Arnold Re-Elected?

[raggage]

As above

[© tweed]

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=261

[Keystone Phil]

Last I heard he's has some great approval ratings. If he runs, which I believe he will, he will be re-elected fairly easily.

[ijohn57s]

Easily.

[YRABNNRM]

Yes, he has had great approval ratings.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Arnold would win in a landslide if he were running today.  But if his budget problems continue to be as bad two years from now, I would guess that he wouldn't run.

[The Duke]

No matter what Arnold does, the budget will be bad ten years from now.

All he has to do is get us on track to get out of the woods.

[StevenNick]

No matter what Arnold does, the budget will be bad ten years from now.

All he has to do is get us on track to get out of the woods.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that most Californians are fairly realistic in what they expect from him.  I don't think anyone expected him to solve the budget problems over night.  It seems to me that most people realize that the damage done to California by Gray Davis and the state assembly is too vast to be fixed in a short period of time.  Instead, people expected exactly what Gov. Schwarzenegger has given them--policies that not only avoid doing more lasting damage to California's economy and specific California's credit rating, but also pursuing policies that will at least set California on the path to recovery.

Californians seem to be quite happy with the fact that Schwarzenegger has dispatched Gray Davis' out of control policies of higher taxes and runaway spending in fairly short order.  He repealed the car tax, he's cut spending, he repealed driver's licenses for illegal aliens, and he's working to reform worker's comp.  All in all, that's a record that most Californian's are very satisfied with.  Unless Schwarzenegger screws up royally in the next two years, he should coast to reelection.

[Democratic Hawk]

I think so, with significant Democrat support. However, if he attacks the Democrats at the Republican convention it may alienate them.

Dave

[A18]

Easily

[nini2287]

If I lived in CA, I'd probably vote for him.

[cwelsch]

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that most Californians are fairly realistic in what they expect from him.

Never heard anybody describe Californians as realistic.

[Alcon]

Californians do live their empty suits with nice smiles.

[StevenNick]

I think so, with significant Democrat support. However, if he attacks the Democrats at the Republican convention it may alienate them.

Dave

I think it's fair to say (now that we've seen the republican convention) that Arnold probably didn't alienate any democrats with his speech.  Rather, he gave an inspirational speech that probably got a lot of coverage on local news in CA.  If I were a Californian watching that speech I would be very proud he was my governor.

So, it's Arnold in a landslide in '06!

[StevenNick]

Except if those Democrats considered themselves to be economic girly-men. 

He probably secured his reelection with that one sentence alone.

[Democratic Hawk]

Except if those Democrats considered themselves to be economic girly-men. 

He probably secured his reelection with that one sentence alone.

What in the blue hell are "girly men"?

Dave

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

How did we manage to have a governor even stupider than our President?
His RNC speech had several serious factual problems.

[A18]

How did we manage to have a governor even stupider than our President?
His RNC speech had several serious factual problems.

I take it you were a big Davis fan

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

How did we manage to have a governor even stupider than our President?
His RNC speech had several serious factual problems.

I take it you were a big Davis fan

Just because no one liked Davis that much doesn't mean that he was a much better governor than Arnold.

[angus]

Except if those Democrats considered themselves to be economic girly-men. 

He probably secured his reelection with that one sentence alone.

What in the blue hell are "girly men"?

Dave

As a GOP dove, I may very well be your philosophical antithesis, so I'll give it a shot.  "economic girly men" are those who get ahead by pushing the narrow-minded notion that society somehow shouldn't be Darwinistic.  That a rising tide lifts all boats and such.  This is pretty much the Nixon Strategy, but with Dems applying it to poor blacks (rather than the GOP applying it to blue-collar whites).  Dems exploit the economic and social fears of certain groups, and in the exploitation they are elected.  I have often sounded off against the GOP exploitation of social issues as a long-term loser.  I'll say the same about the Dems exploiting the economic and social plight of the minorities.  It is divisive and insensitive and generally in poor taste.  Arnold refers to those pussies in the California Legislature who will not take hard stands in order to reduce California's deficits.  They are cowards because they are afraid that such fiscally responsible decisions will likely cause their political demise.  I believe he uses the term "girly men" as a metaphor for cowardice.  While this may come across as misogynistic, it's also cute and endearing.  It's a bold play, and it's what makes him the interesting and forceful anti-Davis that he is.  I'm no big fan of Arnold, but I do respect his forthrightness and his refusal to bow to political correctness (the death of critical thinking).

As an aside, my (new) wife referred to Arnold a few days ago as a "great" actor.  I laughed so hard nearly spit out my Chianti.  That is, until I learned she was serious.  Then I cried.  Guess I'm one of those girly men too.  "Eye of the beholder," I suppose.

[Citizen James]

Two years on politics is a long time.

Still, Arnold is a moderate republican, bordering on being a liberal republican - and has great name recognition and charisma.

As stands, the only person I can think of who has the sort of name recogniton and resume to mount a serious challenge would be Feinstien, and she's likely to be running to keep her senate seat that year.

[Aegir]

I assume he will be re-elected in a landslide(relative term, mind you).

There simply isn't a more popular politician in this California. Feinstein isn't even close.

[badnarikin04]

That's it. We REALLY need to kick California out of the U.S.

NEVER elect a politician based on his GODDAMN CATCHPHRASES!!!!

[Dr. Cynic]

Arnold is a RINO Governor of a big state. He hasn't really f**ked up as seriously as I thought he would. I plan to move to either California or New York to start my career in about five-ten years. Having an actor governer there reminds me of the huge deal they made about when Republicans wanted Ronald Reagan to run for GOV, and Democrats were going to counter with famous Democrat actor, Robert Vaughn. It was a huge deal, and almost happened. But Vaughn was busy with The Man from UNCLE, so he declined to run.

[A18]

Arnold's a fiscal conservative, social libertarian. World away from RINO.