Have You Learned Your "California" Lesson Yet??

[Starpass]

I've been utterly bummed about this for several days. I've assumed that with all the things going "wrong" in this country at the hands of the republicans that Americans are turning, thinking, getting angry, etc. We look at the Bush numbers going "dooown", and we feel a sense that things are now sinking into the minds of Americans as they put down the flag for a minute and reflect. Then BAM, BOOM, SLAM---here come California!!!!!!!!!!!

Supposedly the people got all feverish because of a serious budget problem that needs to be addressed----okay, I can buy that. But when you see the response as they go crazy for Arrrnuld, you see the ugly truth. This is not "thinking" in action; it's sleazy glitz---the power of "star making" (a form of propaganda). So here sit our presidential candidates crafting positions on the economy, jobs, healthcare, education and all those things that we are totally certain the people care to their core about. California just showed us that nothing has changed. Even the most liberal state is willing to elect a superficial idiot with no plans to solve their problem and who is GOP to boot!!

We need to get ourselves our very own circus clown, folks. We need a 'star'--perhaps a race car driver since that is our #1 "sport" these days in the US of A. We need a monkey who is better at being a fool than the one in the Oval Office. The people like that. They think it's cool....and with all they have been through in the last couple years, they still have no intention of becoming educated about what is going on in this nation even if it means the food on their table. You can't fight ignorance. We desperately need a 'village idiot'..fast.

[Not a robought]

1. An existentialist question for you that borders on Zen:

Considering how hastily put together the recall election will be and how voter turn out may end up low due to low budget fund hassles...

Are the people who are fans of Arnold, who don't "think", who enjoy "star making" and sleazy glitz... the same people who will actually go out to vote?

[Starpass]

4. Nota----unfortunately, that is what happened in Minnesota

It wasn't mainstream Dems or Repukes or Indpendents that put him in....it was wrestling fans. And, unfortunately, since this governorship could be taken with something like 20-25% or less of the vote, it does very much concern me. If Jessie could get enough of them in a general election and Arnold needs far less....well, see what I mean.

[ButterflyBlood]

5. two things Jesse had that Arnold didn't:

1. A platform
2. previous governing experience as mayor of a Twin Cities suburb

His platform attracted young people who liked his pro-pot/pro-prostitution stances and moderate Republicans who liked his fiscal conservatism but without all the Religious Right baggage. He wouldn't of made it on his star appeal alone.

[SharonAnn]

13. And didn't Minnesota have Instant Voter Registration on

Election Day?

And didn't Ventura's supporters bring in lots of people who registered and voted on Election Day?

[TennesseeWalker]

2. Human Nature.

I agree, Starpass. It's sad that people won't focus on tough issues. I understand the behavior, though. Some people don't have very much in life that they find exciting. Someone like Arnold gives them something to talk about and watch unfold, kind of like a football game. I'm sorry to say, but I think this same train of thought can be applied to Laci Peterson, OJ, Bill and Monica, Kobe Bryant and all the rest.

If there isn't a tremendous amount of interest in the personalities, it doesn't get play with the masses. This "lazy" thinking also allows those with particular interest to manipulate, and thus, ShrubCo.

And a Democratic Star. How about Jon Stewart for President? ;)

[sandnsea]

3. They won't feel stupid

When people talk about politics, they can say they're voting for Arnold because he puts children first. So now they won't get that look when they have no idea who is Governor, let alone who's running for Governor.

Policy is complicated and even though I try to sound like I know exactly what I'm talking about, I'm almost never certain. Most people really aren't interested in spending hours learning how an energy grid works for example, what power companies are on the grid, who owns them, which ones are old and dirty, which ones are alternative energy, and on and on. So how can most average people really say what the best approach to our power problems really is?

Vote for Arnold, he puts kids first! (Whew, now I can go to the game!)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. First of all

Bustamante is ahead of Arnold in the polls. Arnold started out on top and has nowhere to go but down. Second, the ridicuous thing about the recall but since the courts won't hear the case, we are stuck is that with 38percent against the recall versus Arnolds 22% and Cruz's 25% is that MORE people favor Davis than either of the top two.

