I'll be honest - Schwarzenneger doesn't elicit strong feelings from me

[liberalpragmatist]

I'm not saying that I like him. I view him as a clown and I find in amazing that people would elect him. I would never vote for him (although I do favor the amendment - it's something I've favored for awhile, provided there are some clear limits).

Even so, I don't hate him. Try as I can, he doesn't inspire in me the kind of loathing that Bush and his ilk do. I just don't hate him.

Moreover, I find myself kind of annoyed with the casual throwing around of the term "Nazi." Call him what you will, but I find it irresponsible to declare him a Nazi based on his Austrian origins and his father's Naziism.

I don't mean to offend anyone - I'm just stating my own personal beliefs and am curious if anybody else on this board shares them.

'Tis all. Peace.

[ibegurpard]

1. The way he took advantage of the legal coup in California

The support he is willing to take...these indicate to me that the man has no honor or scruples and I will vehemently oppose any efforts to promote him to a higher office.

[JuniorPlankton]

2. I'd trade him

for Chimpy in a flash!

[ibegurpard]

6. Two sides of the same coin

If you think they don't share the same agenda you're deluding yourself.
The Davis coup was engineered to thwart the lawsuit California had against Bush's buddies' Enron.
Lo and behold, when Arnold gets in, the lawsuit was settled. He's a Bush patsie like any of the rest of them.

[denverbill]

4. I'm no fan of his either, however...

I will say this: At least Schwarzenegger supports abortion rights, stem cell research, and gay rights.

Given the choice of Arnold or almost any other Republican, we'd be better of with him.

[arewenotdemo]

26. he was campaigning TO WIN CALIFORNIA

Personally, I don't think he would hesitate for a second to kill Roe if it would win him the presidency. I think people are deluded.

Look what he did when the shit met fan re the SF weddings. Schwarzenazi immediately directed the CA attorney general to take SF to court.

Jeezus Christ, people. If it walks like a Nazi, and it talks like a Nazi, and, if it reminisces fondly on how Adolf held the German masses spellbound, do the fucking math. OK?

One last point. Only the U.S. Constitution is currently standing between this new bad actor-turned-California governor and the presidency. Americans ARE that fucking stupid.

[RebelOne]

3. I don't hate him either. I am just sort of neutral.

But I have always liked his movies.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Especially Twins And Kindergarden Cop...

I'm not a big fan of his Terminator work...

[Spazito]

5. He is a sexist creep who should be charged with assault and

a third rate actor but other than that, he doesn't do much for me either, lol.

[Dems Will Win]

14. This Arnold Scwarzenegger?

[Kikosexy2]

7. Pandering..

photo op whore he is. Like I said before I don't trust him. Anyone with Pete Wilson by his side is not to be trusted.

[stupor]

10. He's a Rockefeller

Republican, for the most part, which pretty much makes him a "liberal elite" in 2004 America.

If he wasn't famous, the hardcore Repubs would be savaging him as a RINO from the Specter wing of the party. Indeed, that's my major problem with him: he makes it easy for the Repubs to gloss over their deep and vitriolic internal divisions through a mutual cult of celebrity worship. I much prefer it when they're trying to strangle and disembowel each other.

[newyawker99]

30. Hi stupor!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Julien Sorel]

34. Someone who gets the Arnold appeal, and danger, to a tee.

[patomime]

8. not all people elicit strong feelings like Bush does ....

that's the problem with politics as usual sometimes. We sometimes forget it's about how the politician we select will set policies and discourse for future years to come.

I don't particularly like Arnold, but he "appears" to be more moderate that some of his Repug counterparts. I say "appears" because people can change and Washington can change them. I don't think I would like to see him there, IMHO I think he would be prone to take that hard "right turn."

That's what I liked about Kerry. The years have not changed his spirit - his way of doing things. Yes, some situations have changed, but his integrity, I feel, always remained intact. Whether he was lieutenant govenor, prosecutor, senator --- he always silently strode on and informed people of what he was doing when it became appropriate. That's what some people don't get about Kerry. He has picture perfect timing, and I believe he will always be there for those who voted for him, and his primary constituency.

I also liked those traits in Gen. Wesley Clark, Dr. Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton --- you get the picture. These are sturdy gentleman, even though they are each different people.

That's why the democrats are the "big tent" - we can all be together and unite as one.

Now that deserves a good kick :kick: :kick: :kick:

[SteppingRazor]

9. Hate him?

I don't hate any of them. Heck, I don't hate Bush. I just think he's wrongheaded and steering our country in the polar opposite direction it should be going.
How can you hate someone you've never met?

