Arianna Huffington is looking better and better as the candidate of choice. She seems to be one of the few who is actually taking the situation seriously and not just using it for self promotion.
From what I've seen of her, she refuses to engage in attack politics, has an MA in economics from Cambridge, has brains and isn't afraid to use them, and isn't so locked into traditional party concerns that she's blind to new ideas.
Arnold being a moderate (not pleasing many conservative Republicans at all) is going to garner votes from those who believe in being liberal on social issues and conservative on fiscal issues. Remind you of anyone? I think he has a chance unless Bustamante can show he has some charisma. It is Davis showing his feet of clay by claiming that it is his experience that warrants him holding the office. Not very demonstrable experience is it?
Sure Enron and other energy providers took the state to the cleaners but I'm not convinced there weren't warning signs long before anything was done about it. Could it be the large amounts of contributions to the Davis campaign, knowing he had a better chance than Bill Simon (who Davis barely won over as Simon's credibility problem was used against him).
?
Sofia wrote:I can't believe he's going to do it.
I don't think anybody can beat him.
Don't underestimate Gary Coleman
Yes, it reminds me, Light!
This has been part of the frustration of many Dems who are tired of the "tax and spend" label (now shown to have been false). The fiscal conservatism of Dem candidates is a stick in the craw of the party leadership whose $$$ depended on spending packages for their cronies (even though not to the extent and depth of the Republican deficit-producing spending packages). Also, Arnold is ... a nothing... who has more of the flavor of a Reagan Democrat. Both men were congenial with power and money during their rise in Hollywood, and both took money and power from the left even before they got cute with the right.
A Dem who comes forward now with a conservative fiscal plan can shove Bush right back to the ranch by simply reiterating the state of the American economy and particularly the state of the government's deficit. Hope you read Gore's speech. The platform -- handed to the candidates.
By the way, it's worth staying in touch with Mitt Romney's efforts to Republicanize Massachusetts. He's managed, as of yesterday, to nullify Bulger.
I can agree with all you say, Tartarin, and still not be happy with Grey Davis. I am likely to vote for Bustamante, especially if Arnold begins mistrepresenting himself on the issues. Businesses are leaving California at an alarming rate (but not much different than the late 80's and early 90's under Pete Wilson and the recession created by Reagan economics). I think the tax-and-spend label is overshadowed by the notion of "trickle down voodoo economics." I'm not the only one that has provided the metaphor that trickle down means the very rich opening their flies and pulling it out to piss on the rest of us.
(I know that leaves out the female counterpart who one could pictures as holding onto it to makes sure it takes proper aim. Hey, I live among these people and do business with them. I know how they think).
Davis (not that much known to many non-Californians) has the reputation of being a real jerk, personally and in other ways. If I were orchestrating a campaign, it would certainly be for Bustamante. As I noted earlier, the hispanic vote -- not just who they vote for but getting people to vote -- will be key. The NYTimes detailed analysis a few days ago shows interesting inconsistencies within the hispanic bloc, though the vote remains largely Democratic. With a bias towards social conservatisim. Bustamente would be ideal.
The characterization of Arnold as a Reagan Democrat is completely erroneous. Reagan was rough on social issues and was the Father of the Religious Right's power.
Arnold is completely devoid of any Religious Right sympathies and is a champion of social liberties. They are on opposing ends of the GOP spectrum.
He'll be
almost this happy if he should win the Governor's race...
Lightwizard wrote:It should, just like it would on a job application. Apparantly getting elected to a government post isn't really a job. It's a title, like a Lord or a Prince. So Arnold already has some titles, "Conan the Barbarian" amongst them. I have no idea whether he would be a good governor or a bad governor but giving him the job to find out is rather scary.
Really? Californians did so with Davis, and guess what? They found out he sucked. So maybe letting Arnold try his hand at governing isn't the worst idea in the world. (Giving Davis a try clearly
was.)
Davis had already been in office for four years and was re-elected. There are difficulties now with the fact that the state hasn't approved electronic voting machines and would have to facilitate an election with punch cards. This is an accident waiting to happen -- hanging chad is about to return.
(Second terms in this country have seemed to be often the kiss of death clear back to Thomas Jefferson who had a miserable second term. If Dubya were re-elected, what are his chances of surviving the curse? Reagan barely made it and passed the bad karma onto Bush I).
Yeah -- why bother with democracy when there are Republican stragglers with money out there just dying to try public office.
The Republicans thanked Issa for his financial help with instituting the recall and then discarded him into the bone pile because they perceived he could not win. Is that the only reason? Politics is never going to be anything but a dirty business. Arnold wallowed in the mud in more than one film (it actually protected him in "Preditor.") The perception is he can conquer anything -- can he conquer California?
