My perspective on the CA election......

[Darth_Kitten]

Arnold got 48 percent of the votes (60 percent turnout). His support overall isn't very strong.(not even 30 percent of Californians, if what I've heard so far is true)
People overall don't know where he stands on the issues (62 percent, and sorry, I forgot where I heard that) , and will find out very soon that he doesn't have the power to cure their economic woes.

How much power does a governor of California have over the economy of the state?(I have heard very little, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) Problems are not going to go away overnight because Arnie has been, er, "elected".

On another matter, I believe that Arnie's "sexual indiscretions" will continue to come back to plague him.
He put himself in the spotlight, and his "troubles" will not go away.

Just my early morning perspective. :( now for coffee.....

[Mikimouse]

1. I would dearly love to agree with your forecast, but

the murkins have demonstrated their absolute refusal to think for themselves. If Ahhhhhno is touted as the latest, greatest thing to happen to California, the sheep will gladly follow to the slaughterhouse, singing all the way. Sexual indiscretions? What sexual indiscretions? Oh, you know, boys will be boys-those women probably asked for it anyway. (sarcasm off). Sorry DK, bad morning, lack of coffee, cats hungry and meowing at me, feeling that all sanity has disappeared. Must go and teach now, while the venom still flows.:hi: :hippie:

[Darth_Kitten]

4. If you only knew....

how cynical I can be. :) Trust me, I don't give a lot of people much credit anymore. :) I know, I know, how maddening the electorate can be. :evilgrin:
But for people who may believe that there is this major support for Arnie and his ways, I say take heart, time will prove them wrong.

It's a wacky, confusing world, but I must learn to live in it, somehow. :(

[Rowdyboy]

2. Thanks for a positive outlook

I'm still sunk in despair that we've just lost the largest political job in America to a two-bit piece of trash who can probably parlay this win into a senate career. God, people are stupid.

[Darth_Kitten]

7. They seem to be a little too trusting.....

I don't know where you stand, Arnold, but gee, I will vote for you....... :eyes: ;)

[Dookus]

3. he has enough power....

to pull out of the state's 9 billion dollar lawsuit against Enron.

He has enough power to appoint up to 1,400 staff people.

He has enough power to fuck us up.

[Darth_Kitten]

5. Enron Arnie.....

oh yeah, that. :(

[charlie]

9. He's also promised to agitate for ballot iniatives

if he doesn't get his way on some issues.

And if he has any sense in that massive cranium, he'll listen to his handlers and spend his term acting as the reformer whose hands are tied by the Dems in Sacramento. The media will lap that up. If Dems aren't careful, the throw the bums out sentiment can be extended to state legislators.

Not saying he'll get away with any of that, but I think it's foolish to think he'll necessarily be ineffective because he's a dolt. Reagan used to be a national joke too.

[asjr]

6. CA

I am so bummed out over this "election" I had two extra cups of coffee this morning as well as my usual four. It seems that so many people wanted to recall Davis, they decided to play governor lottery. Now they will have to fork out millions to pay for this farce. I will give Arnie 6 months. If the sitting governor was not in a position to get revenue, how will Arnie manage. I am embarrassed for California.
Of course we will have jubilation on the "news" shows now. It will last at least until the weekend. Meanwhile, the WH leaker will be away with treason and the rest of the country will go Ho Hum. Is this planet earth?

[Darth_Kitten]

8. 6 months....

now that's the spirit..... :bounce: :thumbsup:

...(DK, who is trying herself to keep her chin up and look at the big picture)

[liberalmuse]

10. Look at the bright side...

He probably won't have time to make any more movies for awhile. Seriously, I have Orrin Hatch as my 'representative' so I really, REALLY feel for Californians, and know that many of them certainly do not deserve this. Ahnold is not a wingnut--scary, but not exactly a neocon. I'm hoping his liberal friends in the industry have more influence over him than Rove. I hope he goes to the Kennedy clan for advice. Also--California is not going to Bush. I think they felt they needed a change from Davis, not realizing that there won't be much improvement, other than the gushing publicity.

Now it's time to focus on Treasongate. The Bush White House needs to go down so they won't be able to rape California (and the world) any longer.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. The true face of evil!

[VOX]

11. Kick ... n/t

:kick:

[Darth_Kitten]

13. Good idea!

:kick:

[underpants]

12. Leno

Comedian Jay Leno (news - Y! TV) introduces new California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) to the crowd assembled at Schwarzenegger's election night headquarters as Schwarzenegger was declared the winner in the California gubernatorial recall election, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

[Darth_Kitten]

14. They are treating this like a joke....

why shouldn't we?

[fizzana]

16. What we had here was a perfect storm for the Democrats

An unpopular governor, a recall format that sets the bar way too low,
a bad economy, a overly complacent Democrat Party in Calif, a teflon candidate fawned over by the media, a media circus and to cap it, a lame campaign by both Davis and Bustamante.

They both looked like losers for weeks.

It was an abberation, nothing more and nothing less.

[MUAD_DIB]

17. I am sorry to disagree with you but,

It doesn't matter that the vote count is 30% of 60%.

It doesn't matter that Ahh-nold is a groper and womanizer.

Your assertion about the govenorship not having real power is missing the potential of this huge political win for the republicans. They just took the top slot. The only hope of keeping California together is that the Democrats hold most of power in every other office.

I believe that we have lost democracy yesterday...at least the democracy of the educated. It has gone away from us, and it will take great pains and many years of suffering of this nation to ever get it back. The choice of democracy has been reduced to junoir year high school: ignor the science geek that can do your homework and instead hang out with the bigest and strongest football player. We're so cool. Yea Team!

We have the same situation here in Massachusetts. Although the democratic candidate here had been in politics for years (enough to know her stuff) the electorate (those that bothered to get off of their ass, turn off joe millionaire and exercise their effin rights) decided that it was better to vote for Mitt Romney: great hair and a winning smile.

So that is my early mourning perspective. Today ignorance has won once again while the electorate sleepwalks through their constitutional obligation on their way to autocracy.

One humorous note: There are some here at DU that are either moving or are considering a move to a different country to get away from what they seer as a growing and unassailable evil.

I disagreed with that logic and thought that it would be better to stay and fight the power. I can't say that I believe that any longer. This decision is not out of agreement with them but comes more from my sheer disgust with the high school level mentality of the electorate.

[JVS]

18. I don't want to upset anyone, but the 48% figure is misleading

If you look at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2003/recall/pages/governor/

You will notice that McClintock-R got 13% of the votes.

Comparing candidates with 1% or more, we have

On the left: Bustamante 32%, Camejo 3%, and Huffington 1%. Total: 36%

On the right: Schwarzenegger 48%, McClintock 13% Total: 61%

61% vs. 36% support for the GOP over anyone else. This appears to be a solid amount of support for the GOP that they so easily afforded a 13% split from their main candidate.

[fizzana]

19. This isn't an indication of support for the GOP.

A lot of Democrats crossed over because they don't like Davis and what he's done. I know at least 6 of them and none of them will ever vote for Bush.

California is still a Democrat state and will stay that way.

[JVS]

20. Why did they cross over to the Republicans?

that is not the usual form of protest voting.