My Theory: Arianna is trying to "take down" Arnie (then the Pubs)

[janekat]

I notice tons of threads about what a "bitch" Arianna is, how she lost, etc. I LOVE this lady. She's very ballsy and politically incorrect. IMO - she has a PURPOSE way over and beyond this particular race.

I think that Arianna won big time... down the road. Both for herself AND for Progessives/Dems.

Arianna is a "brilliant" multi-millionaire columnist/author AND a political "gadfly" - a Progressive one. She's been in politics for years - and is a "brilliant political strategist." She knows exactly what she's is doing. This is NOT about winning the California Governorship. She doesn't care about winning this race.

IMO - this whole thing is for Arianna to get a major "Publicity Campaign" going against Arnie, Bush and the Republican Party. This is NOT just about the Governor's race. Notice how she constantly brought up Bush and the Republican Party. She wants to help in bringing Bush and the Republican Party "down." She is not one who shys away from controversy.

Chris Matthews said it: "Arianna knows what's she's doing - she did this on purpose. She wanted clips to be constantly shown of Arnie attacking her (a woman) - of him looking like a "creep." She wanted this to be shown over and over. (Lose the women's vote. Arnie and Republicans already have major problems with women voters and it is the only way that Arnie could lose this election.)

She will be writing columns about Arnie/Bush. Starting up a feud with Arnie - everyone will be reading her columns. She she did not become a multi-millionaire by being stupid. This will be a great thing for Progressives and the Dem Party.

Mark my words - we will start seeing column after column about what a "Pig" Arnie is. Everyone will start talking about it - reading her colums. Women especially will be sickened by the macho attitudes of Arnie and Dumbya. (A lot of men don't understand this.) THEN once she's got everybodys attention she has a large "national platform" - from which to attack Bush. She will be a media "star."

[soleft]

1. I think she wants to take down Bush

and she knows taking Arnie down is important looking ahead to Nov 04

[gully]

2. I loved how she pointed out the BUSH* failed policy when ever Ahnowd...

bitched about the deficit. She's got fire "ballz" that's for sure!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. My understanding is that Arnie S. is the....

"Bitch" of the White House???

Thank you Arianna!!!!

If this makes Arnold look like an ass and ruins his campaign then it's a good thing!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. I thought the GOP already gave up on women

although I have to admit, between Mr. pro-life McClintock and Arnie they aren't doing themselves any favors. Good points.

[RichM]

5. Some of this is right; some is way wrong, as I see it --

I agree very much with your idea that Arianna was deliberately trying to take down Arnie & the Pubs; & that she succeeded brilliantly last night.

But I don't buy your idea that she won "Both for herself AND for Progessives/Dems," because Dems are not at all the same thing as Progressives. In fact, they are the political opponents of progressives. And Arianna herself would be the first to acknowledge that both parties stink, even if the Repubs stink worse.

Also, I don't think you can properly say she is "ballsy." It just ain't right.

[Hanuman]

7. I thought she looked like a horse's ass.

And I have liked some of her points from other debates. But when you use cheap shots and ad-hominem attacks within the context of a political debate (or really ANY time) you do a greater disservice to your cause than if you just shut the fuck up.

[glarius]

9. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire!..She's doing what the Repubs.

do...it seems to work for them, don't you think?...Just asking....

[Classical_Liberal]

13. None of her adhominams were as mean sounding as Arnold's

The Terminator 4 comment was pretty bad.

[Hanuman]

25. Agreed, it was dumb--

I'm frankly suprised Arnie even played ball with her BS.

[w4rma]

8. Dems are **NOT** political opponents of progressives.

http://www.progressivemajority.org/

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. Don't even try that with RichM

he's solidly in the "Dems are part of the problem" camp.

[Classical_Liberal]

12. Actually calling a women ballsy is quite humorous

I am a Democrat and a Progressive. Many of us are. I would like more Ariannas in the party. I think a loss to an Arianna would push the party in that direction.

[OrdinaryTa]

20. Sexist Rhetoric Isn't Humorous

You might want to evaluate the attitudes implicit in the original statement equating courage and audacity with having testicles. Sounds pretty sexist to me!

Finding it amusing is not an adequate response. Women make up half the population and when they contend for leadership positions it's considered humorous. Of eleven presidential candidates, for example, only one is a woman. What's up with that?

[janekat]

24. Sexist? I'm a female.... and ballsy=gutsy to me.... explain...

I've always thought that it was a compliment. Are you a female?

[janekat]

6. link to Arianna online....

http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/

Californians are used to earthquakes. Even stomach-flipping jolts of the ground beneath us are met with a shrug and a ho-hum yawn. Wait a few seconds, and they're over. Life goes back to normal.

