Total Recall....Vote for Arnold!

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That's it. Really, need anything else be said to get this thing rolling?

Just in case you do read this and say, 'Whatcha talking about Willis' rest easy, Gary Coleman is thinking of throwing his hat in the ring as well.

 

Shouldn't that be Ahnald?

 

I think this is going to be one series of sound bites after another. Who said Arnold wasn't a comedian?

 

Hasta la vista baby.

 

For the Love of Christ Jesus, the Lord my God.

Gary Coleman is one thing.

Arnold is another.

If I was still living in Hanford, I'd vote for Arnold. Above and beyond anyone else on the ticket.

 

I was quite suprised and excited to see good old Arnold Shcwarte..however you spell it, on TV talking about becomeing the governor of California. I'm not 18, but if i was, i would vote for him. Strange I think it is because i'm fer thinking that alot of people will vote for him simply because they liked his character in the terminator series! Yes, yes, myself included.

Imagine guys, a movie star as our future governor[president?], that would be...something.

 

Being in Sacramento, I loath the idea of an actor - who has not yet proved his intellectual abilities - may very well be moving to my city.

To be honest, Arnold doesn't stand a chance in Sac. He will be made the fool by the legislature.

And before everyone brings up Jesse Ventura, just remember that he was a Navy Seal. To become a Seal you have to show both strength of character, spirit and mind. Acting does not.

 

Well, over here we voted a man in a monkey suit for mayor of Hartlepool, so I suppose a navy seal for governor shouldn't be too much of a step.

The fact that he's made seal, does not show any of the characteristics required to be a governor in my book. The thought of parras running anything political is to me a worrying thought. The ones I've met are rarely up for the intellectual challenge.

Nope, Arnold it would have to be. Very determined chap with Kennedy connections? He'll stand a fair chance methinks.

T3 - good timing or the first blow in the election campaign?

 

See what you get ? People are gonna vote for Arnold because they thought his movies were cool.

Sheesh, why would that make him a good politician. Is he a qualified economist ? Does he even know how to spell "politician" ?

Not just Schwarzenegger is running for office in Cali, so is a big boobed blonde pornstar.

Welcome to the California freakshow.

 

Here are some of the rather interesting candidates:

• Gallagher - the watermelon smashing comedian
• Angelyne- Pornstar/Actress
• Larry Flynt - Porn King

 

The styrian oak says he's regularly underestimated. I'm inclined to believe that.

 

In seriousness, an article from Nick Gillespie when it looked like Arnold wouldn't run, an interesting point:

 

A serious article? A republican who is for less government and not having the goverment breath down your neck? Give me a break, please. We now have a complete republican government with more government spending and more goverment intervention (The Patriot Act) in the history of this country. It is one of those myths that keeps appearing in the media and loyal republicans keep mouthing about while they are engaged in spending more money and expanding the role of the government in people's lives. Ronald Reagan did the same thing. But he was an actor as well. So maybe this guy can pull it off also.

Remember Holden's remarks about movies and actors in _Catcher in the Rye_? "You sit there watching a bunch of people trying to play real people but they are still actors. The result is that the whole thing is just phony."

Of course, I'm paraphrasing from memory. But that sums up my feeling about these guys. They are actors trying to play a bit part and the result is phony. As Holden says it's really all about ego and it is the substance(what's real) that is missing.

That is what's happened to the American political system. It's about actors and those who can "look the most presidential." Policy and results mean nothing in a system of greed, where 30 second spots on TV (a fitting place for them) appear to sell the people on who "seems like" the best guy, while making your opponent out to be the "bad guy." Having lots of dough is required to play this game.

It's never about the issues; it's only about the elusive trait called "character." Of course that is not to mean "one with high standards or regard for the truth," since the current prez would not know the first thing about standards or the truth. He can barely keep his own daughters out of jail and his own criminal records are sealed, and not "available for public viewing."

And I'm not saying the democrats are much better. They too have pretty much the same problem, but they are much worse at it, because they still have some of the "old democrat" left in them: the New Deal tradition of giving the average person in this country a decent break. The end result is just confusing with the dems because they are engaged in exactly the same tatics that the Republicans have been using for years now. It's like one gigantic infomercial.

