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Can President Bush Pull Off a Gov. Schwarzenegger Turnaround?
National Ledger ^ | Jan. 25, 2007 | Debra Saunders

Posted on 01/25/2007 12:48:56 PM PST by IntelliQuark

President Bush, whose approval rating has fallen to 35 percent, seemed to borrow a page from the Team Arnold playbook when he delivered his State of the Union Address Tuesday night. The Bushies should want to mimic Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's impressive turnaround. In 2005, only one-third of California voters approved of the governor. In 2006, Schwarzenegger handily won re-election and a majority of voter approval.

As California GOP Chairman Duf Sundheim noted, Bush and Schwarzenegger both have tapped into the public's desire to "move forward" and get things done.

"Whatever you voted for," Bush told Congress of its passage of the Iraq war resolution, "you did not vote for failure."

Then, on Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee did vote for failure -- or at least it passed a nonbinding anti-troop surge resolution. Lt. Gen. David Petraeus had told the Armed Services Committee Tuesday that such an action would embolden Iraqi insurgents.

A recent Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll asked Democrats if they personally wanted the new Bush plan to succeed in Iraq, and 51 percent of Democrats said yes, while 34 percent said no and 15 percent didn't know. So they shouldn't get indignant when those who support the war question the patriotism of some war critics.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalledger.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: bush; elections; schwarzenegger; sotu
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1 posted on 01/25/2007 12:48:59 PM PST by IntelliQuark
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To: IntelliQuark

2 posted on 01/25/2007 12:50:14 PM PST by IntelliQuark
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To: IntelliQuark
Can President Bush Pull Off a Gov. Schwarzenegger Turnaround?

Arnold did not have a war to deal with.

3 posted on 01/25/2007 12:53:17 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: IntelliQuark

Schwarzenegger's turnaround has required stabbed the conservatives in the party in the back on any number of issues as he is into "Post-Partisanship" which is essentially going over to the dark side, running up debt, etc.

President Bush, while he has championed a couple issues that are not in tune with a large number of the country including the border and immigration issues, he has at least provided for some tax relief and some sound judicial appointments and been steadfast in the WOT.

Thanks for posting, I expect a number of folks will expand and defend both their actions on the issues in questions that I have mentioned.


4 posted on 01/25/2007 12:55:27 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... California 2007,, Where's a script re-write guy when ya need 'em?)
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stabbing=stabbed


5 posted on 01/25/2007 12:56:07 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... California 2007,, Where's a script re-write guy when ya need 'em?)
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To: NormsRevenge

Hey, nowhere to go but up.


6 posted on 01/25/2007 12:56:29 PM PST by Marie2 (I used to be disgusted. Now I try to be amused.)
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To: Anti-Bubba182
A better analogy would be Harry vs The "Do Nothing Congress"


Truman DID have a war to deal with.

Give 'Em Hell, W!
7 posted on 01/25/2007 12:56:52 PM PST by sono (There are only two exit strategies - One is victory, the other defeat - Joe Lieberman)
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To: IntelliQuark
Can President Bush Pull Off a Gov. Schwarzenegger Turnaround?

Considering Arnold did it by compromising whatever principles he may have once had, we better hope not.

8 posted on 01/25/2007 1:01:14 PM PST by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: IntelliQuark
I sure hope not. The terminator just jumped in bed with the democrats. That is a coward's way or girly man's way of turning things around. I hope Bush does not follow the Governor.
9 posted on 01/25/2007 1:01:35 PM PST by Hendrix
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To: IntelliQuark

Beware of Arnold. In a time of crisis, he will throw his hundreds of millions around to position himself as party savior (ugh!) for the Republicans.


10 posted on 01/25/2007 1:01:35 PM PST by rjp2005 (Lord have mercy on us)
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To: Marie2

Oh Great! just what we need. another optimist. ;-)


11 posted on 01/25/2007 1:03:24 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... California 2007,, Where's a script re-write guy when ya need 'em?)
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To: IntelliQuark

Arnold's turnaround was basically to cave, across the board, to a Democrat agenda. Entirely.

Bush has lost the D's forever, so if his strategy is to increase his popularity with them, this won't work, no matter what he gives them.

But if he caves to them, he can be sure to alienate conservatives and GOP'ers who still support him. That would be a remarkable achievement, to alienate him from the entire American electorate. His numbers would likely drop below 20%.

Hopefully that's not what GWB has in mind for his legacy.


12 posted on 01/25/2007 1:04:48 PM PST by ConservativeDude
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To: ConservativeDude

you get the feeling bush is lost at sea

as a nation it isn't hard to feel we are leaderless and rudderless

as a conservative it is even easier


13 posted on 01/25/2007 1:08:43 PM PST by Enduring Freedom (President Bush - Your Public Relations Team Sucks!)
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To: IntelliQuark
It's bad enough president Bush is a so-called "compassionate" conservative (the only thing I'd be "reaching across the aisle" for is SLAPPING THE SH*T out of the un-American scumbags that make up the majority of the demonRAT party).

Hope the President doesn't go the extra liberal mile and become a flaming RINO like arnold.

14 posted on 01/25/2007 1:10:04 PM PST by DocH (Gun-grabbers, you can HAVE my guns... lead first.)
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To: IntelliQuark
An absolutely terrifying prospect.

See tag line.

15 posted on 01/25/2007 1:11:59 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser: Bringing fashionable fascism to Kaleeforia, one charade at a time.)
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To: ConservativeDude

Arnold won re-election by being far better than his Dem opponent. Which as odious as Anrold is, says a lot about the opponent, who, though in defense, would have still been better for California than Mugabe or Chavez. By some small amount.

Then Arnold won over the Dem machine components by becoming a Dem, AFTER the election mainly.

On the silver screen, Reagan played a tough, good guy. Played it in real life too. Arnold didn't have what it took to do the same.


16 posted on 01/25/2007 1:18:21 PM PST by OldArmy52 (China & India: Doing jobs Americans don't want to do (manuf., engineering, accounting, etc))
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To: IntelliQuark

probably not ... dems will bash Bush all the way through the 2008 election ... it will be their campaign theme ...

... and realistically the GOP is screwed in the 2008 election (look at all the in danger seats the GOP has to hold onto ... and very few Democrat seats look in play).


17 posted on 01/25/2007 1:29:24 PM PST by bluebeak
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To: Carry_Okie

LOLOL.. yur tagline..


18 posted on 01/25/2007 1:32:50 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... California 2007,, Where's a script re-write guy when ya need 'em?)
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To: Carry_Okie

Dam! That's a good a tagaliney!!!


19 posted on 01/25/2007 4:29:11 PM PST by SierraWasp (Wasn't one "Co-Presidency" enough? Will we now have to see who SHE "does" in the oval office???!!!)
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To: IntelliQuark

If he did, I'd never vote Republican again.


20 posted on 01/25/2007 4:39:32 PM PST by dr_who_2
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