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Ear to the Ground

Schwarzenegger Thought About Ditching the GOP

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Posted on Feb 24, 2009
White House / Eric Draper

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biographer has revealed that the California governor recently thought about leaving the Republican Party, but decided he wouldn’t gain much by doing so, politically. Camp Schwarzenegger has yet to respond, but the news fits, given the governor’s problems working with his own party.

Daily Beast via Political Wire:

A few months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a few close associates discussed whether he should leave the Republican Party, according to two people familiar with the conversation. His friend Mike Bloomberg, the New York mayor, had become an independent. Maybe Schwarzenegger should, too. But the governor and his people quickly concluded that Californians already saw him as independent of the Republican Party. So what would be the point of a switch? (A spokesman for the governor declined comment.)

To people outside the state, Schwarzenegger’s recent battles with Republican legislators over a budget and his criticism of GOP governors and congressmen for their opposition to President Obama’s stimulus package might sound jarring. Schwarzenegger once was “Conan the Republican” (the first President Bush’s nickname for him), a politician who declared in his 2004 convention speech, “I’m proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan and the party of George W. Bush.” Now he is on ABC News saying that “it doesn’t really mater if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”

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Outraged's avatar

By Outraged, February 25, 2009 at 8:58 pm Link to this comment

Re: Peter

Your comment: “He’s probably had more thoughts in one year than you have had in your entire life.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a corrupt ideologue and a gold digger at that, what ever way the wind blows it seems….. is his motto.

In regards to your comment, I doubt that, and you’d be hard pressed to prove it.  Have you ever investigated his background, family members, sordid pictures and of course his rise to stardom portraying the nearest idiot of note… yet, BING, he’s governor…. backed by WHAT PARTY…., and who was it he had so many kind words for…..?  None other, than DickBush… will wonders never cease?

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By noitdoesnt, February 25, 2009 at 12:09 pm Link to this comment

Californians should be glad an ambitious movie star had meetings with Enron executives at a posh Beverly Hills hotel a month before the planned “Power Crisis”.
The governor, who just announced that he is doing a movie with Stallone (who was caught smuggling anabolic steroids by Australia a couple years ago), bears responsibility for the Steroid craze.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed him Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.
If Arnold cared about kids, he should have turned it down.
Having a male model who used steroids to enhance his body as the Chairman is not what Eisenhower had in mind when he founded the council to promote youth fitness.

America already had a false impression that being larger and stronger meant “health” and cheating to “win” is OK.

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Purple Girl's avatar

By Purple Girl, February 25, 2009 at 8:35 am Link to this comment

He and Crist may be the only salvation (redemption) for the Republican party.
Both parties have been under the influence of some Screwed up ideologies for the last 3 decades. Repub party infested with Religious Zealots and Dems with the Corp whores.
Republicans were never about interferring in private personal decisions. Dems Were never about conceding to the whime of Industry (DLC’s “Third Way”).Wahts Obvious is the fact the Dem party was infiltrated by those Repubs who refused to go along with the Moral Majority agenda. What really was a Dark con on the faith, using them to push ‘moral ‘issues while the Corp Profiteers worked the back room. Reason none of their issues ever saw the light of day in legislation (thank God). How the Repugs Blew smoke up theri Asses, spewed the ‘Christian nation Mantra’, threw them a crumb every once in a while- but never had any interest in their doctrines, just their votes.
The Clintons played the same game on Us Dems.“Dont’ ask Dont tell”, The mantra that NAFTA would be good for manufacturing. But all the while handing the corps Their Wish list behind the curtain of Deception.
Teh last Real Republican to be pres was Ike, the last Real Dem Carter. Funny the Repugs never mention Ikes WArning about the Military industrial complex- only go back as far as the Alzheimers patient Ronny. Dems were encouraged to continue the degradation of Carter and told to only focus on JFK- what happen to Johnson- Vietnam yes, but also sign the Civil Rights act. Bill’s fantasy about being the ‘Kennedy Torch’ bearer was Clearly Rejected Publically by Teddy at the ‘08 convnetion- Damn I laughed my ass off, Did he duck and block it’s flight like Bush with the shoe? Was he and Hillary’s Eye brows singed?
Teh last 30 yrs has been a Con Game played on all americans regardless of party affiliation- both have been nothing more than Puppets to a Corp Regime who’s master puppeteers have been the likes of Cheney & Rumsfeld..CheneyCorp & foreign sponsors.
Why do you think Mac and Hillary sounded like duel recording of the same song on the Campaign trail, working to bring down the same opponent?

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Tony Wicher's avatar

By Tony Wicher, February 25, 2009 at 8:04 am Link to this comment

Hurray for Arnold, the only Republican I ever voted for!

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By Peter, February 24, 2009 at 9:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

He’s probably had more thoughts in one year than you have had in your entire life.

California should be very thankful Schwarzennegger became governor when he did.  Under democratic leadership, when California was raking in money like never before and even some secretary’s working for firms became millionaires, the states coffers were emptied.  California democrats did to California what republicans did to the US federal government, they put it in huge debt.  The republicans did it with wars, the democrats with their union supporters did it with outrageous salaries, benefits and inefficient government.

When Schwarzenneger came into gov’t he tried to fix the broken gov’t and system we have.  But the democratic politicians and unions were comfortable and didn’t want to make any changes.  Now the chickens have come home to roost.  What you have seen so far is nothing.  When this country has over 10% unemployment, our automakers go bankrupt and Europe and Asia come out of this mess okay, people in this country are going to wonder “what did we do wrong”?

Its a simple answer that Schwarzenegger and every European (certainly Europeans with Schwarzenneggers background) knows - you don’t spend what you don’t have.  When the sun is out and things are going well, you save for a rainy day when you will need that money.  Some of the media in California are as much at fault as the spendthrift’s we have in government.

The four propositions he put forth would have made teachers more effective, eliminated those few that are not effective, eliminated the gerrymandering districts we have that ensure existing leaders get re-elected and put into law budget discipline.  There would have been virtually no pain, but we would have been in much better shape.

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Outraged's avatar

By Outraged, February 24, 2009 at 8:25 pm Link to this comment

Okay….

I just want to be sure I’m understanding this correctly….. is someone CLAIMING that Schwarzenegger had a thought?

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By GW=MCHammered, February 24, 2009 at 7:33 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

America should ditch the GOP. Then the Dems. Each should sit out three full presidential terms. Separate the sick Siamese twins.

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