Want an example of how this "selling" works? Bruce Springsteen wrote a song, that was supposed to be a protest song, "Born in the USA." If you listen to the words it is a protest song. Well, Reagan ran this song at all his rallys while he was running for prez. It kind of became a theme song for his campaign, some may remember it. Reagan used to rant from the podium, talking about how Bruce wrote the song as a song of hope for how great America was. Really. He took something that meant the total opposite of what it was supposed to be and turned it around to help get himself elected. And people believed it. Hardly anyone bothered to listen to the words. They finally did stop using the song after Bruce called them, complained enough and made them stop. Of course, he was a democrat.

The problem is that the system is locked. Anyone who comes along and has a decent idea on policy, whether it is on the right or left is completely barred from the system. Remember in 2000 how Ralph Nader was kept out of the debate? And if you are an upstart in your own party you get the door pretty quick. Need an example? Look at Howard Dean. He's bucking the system and the dems want him gone. Even though he is talking traditional democratic issues, they still want him out. They want him out so badly that now Gore may be tapped to run again in hopes on locking Dean out. How's that for "democratic."

What the democrats need is an actor like Arnold if they hope to win in CA. How about Mel Gibson? Is he a democrat? Hell he's probably not even a citizen. But if the dems move fast maybe they can have a chance at having an actor also. Can't you see the headlines? "The Terminator takes on Lethal Weapon." It would not matter if one of them lost because they could always have a sequel.

Of course it would be a real dilemma for all those 18-20 year olds (or kids of all ages for that matter). They would have to decide which one would be the best "character." Real policy makers need not apply here; only those with fat wallets and fat egos. And having a Kennedy for a wife is always an advantage in American politics. Maybe Mel could give one of the Bush or Reagan daughters a call, just to even things out a bit.

[ August 09, 2003, 22:08: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

Just pointing out that your rant wasn't at all about the point of the article. Only saying that since you started out talking negatively about the article but then went on and didn't address the point of it. Not that your rant was off-topic, just saying it wasn't about the article.

BTW - I believe Mel is a Republican. Funny that you picked one of the half dozen or so in Hollywood as a potential democratic candidate

 

Laches - Yes, only the first part of my rant was about the article. But, I really didn't even know that Mel was American or a citizen. The part about Mel was just satire. I don't watch movies much, but I might this weekend -- maybe something like, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

 

As I understand the meaning of the contend of Laches article, that Schwarzenegger would represent traditional Europen liberalism, something yet not aviable in the usual American political spectrum. (But tradtionally not aviable in Austria either, only conservatives and socialist, no liberal tradition there, even if there is a certain party there now, which calls itself "liberal".)

 

Well, the meaning of the article was essentially: wouldn't it be swell if the government didn't focus so much on lifestyle issues (gays, drugs, sin taxes etc). If Arnold was elected the article contends it would send a message that these type of issues aren't as important to the citizens and also that what a politician has done in the past from a lifestyle standpoint isn't that important (Arnold is on tape naked, smoking a joint, talking about sex after all) if they aren't also pretending to be on a pedastal.

 

Laches - I agree, but you know what the Washington establishment will say: What can one expect from CA? Now if it were GA or NC it might shake things up a bit. But what are the chances of that anytime soon?

 

Arnold can make the wrong decisions just as well as any other politician, though he's probably not as proficient with acting.

 

Traditional European liberalism. People should mind their own business, because the indivudal, born free, alone determines how to live life. And preachers should stay in their churches, and don't interfere in public issues, where they only cause mess. No irrational character issues, but sober rationalism. Darkwolf had the opinion, that would lead to the demise of the democrats. I rather think, that a liberal alternative would split the conservatives too, because liberty and conservatism (social conservatism particularly) are like cat and dog. Liberalism is a broad, yet whole concept, it does not only consist in free market, it consists in general freedom of the individual. This would lead to a third party, I think and not to a centrist-coalition, with eternal inner-party struggle.

[ August 10, 2003, 10:23: Message edited by: Yago ]