Anyone down in Cali vote today? What’s the mood?
It’s just insane watching this all up in Seattle. I used to live in California, and the state is just a gigantic loony bin at times.
From what I’ve read, Arnie’s got the edge going in, but you know how elections can go.
What I do know is that I truly despise Gray Davis, and I’m a lifelong Democrat.
I voted on Friday. The county is running a pilot program with the new touchscreen voting systems (with the vaguely unwholesome-sounding slogan “Touch The Future”), so they had a couple of polling places open all week last week. I voted “No” on the recall and for Cruz Bustamante–not because I like either Davis or Bustamante (I don’t, particularly Davis), but just because I think the whole recall is dirty pool.
It’s going to be quite a circus today, though.
The latest Davis slash ad started appearing yesterday, it is so over the top it’s hilarious.
[paraphrase] “If you are a woman, or your mom is a woman, or your sister, or your wife, or if there is a woman at your workplace…you can’t vote for this man (flash to unflattering shot of Arnold). Because he has a big problem with women…”
Then they show a quote by Arnold that goes something like “How often do you get a chance to hold a woman upside down and stick her head in a toilet?”. Of course this quote is regarding his role in Terminator 2, and is totally irrelevant to anything remotely resembling reality.
“If you are a woman (or a man), vote No on the recall” [/paraphrase].
At no time is Davis’s name even mentioned. So, I am supposed to let a schmuck like Davis keep his job because Arnold likes the nooky? I guess he knows there is no chance anyone will vote for him based upon his performance in office…
Keep in mind I’m a lifelong Democrat and all, but what do you think Davis would have said if the Republicans had run an ad like that about Bill Clinton?
I totally disagree. I mean, obviously the quote is about his role in T3, but it’s entirely relevant that a gubernatorial candidate thinks it’s great to get a chance to “stick a woman’s head in a toilet and get away with it” (which was the actual quote IIRC). The man clearly has issues with women, and that’s relevant to whether he’d be a good governor. I dislike Davis and his constant attack-ad strategy, but to say that this “is totally irrelevant to anything remotely resembling reality” is completely off-base.
He’d probably have acted like an ass about it, regardless of validity.
Kaus, of all people, makes a pretty good case that Arnold’s a bully. At least Clinton’s women were consenting.
Well, I’m not voting and don’t really care if the tiger that mauled Roy is elected as our next Governor. I just think that ad (and the election in general) is yet another shining example of just how broken our political process is. The leadership of the most populous state in the world’s lone superpower is being determined by whether some superstar actor is a groper.
Yeah, the problems is that Arnold is even being considered.
And I don’t know how the coverage in California has been, but the national press has totally ignored the other candidates (Bustamante, etc.) for the past couple of weeks.
I mean, if there IS a recall, then either Bustamante or McClintock should be the ones people are considering, not Arnold Friggin’ Schwarzenegger.
I have no doubt about the groping stories are true – I mentioned in the other topic a friend who’d told us about having her butt Schwarzengrabbed long before Arnold ever considered running for office --but the way the Davis camp has tried to utilize this issue has been just pitiful. What’s truly sad that this would even have to be brought up as a reason not to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger. You’d think “total lack of qualifications” would be enough.
I love this photo of people lining up to vote here in LA:
Note the American flag flying upside-down: as any Red Dawn viewer knows, a signal of distress.
Went by the polling place after work.
Line streched far outside the building, and it wasn’t moving.
I kept driving. I’ll order a pizza, eat that, and then go back.
After the 2000 Presidential elections, I swore not to vote again until the Presidential elections 2004.
Aaaaaand they’re calling it for Arnold.
Guess the Recall Arnold movement starts tomorrow!
Screw that, I just got back from the polls, and I find that Arnie wins?
Crap.