[Liberal Veteran]

11. I've never met Fred Phelps, but I despise and hate him.

:)

[liberalpragmatist]

13. That's my point

Frankly, I don't "hate" Bush either - but I really, really, REALLY dislike him. Loathing would be a good term - I find him immature. He'd make a good neighbor, but he's a horrible president who's doing this country incredible harm.

My point about Arnold is that I don't hate him or even dislike him as much as Bush. I don't like him. And I dislike his corporatist policies. I think it's ridiculous people think he's qualified to be governor or president, and I'd vote against him. My point is that he's just not someone that elicits strong negative emotions from me.

[sandnsea]

22. I hate them

I know what they're plan is for this country and the world. It's wealth for the top 20% and poverty for the rest. At any cost, destroying the environment, destroying our social system, creating animosity among the people, endless wars; all wrapped up in Jesus. It's putrid and disgusting and I hate them for it. I don't see how anybody couldn't. In fact, until we all do get the proper hatred for them, we probably won't be able to rise up and stop them.

[dogtag]

12. As a Californian I can tell you that Arnold doesn't

wear very well. I want to scream every time I hear him talk. A little Arnold goes a loooooooooooooong way. The short campaign in his faux election was enough for me. He's a one trick pony, but not nearly as evil as the Shrub crowd.

[Kikosexy2]

16. Just...

shrewd. Well he's got Maria to keep in line.

[cheshire]

35. He is a clown, makes me sick to hear him, we must defeat him in 2006.

[leesa]

15. Wait'll he's running for Prez. Those feelings will come!

[seabeyond]

17. he isnt very respectful to female

other than that he is more a clown to me

[billyskank]

18. Look at it this way

Could he be worse than Bush?

[arewenotdemo]

27. I think he could.

Given his celebrity cult status, yes, he could be a lot worse.

[snippy]

19. I wish all republicans were like Arnold. I could live with that.

I have always thought that the democrats have made a mistake in not using Arnold to exploit the differences in the republican party between republicans like Arnold and the Reich Wing fundamentalists. If the democrats could encourage a violent schism in the republican party I think either the social moderates or the fundamentalists might drive the other group out of the party.

[Leilani]

21. I agree with you....that's strategery!

Moderate Republicans agree with moderate Dems on SO many things.

I'd love to see their party splinter, which may happen.

Depends on how many witches the Fundies start burning; I don't thing the Moderates would go for that.

[snippy]

23. The democrats need to emphasize the differences and provide

an acceptable alternative to the moderate republicans.

[robbedvoter]

32. maybe because there were none. remember, W was a "moderate"

too in 2000 - at least it was packaged this way. They are thugs - all of them.

[snippy]

37. I don't agree. There are moderate republicans.

It is true that there are fewer and fewer moderate republicans elected to Congress, but Snowe and Chaffee come to mind. There are far more moderate republicans holding state offices.

But the only important group of moderate republicans are the millions of Americans who vote republican despite being disgusted by the Reich wing fundamentalists. Those voters are the moderate republicans who should be encouraged either to take back control of their party or to leave it.

As for Bush claiming to be a moderate in 2000, he lied.

[carolinalady]

20. hey as a Repub he can't be all that bad--he's got a good Dem

standing right beside him. I 'd rather deal with him than alot of these hard core Right wingers.

[Piperay]

24. Same here and I live in CA

I am not going to get myself all worked up and enraged over him, I'll save that for Chimp. I actually find 'arnie' mildly amusing and at least the guy will listen to others, when he makes a bad decision (with the pound animals) he will admit it and back down which is something chimp never ever will do.

[OnionPatch]

25. I used to feel the same way

until he kept calling our Democratic state legislators "girlie men."
Screw him and the elephant he rode in on.

[LibDemAlways]

28. I hate him enough for the two of us.

He's a no good piece of shit who couldn't be bothered to become governor the honorable way - win an election in an election year- because the extreme right wing would trounce him in a repuke primary. He has no acting ability and no class. He's a tool of the chimp, and an ugly one at that. I look forward to voting against him in 06.

[Cha]

39. Good Luck with that!

I want him gone out of politics, too..he came in with 40 something % of the vote because Millions of $$$ were pumped into "recalling" Davis..

Just once I would like Justice Served!

And don't tell me he's been good for California..if he has been well that's different..but since he's not making enron pay their share..then how could he be?

[Radio-Active]

29. He did sign the bill banning foie gras!

I'll give him that.

I also like most of his movies, but I like most sci-fi.

I wouldn't vote for him unless he change quite a bit.

[one_true_leroy]

31. i agree...