For those who seem to not know much about Gray Davis or his political history in California government, here's his bio from his re-election campaign as published by the League of Women Voters. Davis was no newcomer to California government that was "given a try."
Quote:Joseph Graham Davis, Jr. (nicknamed Gray by his mother) was overwhelmingly elected the 37th Governor of California on November 3, 1998, winning 58 percent of the statewide vote. In the June primary election, Davis shocked political observers by not only handily defeating two better funded Democratic opponents, but by also finishing ahead of the unopposed Republican nominee. It was the continuation of an old tradition; in his successful campaign for Lieutenant Governor in 1994, he received more votes than any other Democratic candidate in America.
Described by the San Jose Mercury News as "perhaps the best-trained Governor-in-waiting California has ever produced," Governor Gray Davis has made improving public education his administration's number-one priority. As his first official act as Governor, he called a special session of the Legislature to address his proposals to ensure that every child can read by age 9, strengthen teacher training and education, and increase accountability in the schools.
As Lieutenant Governor, Gray Davis focused on efforts to keep jobs in California and encourage new and fast-growing industries to locate and expand in the state. He also led the fight to keep a college education affordable for California's middle-class families, pushing through the largest student-fee reduction in California history. As the state's second-highest officeholder, he also served as President of the State Senate, Chair of the Commission for Economic Development, Chair of the State Lands Commission, Regent of the University of California and Trustee of the California State University.
Prior to becoming Lieutenant Governor, Gray Davis served as State Controller for eight years. As California's chief fiscal officer, he saved taxpayers more than half a billion dollars by cracking down on Medi-Cal fraud, rooting out government waste and inefficiency, and exposing the misuse of public funds. He was the first Controller to withhold paychecks from all state elected officials, including himself, until the Governor and the Legislature passed a long-overdue budget; and he found and returned more than $1.8 billion in unclaimed property to California citizens, including forgotten bank accounts, insurance settlements, and stocks.
From 1983-1987, Gray Davis served in the State Assembly from Los Angeles County and was Chief of Staff to Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. from 1975-1981. As Chair of the California Council on Criminal Justice in the 1970s, he started the statewide Neighborhood Watch program.
Gray Davis was born in New York City on December 26, 1942. He attended Stanford University, graduating with distinction in 1964 with a degree in history. He went on to Columbia University Law School in New York where he won the Moot Court award in his freshman year. He graduated from Columbia in 1967 and then clerked at the law firm of Beekman & Bogue in New York City.
In 1961, while at Stanford University, Gray Davis joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) with a commitment to enter military service after completing law school. He entered active duty in the U.S. Army in 1967, rising to the rank of captain while serving in Vietnam in 1968-69. In Vietnam he earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service. He is a life member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He has been married since 1983 to the former Sharon Ryer of Santee, San Diego County.
and his (re-election) political philosophical statement on the LoWV site:
Quote:As Governor, I've worked hard to make a difference in people's lives. In education, we've reduced class sizes, demanded more accountability and made historic investments in teacher recruitment and training. There's more to do, but we've increased funding by 30% and student achievement scores are up three years in a row.
I've expanded 10-fold the Healthy Families Program for uninsured children, provided one million kids with health insurance and established the first agency in America to help patients fight their HMO - and win.
I've signed the nation's toughest gun laws, banning assault weapons and requiring trigger locks.
To preserve our environment, I've signed tough new laws cleaning up our beaches, signed the nation's first law reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sued the federal government to block more offshore drilling.
As a strongly pro-choice Governor, I've signed seven new laws further protecting a women's right to choose.
As a Vietnam veteran, I'm pleased we've improved our veterans' homes and are building five more. To keep you safe, I've blocked the early release of murderers and deployed the National Guard after the attacks of Sept. 11.
I'm privileged to be endorsed by nearly every major public safety organization representing cops on the beat, County Sheriffs, Police Chiefs and firefighters, as well as many District Attorneys.
I'm proud California's economy has grown from the 7th to the 5th largest in the world over the last four years. I would be honored to continue working with you to keep the Golden State moving forward.
My point was that Davis' background and experience did not ensure his success anymore than Arnold's background and lack thereof are a guarantee of failure.
Davis has proved you can't improve education without funds. Not wanting to raise taxes (he lowered the auto registration fee for one) to provide funds (as property taxes don't provide nearly enough money), he spent the surplus on improving education. That's all going on hold and rollbacks on what is spent on education are now in the works. Will Arnold, a pronounced advocate for education be able to perform a miracle? He's never played God.
