life, against great odds. Don't look for him to fail now.

[Hildy]

We should take out an ad in every California newspaper and print these quotes from their Democratic leaders. They do not want things to change, just stay the same so they can maintain their power. It's so pathetic...and scary.

[Support Free Republic]

I would like to take a moment to ask for donations.

It should be clear to all conservatives by now that the left intends to demonize us. They don't just disagree with us, they hate us. And worse, they want to get other people to hate us.

Places like Free Republic drive the left batty.

Please donate. Thanks for your consideration.

[Fred]

Richard Riordan, the father of the Internet Tax, on Arnold's transition team

No taxes...hmmmmmm???

[Princeliberty]

Success at determined by this guy is something Arnold
will have alright.
Cutting the deal getting the program passed Arnold
WILL DO. And California's taxes will go way up.
Be some phony spending cuts to be sure and lots
of budget gimmicks and even a car tax cut to
that will waived around as cover for the massive
tax increases that will tower over the car tax cut.

Bet against Arnold's "success" as this guy defines
no I certainly will not.

[LibWhacker]

You fight this guy every step of the way and the people behind him.

For instance, the people who voted Arnold in in a landslide? The rats' contempt for democracy is breathtaking.

[sinkspur]

Governor Rick Perry and Texas Republicans closed a $10 billion budget gap with no new taxes just this year.

It can be done.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

State Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a Democrat from Santa Monica and a candidate to replace John Burton as Senate leader next year, was contemptuous toward the new governor. She said it will be the Senate's job to "save the state ... from ignorance" and added that "this guy has no idea how to run the state." Some Democrats, she said, might not bother showing up for his first State-of-the-State speech.

Guess we need more RECALL's!!!!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Carry_Okie]

His top priorities for spending will be those programs that promote opportunity for all -- starting with public education.

This presumes that the public education bureaucracy even has such a goal of promoting opportunity. By all appearances, they don't, except for themselves.

[EllaMinnow]

Sheila Keuhl...is she the one who played Thelma on "Dobie Gillis"?

[Carry_Okie]

"Fight like hell," Maslin said when I asked him how Democrats should respond. "Fight like hell. This is real. This is serious. This is ongoing. This is the first battle. You fight this guy every step of the way and the people behind him. You don't ever let him up. The Legislature may talk about cooperation, that's fine, they've got to do their job, but in terms of Democrats, we fight and we fight and we fight."

Oh, but being a moderate, Arnold will know how to build a consensus. He wants to be governor of all the people. He'll go to the people and they will contact their legislators...

Not. Californians are too busy, too lazy, or too distracted to do diddly.

Democrats are street fighters, because to them, this is about power. They don't give a damn about the people. That's where Arnold has it all wrong.

His best chance for success lies in somehow treading water for a year or two while waiting for the economy to improve and conducting a serious review -- not a 60-day audit -- aimed at restructuring the way the state does business. He will find that the $13 billion in waste Sen. Tom McClintock spoke often about does not exist.

Weintraub will not tell you where the money goes. Over half of the education budget never sees a classroom. Tom knows it. Wilson didn't have the stomach to put up this kind of fight and Arnold, who lives for public adulation, won't stand the heat of a mediot hornet's nest.

But if he can detail his former opponent to find say, $2 billion or $3 billion that is doable, and doable in relatively quick fashion, it would be a major contribution.

Tom would have just hit these creeps with a stick because that's the only thing they understand. They are not that far different than Saddam Hussein. Maybe that's because he's known them for 20 years.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

State Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a Democrat from Santa Monica and a candidate to replace John Burton as Senate leader next year, was contemptuous toward the new governor. She said it will be the Senate's job to "save the state ... from ignorance" and added that "this guy has no idea how to run the state." Some Democrats, she said, might not bother showing up for his first State-of-the-State speech.

I go back and forth to which one I hate more, Kuehl or Goldberg. I would ADORE a recall of both of them. Incendentally, anybody know when these two are up for reelection? We should start focusing on them, there is a sense of mystery about these very powerful people in our state.

I suspect the same will hold true for his administration. Expect surprises. Expect success.

Dan was in a dream world during the campaign, he's still not woken up yet. These people will not be coddled by moderation and triangulation, they'll be encouraged by the blood in the water...You don't compromise with evil, you defeat it.

[SAJ]

She played Zelda Gilroy on ''Dobie Gillis'', and was a loudmouthed Marxist lez, in real life, even back then.

[hunter112]

Tom would have just hit these creeps with a stick because that's the only thing they understand.

I look for Arnold to give the CA legislature about two weeks to come around to his mandate. Then I look for him to get very nasty, calling press conferences to ridicule his opponents, and I expect him to pick a few recalcitrant Pubbies, too. Surely, there are Republicans who have their own sacred cows in the budget that need to be cut, too. Arnold will be able to savage Rats in ways that either god-fearing social-issue Republicans, or genteel go-along-get-along country club Republicans are very unlikely to do. He'll even use swear words that are only heard in the movies, and will be forgiven for it by the media, because of his "foreignness".

What's he got to lose? The press, who are feeling a bit guilty for the LA Slimes behavior, will love the "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" feel of it, its a perfect role for an actor. Californians are likely to let him serve out his term, so he'll have three years to pound away at the legislature, including an election year. Worst case scenario is they either vote him out in 2006, or even recall him in favor of a "business as usual" candidate. He goes back to making movies, and at least knows he tried. The TomBots get to point to the failure of moderate Republicanism, the Rats get trashed and destroyed, and things go back to the point where they were before the first Davis recall petition was signed.

From a man who, when talking about his first Hummer on the Tonight Show, described it as "ballsy", I expect no less.

[no_problema]

feminists were more in touch with gov. davis' wimpiness.

a white male with a "can-do" attitude really upsets them!

[Fred]

Go ahead, what repercussions are there for how they vote.... ZERO nothing...they are firmly entrenched in their districts...totally gerrymandered thanks to democrats and republican alike....

[Fred]

Arnold will get the cooperation for all the tax increases, illegal immigrant healthcare, gay whatever, green crap, etc...

Way to go Arnold.... Good luck groping Kuehl's knockers....

[Southack]

California's legislature obstructs Arnold at their own peril.

White, as well as other members (and Pete himself) of Wilson's staff are all on Arnold's advisory team, and they've already said that they will put into ballot initiatives whatever the Legislature obstructs.

Considering that more than 55% of California's voters just said that they want something besides politics as usual, the Legislature will ignore, fight, or obstruct Arnold at their peril.

California can be run via direct democratic initiatives with a competent governor at the helm...no Legislature required.

Moreover, Arnold now has the Bully Pulpit of the Governor's office, making him that much more powerful in and with the media...especially considering how badly the media has been discredited for their partisan last-minute attacks on him.

[Carry_Okie]

California can be run via direct democratic initiatives with a competent governor at the helm...no Legislature required.

In the necessary complexity and specificity for each and every issue? I doubt that, especially since some of the important existing straitjackets may require a supermajority to change. He may be able to put up a few biggies, but not that many.

[q_an_a]

people on the street did what you are expressing and the ended the reign of davis. YOU can do it again using your great idea. Buy a couple of bus ads in LA too. Poor people vote and don't think you are wrong.