Arnold taking questions.......

[NoCalMike 0]

Oops, maybe this could have gone in the Arnold thread already made, I just wanted to hurry and put this up. Wow this surreal.

[Guest Choken One]

The guy can do the job...

 

Can we kill the "The Running Man" bullshit shit?

 

along with the "TOTAL RECALL" shit...

 

Enough using references to his movies...He is now Governor Candidate Arnold ----------------- not "Running Man Arnold".

 

Treat him like anyother legit canidate

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...20/BA194601.DTL

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger has some big ideas when it comes to running for governor -- but he was definitely thinking small when it came to shooting that bathroom dunking scene for his new action flick, "Terminator 3."

 

"I saw this toilet bowl," Schwarzenegger told Entertainment Weekly in its July 11 edition. "How many times do you get away with this -- to take a woman, grab her upside down, and bury her face in a toilet bowl?"

 

But, the Mighty Terminator adds: "I wanted to have something floating there. "

 

Ughhh.

 

"The thing is, you can do it," Arnold argued, "because in the end, I didn't do it to a woman -- she's a machine! We could get away with it without being crucified by who-knows-what group."

 

Maybe -- but in the end, the "floating" idea was itself terminated.

 

"They thought it was my typical Schwarzenegger overboard."

 

And what a classy candidate he is.

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

When I read the title of the thread I thought it was going to be about Gary Coleman.

[Dr. Tom 0]

And what a classy candidate he is. 

Please. Arnold's known for being an easygoing, fun-loving guy on the sets of his movies. His costars speak about him in glowing terms. Sure, the idea was a little over the top, but there wouldn't have been any harm in using it.

 

Besides, given the recent Hollywood trends, it would have been a digital turd.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

...

 

Imagine being the guy whose claim to fame is digitally rendering a TURD in a movie.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

He's also waffling on the issues, it seems. He hasn't answered practically any questions about his economic or even social agendas on the talk show circuit he's been attending.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Well, I'm sure Arnold is going to lose sleep tonight because he doesn't live up to your standards...

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

...

 

Imagine being the guy whose claim to fame is digitally rendering a TURD in a movie.

I'd rather do that then fucking ICE SURFING in Die Another Day.

 

 

 

BTW, Arnold is the man.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Well, I'm sure Arnold is going to lose sleep tonight because he doesn't live up to your standards...

I guess it's helpful that you have such low standards, then.

 

It seems all that it takes to get your vote is having an "R" next to your name.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I like the guy. He's socially moderate-to-liberal and fiscally conservative, and he fits well with the moderate (read: reasonable) wings of both major parties. He's also ridiculously charismatic.

 

But: Tyler's right. With the recall vote looking to be less than 2 months away, he's going to have to start expressing his actual positions sooner rather than later. Though I do think he's on the right path so far: this first week of his candidacy is going to just be fluff pieces and people saying "that's so COOL!" I think he and his campaign are smart enough to realize that anything major that they say at this stage isn't going to be looked at much differently than the "Total Recall" and "Governator" jokes. He's obviously going to need examination as a candidate, but nothing major in that realm is going to be possible during this first wave of media frenzy.

[Downhome 0]

I still want to know where he stands on things, other than "leadership is a great thing to have" and "children are the future".

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Well, since people want to know about the guy, let me be a little more helpful than Tyler was. =b

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...08/MN175872.DTL

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor known for his monosyllabic catch phrases in the "Terminator" movies, recently mused in the Financial Times of London: "I am more comfortable with an Adam Smith philosophy than with Keynesian theory."

 

As Schwarzenegger dives into California politics, comments like this may help voters who are wondering just exactly what the Austrian-born actor and bodybuilder believes. Political observers are rushing to figure him out, as Democrats question his ability to grasp complicated subjects like the state budget.

 

Schwarzenegger, who keeps a bust of Ronald Reagan in his office, has been described as a "compassionate libertarian," a Republican moderate outside the usual mold of GOP candidates in California. Although never elected to public office, Schwarzenegger has amassed a large body of speeches and interviews that support this perception.

 

But there are gaps in the record. He is widely viewed as supporting abortion rights, for example, but there are no public comments from Schwarzenegger detailing his position on parental consent, late-term procedures or the public financing of abortion. It's difficult to find a single quote from him even saying he's pro-choice.

 

For voters seeking to understand how Schwarzenegger would govern California,

 

political analysts say the best example may be former Gov. Pete Wilson, who is supporting the actor, and even Gov. Gray Davis during his first term, when he tried to skip across the political spectrum and angered many liberal Democrats.

 

"It's like going through a buffet line where you find all sorts of things, on the left and the right, that you can chose from," said Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, who advised Schwarzenegger in 2001 and analyzed his public positions.

 

"Reporters are going to try very hard to put him in a box, but I don't think there is a box that would fit Arnold," said Whalen. "He said something very interesting to me once: 'You have to understand I am internally conflicted. I have an Austrian upbringing, but an adult life in California.' "

 

Schwarzenegger offers an array of seeming contradictions on policy issues that could confuse Republican voters, particularly conservatives, who are considered the most enthusiastic recall voters.