Finally, this isn't playing out in California the way it is playing out in the rest of the nation. Maybe it is because this is our state but the newspapers down south are taking him to task for his statements.

I think the real lesson is Repubs will stop at nothing, and the MEDIA must be a target in our sites or we can continue to expect a borrage of fact forming.

It is high time to use our power of protest to get the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE restored.

[mitchtv]

7. i threatened my local small mkt tv station

in Palm desert. I told them I was sick of the all Arnold all day coverage. and "we" were going to start contacting their LOCAL sponsors and telling them why we would not be visiting their restaurants and showrooms, furthemore we would Remember them when we won . they responded quickly and defensivly. this was the ABC (KESQ)affiliate. I am debating whether to bother with KMIR the biggest offender (NBC). TRY it, you'll like it.

[havocmom]

9. Yep, boycotts of sponsors has worked well for the wing nuts

And if I recall, Savage is toast after we started contacting sponsers of his show on TV. It is productive, effective, impowering and fun!
Lets off loads of steam to construct letters to sponsors about boycotting them if they continue to finance narrow points of view.

[Starpass]

8. Do you posters from California feel that

we can drill home a case about the GOP attack to try to overthrow a democratic election and make CA just another Florida??? Since it is our most liberal state, would that make some juices flow and perhaps make people defensive about what Bush is doing?? Apparently, according to the media, Bush's numbers are not good in CA. Now whether they translate that into a "keep Davis" or dump and put in Bustamonte is up in the air. BUT I would think that if Bill got his butt out there, didn't support a candidate but talk this up, that it could rally the CA dems as the first "strike" of the '04 campaign. Do you think this type of appeal would work????????

[Mz Pip]

10. It does get mentioned

but not often enough. THey are falling all overthemselves trying to straighten this out and make it something other than laughable.

This is not the coup they planned. I think they thought this would be easy. Instead it turned into chaos. The wingnuts who engineered this are not pleased. IMHO they over reached on this one. Never underestimate Californians for their diversity of opinions, and bizarre sense of humor. THe GOP engineered this and are now caught off guard with Ah-hold and Mary Cary and Gallagher and Larry Flynt and the 100year old grandmother and someone named Michael Jackson and Gary Coleman... 135 people.

One of our wondeful columnists, Jon Carroll, argued that this is not a circus. A circus is filled with well trained and dedicated performers. This is just chaos.

MzPip
:dem:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. No not really. Here is why.

Looking at the recall in the BIG PICTURE, the California Republican party was all but dead prior to the recall campaign. They had lost every major statewide election and had lost seats in the senate and assembly so much so that only those bills requiring more than a majority vote needed their tacit approval. They were marginalized.

The recall effort has energized their base from "poke a stick in it" status. So far so good. But for ONE thing. The ONLY candidates even FORWARDING any remedies on the Rpublican side are Simon and McClintock and their answers are MORE cuts. This doesn't bode well.

If the recall succeeds ( and a Republican wins)....there won't be a remedy without MORE PAIN for California and voters will be dissatisfied. If the recall fails...they will be further DEMORALIZED and further marginalized.

If the recall succeeds and Bustamante wins...it will be the same as my SECOND assessment.

[maggrwaggr]

12. It's the media, not the people, cumming buckets over Ahnold

the people are just shrugging their shoulders and pretty much laughing about it.

Arnold's getting 25% of the polls right now because he's the official republican candidate. That's all.

I don't think the never-went-to-college, went-AWOL-to-go-to-a-bodybuilding-competition, bad-actor-boy ego maniac who NEVER MANAGED HIS OWN MONEY stands a chance.

Seriously. This is California, where media hype is just one of the state industries.

The media just saw a story they could run with, and they did. Freakshows get good ratings, always have.

And Arnold seems to have forgotten about the rather large Latino population here that would LOVE to vote for one of their own.