As far as Republicans go, he's fairly moderate in many ways, and is certainly more palatable than the rabid cryto-conservatives now in power. Not that i would vote for him.

[robbedvoter]

33. Riight...A true compassionate conservative this one...who admires Hitler

I am so glad that many of you missed the lesson of 2000!
W was pretending he was sooo moderate, the freepers were getting nervous.
And Limpballs was reasuring them: "I don't care what he calls himself - he can call himself brie cheese for all I know- he is our boy,
Thugs for sale eventually get pushed as right as necessary for the powerbrokers. It's a rule to remember.
Arnold was installed by the BFEE to help with the robbing by Enron - he delivered on that. Put him in the White House - he'll deliver on his Hitlerian dream - with gusto!

[fujiyama]

36. Similar feelings here

I don't view him as all that relevant. He's clownish. His win in CA was not a sign of conservatism returning to CA. After all Dems still won the senate comfortably, and gained seats in the state legislature.

Sure, if I lived in CA my feelings might be different, but I'd take him over Chimpy for sure.

He doesn't strike me as having any true convictions or principles. After all if he were more conservative he wouldn't win in CA, but I'd have no doubt that he'd abondon those if he were able to run for president.

But I have no worry because such an amendment allowing him to run for president will not pass.

[talk hard]

38. Schwarzenegger?

Lumpy is an opportunistic turd. I don't like the way he took California with her pants down. He could never win in a Republican primary so he took advantage of the system. And now he wants us to
change the Constitution so he can be president. Pahleeeeeze.

[minerva50]

40. His convention speach was disgusting

Saying he came to this country in 1968 and Hubert Humphrey sounded like a socialist and Richard Nixon inspired him to become a Republican. 1968? The year Martin Luther King was assasinated, the year Bobby Kennedy was assasinated, and he is inspired to become a Republican? To smear Hubert Humphrey, one of the finest, most honorable leaders we've had and to compare him unfavorably with the man who brought the presidency to its nadir. Humphrey gave one of the first national speaches on Civil Rights to the 1948 Democratic National Convention. And to cap it off, I heard one of the ignorant commentators on the TV refer to Schwarzeneger as a "Happy Warrior." "Happy Warrior" was always and forever Humphrey's moniker; I was ready to puke!

[TNMOM]

41. I do hate him.

Campaigned for bush. 'nuff said.

[CBHagman]

42. Don't worry, lp. I have bile enough for both of us.

Unlike you, I do have a visceral feeling of disgust when I see Schwarzenegger. And I think it's highly dangerous to view him as a clown, given the power he now has.

My reasons for disliking Schwarzenegger and viewing his governorship as dangerous are several.

First, read George Lakoff's analysis of the California recall election in Don't Think of an Elephant. I can assure you that you will not rest easily after that.

Second, Schwarzenegger's emphasis has been on cutting deals without having to do with the legislature. I find that similar to Bush's efforts to gain more power and less accountability.

Third, I hate the way Schwarzenegger speaks. It's not the accent; I speak German myself and have met more than my share of charming Austrians. I hate the way Schwarzenegger indulges in cheap personal attacks and unimaginative sentence constructions. Arianna Huffington has more brains in her little finger than AS has in his whole body, but he trotted out a cheap, misogynistic put-down at the debate and everyone applauded him.

Fourth, the sexual harassment charges were not some 11th hour ploy to kill AS's candidacy. The LA Times had to devote time to investigation. Moreover, Lawrence O'Donnell, who I find to be pretty much a straight shooter, said that the real stories about Schwarzenegger are infinitely worse than what's been reported in the press.

Finally, I find AS amazingly phony in every regard. He looks more embalmed than the usual actor or politician, and the smiles come without feeling -- nothing but bared teeth, folks.

And as for Maria Shriver, as far as I'm concerned, she dug up two of her uncles and shot them again. She's abandoned whatever principles the political members of her family have.

On edit: Schwarzenegger is part of the GOP bait-and-switch method of campaigning. Trot out the supposed moderates (Giuliani, Schwarzenegger) or mavericks (McCain), but stick the people with the new Gilded Age and right-wing extremism. Don't buy the moderate label; Schwarzenegger is a willing participant in the screwing of the next generation.

[cyr330]

43. Open your eyes

That Nazi went and campaigned for our fearless leader of a president in Ohio right before the election. I HATE him.

[cally]

44. I despise him

The man is a sexual predator. Saying you think he's a clown or not a threat demeans all of his victims. I think he's been OK, for a Republican, on environmental issues. Look at his other actions. It's all about paying off his supporters and the RW. He's not a moderate. Far from it.