Arnie's High-Risk Election

[struggle4progress]

By TERRY MCCARTHY
Posted Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005

The budget has ballooned to $200 million, the main actor has lost his star appeal, and a majority of the public has decided in advance they are not interested. No, this isn't a Kevin Costner movie. It's the run-up to next week's special election in California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is working hard to push through several weighty government-reform initiatives, but the Nov. 8 event could well turn out to be one of his biggest flops: 54% of California voters see no need for the special election, particularly since the initiatives could have been voted on in the primary next June. Schwarzenegger's popularity ratings, meanwhile, are turning him into a liability on the campaign trail. The man who came into office promising to aggressively challenge special interests in the state capital says he regrets his earlier talk of "kicking butts" of nurses and mocking "girlie men" legislators. After pulling his segments from all TV ads supporting the initiatives, Schwarzenegger last week released a humbler pitch in which he admitted to mistakes on the job. "The Governor has said he realizes there are some comments better left for Saturday Night Live," says one of his spokesmen, Todd Harris.

While Schwarzenegger may have frittered away much of his political capital, the four reform initiatives he has been pushing are far from frivolous. They propose that public-school teachers become eligible for tenure after five years, up from two; that public-service unions need to get permission from individual members before using their dues for political purposes; that the state implement a mechanism to cap spending; and that voting districts be redrawn by retired judges instead of legislators. A poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that none of the initiatives are supported by a majority of likely voters. The same poll put the Governor's approval rating at 33%, down from 61% a year ago. <+ the expected RW spin from TIME>

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1124309,00.html

[Cha]

1. Anything to butt in on the working

people, eh arnie? You slug.

[AX10]

2. Yes, Arnie's "reforms" are but mere shams to screw the working....

American out of a decent living wage and fair opportunity to advance.

[snowbear]

3. And what I think is going to be HILARIOUS to watch....

...is Ahnold in "REAL" debates!! http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif

Remember --- he did not participate in ANY of the debates last time (refused to) ---- EXCEPT for the one debate in which the candidates were provided the questions over a week in advance.

It was the only debate that they would be allowing the questions to be reviewed ahead of time.

This time around, he will HAVE to debate in all debates. He won't be able to pull the same crapola.

From what I read in the LA Times last go around, only one debate out of umpteen debates in the CA Governor's race allow for candidates to know the questions beforehand.

Without rehearsing pre-fed lines, he should be something else to watch! http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif

[Stevepol]

4. He better be sure the voting machines are properly "prepared."