Arnold on the Today show...

Jebus, what a train wreck. He wouldn't shut up long enough to let Matt ask any follow up questions, and he didn't even answer any of the ones Matt did as (ie. "What specific actions would you take as governer to remedy the situations that you think Gray Davis has failed at") with anything other than platitudes and the laughable recycled "uniter not a divider...work with both parties" shtick. You could tell Lauer was getting super annoyed with the guy.

I've always liked and respected California but man, I would be embarrassed to live out there right now (no offense to my Californian friends).

for the Democrats -- because it removed the potential for a serious Republican contender?

And was lobbed softballs by Diane Sawyer (R-ABC). She went offscript once and asked his stance on gay marriage. His reply was that he didn't want to talk about that now, his focus was "on the children" and repairing Davis' damage. He'll give his opinions on all other issues later.
After he was gone, Sawyer turned to co-host and said she hoped we'll see a lot more of him...
What a whore (no offense to sex workers)!

I have CNN on (muted) while working. Every time I glance around the creep is on there. Just now he was sitting in front of a libray of books (no doubt to make him look scholarly and studious *barf*) and the header read **POWERFUL CANDIDATE**, subtitled "Gray Davis could be first governor recalled in blah, blah, blah."

The media hype on this troglodyte is going to be absolutely unmerciful. I just get so fed up with the media's damned "liberal" bias. (sarcasm off) :grr: :grr:

Arnold is highly intelligent, do not underestimate him.

I like DU, I really do, but if this is the level of debate then I'm going to have reevaluate that opinion. Personal attack, let alone unfounded personal attack has no place in politics.

n/t

About him being intelligent? Why do you suppose he isn't?

I would like to hear him answer some questions Senator Feinstein put forth about what his plans are for the California budget and a plethora of other legislative and executive issues that are paramount to California's well being. Then, maybe, we would see just how smart he is. So far, he has answered in nothing but platitudes and "feel good" rhetoric. If he is intelligent, he has not displayed it since announcing.

It really doesn't take a great deal of intelligence to succeed at self-promotion, just a lot of hutzpah and razzmatazz. I doubt seriously that he knows anything about making executive decisions that matter to the lives of millions of people. I have seen no proof of his being able to promote anyone but Arnold Schwarzenegger, period.

If you wish to dismiss him as a serious candidate then that's up to you, but think on. He's saying exactly what the right wing electorate wants him to say and that'll take him a long way.


"It really doesn't take a great deal of intelligence to succeed at self-promotion, just a lot of hutzpah and razzmatazz. I doubt seriously that he knows anything about making executive decisions that matter to the lives of millions of people."

And that'll prevent from winning will it?


"I have seen no proof of his being able to promote anyone but Arnold Schwarzenegger, period."

That's what he's good at, always has been and that's what'll win him the governership if the dems don't pull their collective fingers out and present a decent alternative to him. I find it amazing that you think self promotion is to his disadvantage -- that's what politics is all about now-a-days. It shouldn't be, but it is.

It's not only facile, but also incorrect. It's a mistake the Left made with GWB, too––and where did that get us? Arnold may not be Adlai Stevenson, but he's shrewd.

Edited for spelling.

in this day and age, a 'cave man' was able to co-ordinate and carry out a sophisticated and devastating attack with military precision from half the world away on the mightiest nation ever. i don't see arnold being up to anything like that, for good or bad, except in the movies.

You miss my point altogether. Nowhere did I say he wasn't a SERIOUS candidate and I'm scared as hell that he CAN win. That is a major problem here.

I do not discount his formidableness as a candidate. I am, however, extremely dubious that he would make a good governor or be able to solve California's crisis. Having the "smarts" to promote oneself does not make one a good executive.

Mind you, I have no illusions about his ability to win, I just doubt his capacity to serve well. All California needs is another GWB clone in the State House.

We agree it seems but have misunderstood each other.

For the record, I believe Schwarzenegger will make a terrible politician too but that doesn't seem to be an obstacle these days. All I am saying is dismissing him as stupid (as many people on DU seem content to do) is a dangerous game. He is anything but, despite how he may come across on TV.

and my original point was really aimed at the media. It just chaps my a** how they will take this guy and play him up to the hilt such that 99.9999% of the "noncritical" public will buy into it, thus, no doubt, guaranteeing his win in the recall.