 

Schwarzenegger says he believes in less government spending, and yet he was author of a successful 2002 ballot measure that mandates $400 million in taxpayer spending on after-school programs. He is a follower of free- enterprise economist Milton Friedman, even taping an introduction to Friedman's 10-part TV series, "Free to Choose."

 

On the environment, Schwarzenegger already is getting criticized for driving enormous gas-guzzling SUVs such as the Hummer. He believes in "reasonable" environmental regulations, according to some records, but he declined to answer a question Thursday about his environmental positions, waving it off with: "I will fight for the environment. Nothing to worry about."

 

On gay rights, Schwarzenegger supposedly is supportive of adoptions by same- sex couples, another issue conservatives may find distasteful. He's been particularly outspoken about homosexuality, telling Cosmopolitan magazine: "I have no sexual standards in my head that say this is good or this is bad. 'Homosexual' -- that only means to me that he enjoys sex with a man and I enjoy sex with a woman. It's all legitimate to me."

 

"If you go back and watch 'Pumping Iron,' this is not a member of the religious right," said Democratic consultant Patrick Reddy, who has written about the actor for the National Review. "He's never preached on those issues. He's a businessman. He preaches the gospel of self-fulfillment, working hard, pumping iron, looking good."

 

 

MOVIE VIOLENCE

Polls show most Californians believe in strong gun-control laws, but Schwarzenegger is known mainly for his violent movies, which have included nearly 300 killings. In the past decade, as he began considering a career in politics, he said, he tried scaling back violent themes -- including forcing the removal of weapons from dolls promoting the movie "Last Action Hero."

 

Even though his newest movie, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," is just as violent as his 1980s action flicks, he is considered supportive of assault weapons laws. Schwarzenegger says he believes voters should be able to separate the two.

 

"I don't run around every day with a gun in my hand," he told Berkeley- based Youth Radio last year. "So I want kids to understand the difference; one is make-believe like we do in the movies. But in reality I'm for gun control. I'm a peace-loving guy."

 

Democrats now are questioning whether Schwarzenegger has the ability to dig deeper than cliches on important policy issues, as Sen. Dianne Feinstein characterized it Thursday. If elected governor, Schwarzenegger would have to consider about 3,000 bills a year on a range of issues, from workers' compensation to mental health to public contracts.

 

After announcing his candidacy, he mentioned a few government spending programs but didn't offer a payment method amid a state budget deficit expected to be at least $10 billion next year. The actor said he wanted more books in schools and "affordable day care. We want to make sure the older folks have their care that they need. That everything has to be provided for the people."

 

Although he promised later to offer a detailed budget plan, Schwarzenegger said the state needs leadership more than anything else. He ridiculed Davis' 1998 campaign claim that he was the best-trained governor in California history, saying that experience ruined the state.

 

But policy details can matter. In his first public comments as a candidate Wednesday night, Schwarzenegger said "the junk bond ratings that we're getting,

 

it is disastrous." In fact, although California's bond ratings have been downgraded by Wall Street, the state's credit rating is not at junk-bond status.

 

 

AUSTRIAN 'FARM BOY'

It's clear Schwarzenegger is a careful student of politics in general, infusing his speeches and interviews with stories about his Austrian upbringing and the transformation he made from a "farm boy" from Thal, Austria,

 

to an American success.

 

In a speech last year, Schwarzenegger said his first exposure to politics was the U.S. presidential campaign in 1968, the year he arrived in America. He had a friend translate the speeches of Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey and Republican Richard Nixon.

 

Humphrey talked about protectionism and more government planning, the actor said, which "sounded a lot like socialism in Austria." Nixon talked about "less government, lower taxes, the free market, international trade and a strong military."

 

"After the translator finished, I realized: Yes! I am a Republican," Schwarzenegger said. "I pretty much thought it was as simple as the movies: The Republicans were the good guys, and the Democrats were the bad guys."

 

Schwarzenegger said he later starting touring the county for the Special Olympics and "learned how America really worked. And what I realized was this: both parties had good ideas. So it's dead wrong to see things only as us versus them."

 

He rattled off some general policy positions, including lower taxes and less government spending. Government should provide a "fair start and fair competition. It shouldn't rig outcomes," which could be interpreted as support for limited affirmative action programs or opposition to it.

 

Not surprisingly, Schwarzenegger's views on gay rights and his appearance in violent movies have angered conservatives in California. The recall election is allowing the actor to completely bypass the traditional party apparatus of nominating candidates and go directly to the voter.

 

Some conservatives lashed out quickly Thursday. Louis Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, said the actor "would be a darker villain than any he has faced in his movies. . . . It's hard to imagine a worse governor than Gray Davis, but Mr. Schwarzenegger would be it."

 

"There (are) a lot of conservatives who obviously dislike enormously the overriding theme of his movies, this sort of maniacal violence," said John Kurzweil with the conservative California Political Review. "To take and embrace a guy who makes movies of this kind is certainly not a forgone conclusion."

 

There's also a few extra quotes of the bottom on issues like:

 

Taxes: "I still believe in lower taxes -- and the power of the free market. I still believe in controlling government spending. If it's a bad program, let's get rid of it."

