I've figured out what Schwarz's gift to the people of California: permanent, endless, negative campaigning. Perhaps he intends to disgust so many voters that come Nov. 2006, he's the only who can stomach actually voting, and wins the Governorship on a 1 to 0 count.
Actually the LA Times figured it out. Bob Salladay points out...
It's after Labor Day and the campaign has begun: endorsements, dueling news conferences, TV ads, a rowdy party convention and the requisite release of a candidate's tax returns.
Only it's the wrong Labor Day.
Californians won't choose a governor for 14 months, but thanks to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state is experiencing a gubernatorial race far earlier and more intensely than in previous years.
Schwarzenegger has called a special election for this November, not next year when he is up for reelection. That has added heat at a time when politicians traditionally would be trying in vain to get attention while also quietly filling their war chests.
So if it's campaign season, what happens now? Lynda Gledhill from the SF Chronicle reports: TV ads. Up and running. They kinda suck. You can see them at JoinArnold.com. Gledhill gets a quote from political analyst Barbara O'Connor:
"Even though people don't really start paying attention yet, he needs to stop the hemorrhaging."
True. However, Schwarz has been advertising for months through the Rep party and various interest groups. His spokesliars have been claiming otherwise in order to explain his problems.
And if it's campaign season, we have the sit-down interviews, which he did earlier this week. What'd he say?
He told Carla Marinucci in the SF Chronicle that George Bush should cancel an Oct. 22 fundraiser in Cali. Why?
""In the next two months, it would be better if we just do the fundraising," Schwarzenegger said in an interview with The Chronicle. "Then let us go (past) our special election -- and then they can pick it up again, the (Republican) national committee."
Also because he doesn't want to remind voters here that he helped put Bush back in office!
Oh and this quote speaks for itself:
"What I always said is politicians, in general, are raising money and have to do favors back," he said. "I never said raising money is not necessary ... everybody does fundraising."
He told Kate Folmar and Laura Kurtzman in the San Jose Mercury News that he's delusional:
``I never thought this would be a fight where I play David,'' the governor said. ``In my whole life I always played Goliath. And now I'm being put in the David category, the little guy fighting the big monsters out there.''
He told Beth Fouhy from the AP that Warren Beatty--WHO IS SPEAKING TONIGHT AT THE CALIFORNIA NURSES ASSOCIATION'S CONVENTION!!!!--is 'silly' and 'jealous' for criticizing him. And that he supports the proposition for parental notification of abortions.
But the worst news for him came from Paul Pringle in the LA Times. Schwarz's attacks on workers has managed to piss off the cops. Not smart.
Isn't Arnold a union member? Screen Actors Guild? How do they feel about his assault on unions?
Posted by: pogo | September 22, 2005 at 03:44 PM