I honestly don't like Arnold because I think he is an insufferable blow-hard and likely incapable of leading California out of its bad times (look at how Jesse Ventura faired as governor). Nevertheless, the media will pitch him as the greatest show on earth and he will win hands down regardless of whether or not he will be good for California. That kind of promotion by the media is unwarranted and downright dangerous.

I was, most certainly, taking my ire out on the big muscled up clod... and that is really how I feel about him. :-) Thanks for the discourse mrfrapp.

"Personal attack, let alone unfounded personal attack has no place in politics."

I can't believe I read that. Politics today is all about personal attacks. If it wasn't for personal attacks on Davis there would be no recall.

Are you saying that it's ok for Republicans to use personal attacks to start a recall, but Democrats aren't allowed to do the same to fight the recall?

That is laughable.

"Are you saying that it's ok for Republicans to use personal attacks to start a recall, but Democrats aren't allowed to do the same to fight the recall?"

No, I'm not saying that. Please don't put words in my mouth.


"That is laughable."

Yes. Yes, it is laughable.

I quoted you.

Personal attacks have already been used on Davis to help trigger this corrupt recall. That is a fact.

You apparently don't think we should use the same kind of attacks on their candidate that they use on ours.

What did I miss?

"You apparently don't think we should use the same kind of attacks on their candidate that they use on ours."

That is indeed what I think.

My personal belief is that the Democrats should maintain some sort of moral high ground in this regard. Referring to Schwarzenegger as a "cave man" gets us nowhere. If anything, it's counter productive.

I've already heard him say:

"I'm going to pump up Sacramento."
"It's time for a total recall in California"

I can't wait to see what's next...:eyes:

Matt nicely called attention to the fact that he has NO plan to improve things in California.

If the voters put him in office, they deserve him. They'll learn their lesson and a Democrat with a true plan will win in a landslide in '06.

The Repugs are shooting themselves in the ass...

You can take out recall petitions the second after that bastard is sworn in.

We're gonna go after him and recall his sorry ass out of the office!

The only way to fight right wingers is fire with fire.

I posted this in another Arnold related thread, but thought it was also appropriate here


showed what a political novice he really is. "I have all the money I need, I don't need any special interest money." His indication that he knows what California needs, and that he intends to clean house is a great big middle finger waving at the California Legislature, and if he were to win, I think he would find that they would not be too cooperative. And he can't exactly burst through and repel down from the Capitol Rotunda Dome, machine guns blazing, to "clean house," like he might in one of his movies.

This is a rip off for the other guys! Davis should raise hell about it!

Sorta like Ray-gun - you can't hear when you don't like the question!

Matt asked Ahhnold if he was going to release the last few years of tax returns. Ahhnold touched he earpiece almost immediately and said he couldn't hear Matt - Matt asked again and same response. Matt ended conversation saying evidently they were having sound problems, and said thank you to Ahhnold anyway. Less than a second after Matt said thank you, Ahhnold was still on camera and said saything like 'you're welcome and thank you'.

when he found out he had to disclose.

He's smart enough to play dumb, isn't he?

He just gave Arnold the handbook that Bush used in 2000?

The worst part is that the media is so in love with Arnold that it probably won't matter what he says.

EVERY media outlet in LA is outwhoring each other to see who can kiss Arnold's ass the best.

I just want to see all the eggs that are going to be on their worthless faces when he loses!

like he entered the race from a personal standpoint, and not a political one. To wit, he as no plan or stand on most issues yet, and must now spend time with others to formulate it. Until such time, he is merely "pumping up" his campaign and hitting the talk show circuits to start the early part of it. He can't continue without substance or he will make Dick Morris' prediction on O'Reilly come true, that he has peaked already and will be on a downtrend right up until the election.

. . . let them have it. They now have the opportunity to elect a walking, talking action figure to lead the state's executive branch.

Time will tell if Ah-nold has more than the requisite six cliches on "representing all Californians" or "uniting, not dividing" on his pull ring. Somehow I doubt he does.