October 12, 2003
Arnold
So California has a new cyborg for governor. I gotta admit despite my politics lining up more with McClintock, deep down I was pulling for Arnold. I like Arnold. Everybody likes Arnold. Sure I’m concerned he’s wedded to Kennedy royalty. Sure I’m concerned about who he choose to surround himself with in his campaign. But I still like him. He’s just plain exciting.
Arnold might be able to get something done. If you put someone else in there, even if they’re the best politician in the whole wide world, they’re going to have to work within the system. Since most people don’t understand how politics works it’s easy for political operatives to bog down any progress without public recognition. You put Mr. Perfect Politician in there and if at the end of the day, the state’s problems aren’t solved, he can be blamed. With Arnold, I think people are going to expect the legislature to work with him. If California doesn’t make progress with the big guy at the helm I think he’s going to get a lot of benefit of the doubt from the public career politicians might not. The pressure could be more on whoever opposes his plans.
Let’s talk about some complaints, arguments, etc. that have been in the news.
A lot of Republicans say he’s a RINO (Republican in Name Only). True enough. But then there’s a lot of RINOs running around and they’re getting elected. This issue doesn’t seem to bother conservatives in other elections. Besides, what else is there to do to make California any more liberal? If Schwarzenegger were to come out in favor of giving Martians drivers licenses and free sex change operations by the time you read this it’s probably already law! It would be real hard for California to get much more liberal.
“He’s unqualified.” some have said. “He’s only an actor”. I understand it’s hard to hear the Dizzy Chicks or Barbwire Streisand embarrass themselves with their political ignorance. But entertainers are just like the rest of us. There’s some smart ones, some dumb ones and most are in between. For years and years before this election Arnold has been regarded as a sharp guy and a good businessman. With California’s biggest problems being fiscal, what is it that disqualifies him?
“He’s a Nazi.” Say others. Well if he is he sure did a good job hiding it. I hadn’t heard this allegation until a few days before the election. So A) he’s a Nazi and they’re just now finding out, or B) he’s not a Nazi and it’s just #43 in the Democrat play book. “Hut, hut, my opponents a Nazi”. Does anybody take this seriously?
“He groped some women.” Didn’t the democrats just spend eight years trying to convince us it’s only sex and that morality doesn’t matter?
“You recall our guy, we’ll recall yours.” Democrats have threatened what they believe to be the ultimate disaster scenario. A retaliatory recall. Arnold apparently has a “one hundred day plan”. When that plan fails to solve every single real or imagined problem in California democrats will recall him. The theory is Republicans will fire back with more recalls and a recall chain reaction will be set off. Will anyone ever be able to remain in office again? Won’t this destroy the stability of the political process? What will happen to our way of life?
I wouldn’t worry too much. There have been thirty some odd recall attempts and this was the first one that worked. Arnold would have to do something really bad, like harming a tree or stepping on an endangered species, before California voters would recall him.
Hey folks, you can’t fall off the floor. There’s nowhere to go but up. A room full of monkeys could have come up with better economic policy than California politicians. The job ahead is simple. Cut spending and lower taxes. Anybody who can do that will be better than the old guy.