But this one's different. It started slow, but it just won't go away. In fact, it has so rattled the political landscape in the Golden State that it has the state's political establishment running for the doorjambs and stocking up on bottled water and canned goods. It's swiftly dawning on them: this could be THE Big One.

.....For starters, it feels undemocratic. After all, it was just 8 months ago that Davis was reelected by 363,548 votes (a five percent margin), beating his hapless GOP opponent, Bill Simon, fair and square. This leaves the backers of the recall looking like a bunch of sore losers, trying to do through the backdoor what they couldn't accomplish on Election Day. Which is particularly offensive given Florida and the growing fear that the standard GOP response to elections will become "either we win them or we undo them."

......If handled correctly, the California shake-up could turn into THE Big One -- an 8.0 on the political Richter scale with aftershocks felt as far away as the Oval Office.

[Pltcl_jnky]

10. yeah but there is something wrong

when she wails on Enron, Global Crossing and all that and talking about corporations not paying taxes when she herself skirted away paying but a couple hundred dollars while making millions last year.

The problem is not their taxes it's that these companies are run by guys who should be in prison and prison is filled with guys who smoked weed and should be out working!

[realFedUp]

14. for a couple of years she didn't make millions

Last year she probably made more money because
Pigs at the Trough came out...I'm leaving this
one up to the IRS.

[Dookus]

15. and she made her millions

by marrying well. I doubt the column pays THAT much.

[Classical_Liberal]

16. actually they need to be taxed more too

and Arianna explained quite well that she didn't earn much income in those years. She isn't married to Michael Huffington anymore. Such arguments would have discluded the Roosevelts and the Kennedys from politics. That isn't a good idea. Frankly there are self made people who are callous to the poor because they don't take luck into account.

[4_Legs_Good]

17. Didn't you find it interesting how Arnie constantly came to *'s rescue

Every time Arianna started to go off on George Jr., Arnie tried to say that this wasn't about Washington. I think it was very, very clear to the savvy paranoid freak like me, that Rove told him to deflect any criticisms of the White House.

And what was the deal about New Hampshire? Just because of the Libretarian state deal? or what's it all about? I don't get it. It sounded to me that anyone who didn't hear about that Libretarian deal would think that Arnold thought the White House was in New Hampshire.

david

Kucinich 2004

Arianna YES
Recall No

[hippiegranny]

18. i agree with the original post

i believe that ms. huffington's performance was more about shedding light on the character (or lack thereof) of ahnold, than it was about becoming gov of cali. i think she knew exactly what she was doing, both to ahnold and geedumbya. get the message out. the sheeple need to hear the truth repeatedly, and from as many sources as possible. especially since the national media continues to bury the rotting bones of republican trickery and treachery in order to pretend all is well.

[xchrom]

19. arianna rocked!

and if things weren't so critical right now -- i'd love to vote for her.
she really stuck to her guns talking about the problems within our two party system.
and she spanked arnie so nicely -- made his ass red.

[OrdinaryTa]

21. Anatomical Correctness

She's very ballsy

Associating courage and audacity with having testicles is sexist rhetoric. If you really mean to say she's audacious, say that! If that's too fancy a word, call her brave.

She is probably not ballsy. That's anatomically incorrect.

[janekat]

26. I guess I can see your point - no harm intended....

I consider myself to be pretty feminist and never found it to be offensive. I can see where maybe it's not the BEST term to use.

Audacious and courageous don't really do the trick. There must be a better word.... If you can think of one. I'll replace it with gutsy -becasue it's starting to bug me now - LOL!

Darn it - it's too late to edit it.

[noiretextatique]

27. ovaries are gonads

they are just internal ones. i don't have a problem with my balls being on the inside, and i don't consider 'ballsy' sexist :D

[Cronus Protagonist]

22. I agree with your main points

But you went overboard on how Arianna got her money. Didn't she marry a rich, gay republican who was in the closet?

However, you're quite correct in that she's astute and knows what she's doing. She soliticited Arnold into making a reference to shoving her head down a toilet in T4, which should be golden for the opposition.

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets!>

[AndyTiedye]

23. She Would be Bush*'s Worst Nightmare If She Won

When the regime screws California,

we need somebody to call them out on it.
Arianna is very good at that.

Of course, if Cruz wins, we'll need a new Lt. Governor....


No on recall!

Cruz and/or Arianna

[janekat]

28. Yep - but she wielded a lot of power - in the Rep. party

She did a lot of fundrasing and was really more powerful and well-known than her husband.

[Room101]

29. I agree Arianna has a good game plan

And she won that debate hands down. She made arnold look like a dingbat:)But who cares I loved him in Twins. <Sarcasm >