Schwarzenegger Stoops to New Lows in Ohio
It would have been utterly pathetic were it not for the urgency of the moment: with less than four days to go in one of the most significant elections in modern human history, there was California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the campaign trail in Ohio, pandering for John McCain and Sarah Palin in the heart of working-class America.
With his faux tan and Hollywood crafted persona, Schwarzenegger took a series of cheap shots at Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the type of low oratorical blows that he would never have the temerity to utter here in California--and only a week after declaring in a CNN interview that "I don't believe in personal attacks. I personally don't think that the people are interested [in] that..."
So much for the Governator's integrity.
Unable to prevent a Republican landslide for Obama in the Golden State (I'm predicting that Obama-Biden wins in California by nearly 25 points), Schwarzenegger took to the campaign trail on behalf of the McCain-Palin ticket in Columbus, where he stages an annual body-building expo.
"John McCain," Schwarzenegger declared, "has served his country longer in a POW camp than his opponent has served in the United State Senate." It was a remarkably insensitive and chilling reference to "camps" coming from someone whose own father voluntarily joined a paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party as it launched its genocide against Jews in Europe. Not to mention his own blank political resume when he first ran for governor six years ago.
But Schwarzenegger did not stop there. Unable to curtail either his macho or Aryan tendencies, he declared: "I want to invite Senator Obama [to Columbus], because he needs to do something about those skinny legs. I'm going to make him do some squats. And then we're going to make him do some biceps curls to beef up those scrawny little arms."
"If only we could do something about putting some meat on his ideas," Schwarzenegger declared, apparently forgetting his own nose-diving approval ratings here in California, which are rivaling the likes of George Bush. With little more than two years left to go in his failed governorship, he's already viewed as a lame duck by most political players in Sacramento.
Of course, one never knows how much stock to put in anything Schwarzenegger has to say. When he doesn't have a script in front of him, he's often all over the map. Verbatim transcriptions of his remarks reveal the linguistic capacity of someone who has difficulty comprehending anything but the most simplistic political formulations.
"I left Europe four decades ago because socialism has killed opportunities there," Schwarzenegger said. ". . . Now Sen. Obama says he wants to pursue the same 'spread the wealth' ideas that Europe had decades ago."
Are we really supposed to be taking this guy seriously? Little more than a week ago, a persistent Campbell Brown on CNN asked him about Sarah Palin. He described her as a "great choice," then conceded that she wasn't yet qualified to serve as president.
Then he equivocated yet again. Schwarzenegger declared, "Do you have the will to educate yourself? Do you have the will to get up to speed? Are you a sponge that absorbs information very quickly? That's the kind of person [Palin] is. That's what she would do if she becomes vice president."
Of course, Palin's mantra of "Drill, Baby, Drill," doesn't particularly resonate with Schwarzenegger's California constituency, and Brown tried to pin him down on the issue. Schwarzenegger simply refused to answer her question about this critical policy difference between himself and the McCain-Palin ticket. "The important thing is that McCain has a great portfolio of different energy sources and different solutions to the problem we're facing today," he declared, a flat-out lie about McCain's clearly stated support for off-shore oil drilling.
Back in Ohio, Schwarzenegger didn't have to worry about offending Californians. "If Sen. Obama had taken all of that money he has spent on TV ads, he could have bailed out the banks, paid off everyone's mortgages and saved taxpayers a ton of money," Schwarzenegger, well, lied again. "I think there will be a backlash against all of this lopsided spending. I think Americans on Tuesday will say our democracy is not for sale."
Say what? Schwarzenegger has used his celebrity to rake in more than $130 million in campaign contributions since his first gubernatorial bid six-plus years ago. He's also accepted several hundreds of thousands of dollar from corporate cronies who have sponsored trips and conferences overseas.
Moreover, in his current campaign for a ballot initiative to take the power to craft legislative districts away from state lawmakers (Prop. 11), Schwarzenegger has outspent his opponents by a ratio of 10-to-1. His hypocrisy apparently knows no bounds.
And come the national election results on Tuesday, we'll see who needs to be doing his squats and curls. The Governator's political muscle is looking awfully flabby these days.
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The California governor is all show no go. Americans think he is such a hero because he acted in films as one. What he really is is a prissy guy, who struts and measures his muscles to make certain they are balanced. When he was really buff he used steroids, his words, and lament, not mine. I am very unimpressed. America's Special Ops are not big buff guys. They are lean, heroic, and capable. They do not announce false bravado, but instead, get the job done. Schwarzenegger is an actor and a politician.
someone needs to give The Governator a math lesson and teach him the difference between a few million and 700 billion...
Psssssssttttttt!!!!!!!!!! Arnold was speaking to his wife....Guess he had no guts to say it to her face.
I am a Californian and I did not vote for the Terminator. Most of us do not like him in California. He is a pus we wish we do not have. The money party and the dumb and dumber in CA voted him in. He does not represent most Californians. We can't wait to get rid of this scab. Ohio can keep him.
I agree. Ohio should keep him.
Ask him about his closet for his shoes.
Go on, ask him.
just sent my Governor of California a nice email informing him that I would make sure he would not win reelection here, not that I voted for him in the first place.... Huffington got my vote in the recall!!