 

Gays: "When it comes to sex, I don't give a s-- what anyone's trip is."

 

Government: "I come from Austria, a socialist country. There you can hear 18-year- olds talking about their pension. . . . Individualism is incompatible with socialism. I felt I had to come to America where the government wasn't always breathing down your neck or standing on your shoes."

 

Cloning: "At the moment, they're dealing with it by putting the religious spin on it. I understand that; there are some people who are religiously fanatic, that feel uncomfortable with it. But I think that's also a mistake."

 

 

----

 

Personally, I would be THERE for the guy if he'd talk about something economic besides special interest groups. We all know that the way to Governor eBay's heart is through special interest money, but so far there hasn't been a peep about budgeting other than "pump it up."

 

He sounds like the kind of Republican I would like to see more often, and I'll mark his box if I can get some sort of assurance he'll do more than go to the Assembly and say "Hey guys, we gotta pump it up!"

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Oh, I'm just being a sourpuss, I know. If he's truly the type of person he's billed to be, I wouldn't mind him as much as a Bush clone. However, he sounds way too much like an idealist without ideas to me.

[Guest JMA]

I like his stance on the issues. I also find it great he's pissing off social conservatives and the religious right. I'd vote for him.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

I think I've actually been a bit hard on Arnold (I had him pegged as the next Reagan...well, excepting the whole "next stop: White House" part); after reading that article I do like his middle of the road stance, but it still really bothers me that he can't seem to actually state his position or plans on anything. He always seems to just imply it...it's like he's walking on egg-shells to stay as middle of the road as he possibly can. However, as JotW and Edwin mentioned, that's probably good strategy for now until the circus leaves town. Hopefully by then it won't be too late for him to get his opinion and ideas across.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Well, I'm sure Arnold is going to lose sleep tonight because he doesn't live up to your standards...

I guess it's helpful that you have such low standards, then.

 

It seems all that it takes to get your vote is having an "R" next to your name.

Hey dipshit, I was making a joke.

 

And for the record, I have voted for people with the "D" right next to it.

 

I remember you calling me ignorant a while back -- look whose talking...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

I understand the joke, believe me.

 

However, it's rather hypocritical when people are blowing their loads over a guy whose stances are completely unknown to anyone but himself.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

From what I've read he seems like a fiscally conservative/socially liberal guy.

 

But since he has that "R" next to him I guess I should vote for him -- Rush and O'Reilly told me too.

 

Oh, and here's what I said in the thread dealing with Arnold's Leno appearance:

 

<<<Woldn't mind seeing Arnold throw Flynt out of his wheelchair.

 

I'd put Arnold in the same category as Rudy Giulani and Bloomberg regarding "conservative" credentials, although I'd take Arnold over Mikey anyday.

 

I am so not looking forward to the "Total Recall" headlines that are going to be even MORE frequent in the months ahead.

 

Oh, and Vyce:

 

LOL CLINTON NEWS NETWORK...>>>

 

Good thing when I blew my load over him the jizz didn't hit my computer screen...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Nah, Rush is vehemently against Arnold.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Oh, so now Rush says not to vote for Arnold? (BTW: I knew that beforehand as well, but thanks for pointing this out, seriously. However, in my opinion I don't think Rush is "vehemently" against him. Rather he's just in the Arnold's-not-a-true-conservative camp.)

 

But O'Reilly likes him! Whatever should I do?...

Edited August 9, 2003 by kkktookmybabyaway

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Vote for Dean.

[Firestarter 0]

For governor of California? Hell, why not? He'd probably do less damage there than anywhere else. Besides, who'd care? It's California.

[Guest JMA]

But O'Reilly likes him! Whatever should I do?...

I think the only reason O'Reilly claims to like him is to perpetuate his "Real Man's Man" image. That, and the whole Larry Flynt immaturely wishing death on him.

[DARRYLXWF 0]

Wow, when Arnold says his enemies will thrown a lot of shit at him in the campaign, he's RIGHT.

 

I've just finished seeing this 2 minute clip of various film clippings of Arnold in the 70's acting like a total fuckwit. Making sexist comments, leering at women, being drunk, smoking weed, the whole lot.

 

Hopefully the democrats won't find these films.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Please, his opponents are editing the film as we speak...

[Guest MikeSC]

I like the guy. He's socially moderate-to-liberal and fiscally conservative, and he fits well with the moderate (read: reasonable) wings of both major parties. He's also ridiculously charismatic.

 

But: Tyler's right. With the recall vote looking to be less than 2 months away, he's going to have to start expressing his actual positions sooner rather than later. Though I do think he's on the right path so far: this first week of his candidacy is going to just be fluff pieces and people saying "that's so COOL!" I think he and his campaign are smart enough to realize that anything major that they say at this stage isn't going to be looked at much differently than the "Total Recall" and "Governator" jokes. He's obviously going to need examination as a candidate, but nothing major in that realm is going to be possible during this first wave of media frenzy.

Not necessarily.

 

Hillary won a Senate seat without actually saying anything relevant in her campaign.

-=Mike