I guess Arnold didn't see the latest issue of Men's Health - with "scrawny" Barack Obama on the cover. Somehow I doubt we'll ever see McCain on the cover of a fitness mag!
My guess is that, in deference to his wife, Arnold didn't want to say anything too disparaging about Obama. As a fitness instructor, I actually admire Arnold for what he has done to promote health and fitness, especially in our schools, even before he became the "governator" of CA. To me it sounded like he was pulling out all his old lines from the "Hanz and Franz" skits on SNL.
Fitness-wise, Obama strikes me as being VERY physically fit. Not a bodybuilder - more of a runner's physique. Looking at old photos of McCain - even during his pre-POW navy days - he doesn't look like he's ever been all that physically fit by navy standards. At our club we have plenty of members who are 72 and OLDER who are in better physical shape than McCain.
S. is wrong is several ways. Hs native Austria was actually run by a socialist-conservative coalition from 1945 to 1970, and its prime ministers were all conservatives during that time. S. "discovered" the Republican party in the 1968 election when he decided Hubert Humphrey was too socialist for him. He earlier claimed that he grew up in sight of Soviet tanks in Austria although his party of the country was in the British occupation zone and the Soviets in their zone almsot never showed any tanks. Some of the advantages of the "socialist" Austrian welfare state, such as family allowances and medical care for all, would e the envy of most Americans, over 46 million of whom lack medical insurance.
gosh he sounds like Sarah Palin,,, he could see Russia from Austria, just like Sarah can see Russia from Alaska...
The world wants a change. Why ? Bush screwed up! If Obama gets elected he has massive expectations to make up for failed economic policies that have affected people the world around. Let's get a smart guy in office who can make intelligent decisions. Not an old vet who is supported by rich folks who want the status quo and who although a self proclaimed "maverick" voted 90% with Bush policies. (BTW - I have always had a problem with the McCain definition of the word "maverick" since Webster defines it as : "a person who thinks independently, a lone dissenter, a non-conformist or rebel.") Sorry but 10% a maverick does not make. Not to mention lack of sound judgment in selecting a VP candidate which is so painfully obvious.
Wake up America what is wrong with you ? We have replaced civic education with sitcoms and reality TV. The majority of Americans don't give a damn and do not even vote. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. Let's work for an educated less gullible electorate who won't fall for low brow, cheap, below the belt, "them-against-us", hate rhetoric. We are all Americans, not "real" vs "non-real" or "pro-America" and "anti-America" !!! That is just plain insulting. Let's show the world that we can work together to make a better place of all of us to live in. Vote Smart !!
Hallelujah for term limits!!!! If it wasn't stooping well below his level, Obama should call Arnie's bluff and get him out on the basketball court. "Hasta la Vista, Baby !!!"
Humor aside, this guy is a joke!! For those of you who voted for him, shame on you! He has done nothing that he promised. CA is in a financial mess and Arnie is to blame. How could he come support McCain in what has already made our country the laughing stock of the world with Mrs. "Sponge Head" Palin on a ticket for VP of the USA.
The Governator only supports the idea that our electoral process is being melded more and more into an "American Idol" like reality show than one where the electorate chooses their leaders based on their ability to make sound decisions for not only Americans but for the world. The proof is here:
http://www.economist.com/vote2008/
I just e-mailed Schwarz via his official state site. Much good it will do, but I felt compelled to let his office know how disappointing and reprehensible his remarks on Sen. Obama are to so many.
The hypocrisy on display within the McCain camp is astonishing. Truly astonishing.
maria shriver must be so proud of the father of her children ===
============================
i almost spit coffee when i read this
"Do you have the will to educate yourself? Do you have the will to get up to speed? Are you a sponge that absorbs information very quickly? That's the kind of person [Palin] is. That's what she would do if she becomes vice president."
do what? start performing her VP duties in a spongely manner? start absorbing stuff? so palin is going to start educating herself and getting up to speed very quickly AFTER the election?
finally, it's all coming together....................
VP by osmosis? She could surround the knowledge and just 'suck it up' thru her (one brain) cell membrane.
Moosetastic.
Best wishes for Nov 4th,
Itchy.
but then she would have to stop shopping at Sachs and Neiman Marcus... What is the poor lady supposed to do....
Actually, Maria Shriver is the one sound force behind her husbands governorship. It was Shriver who, a year into Arnold's first time, turned the governor's office, staff and operations upside down in order to get the house in order. Without her, Arnold would seem more of incompetent that he does currently.
Shriver is also extremely and genuinely active in women's groups and other philanthropic endeavors throughout the state, the country and the world.
Don't forget: She is a Kennedy via her mother and those genes are hard to shake. She is well organized, articulate and... well, a bad judge of character in husbands, lol...
But otherwise, she's propped up Arnold long enough that California truly doesn't fall into the Pacific.
Arnold stumped for Bush in 2000 and 2004. Someone needs to ask him why he thinks he is right about McCain. This is the same guy who called people who complained about the economy, "economic girly men." I can't take this man seriously anymore. I'm a Californian and I can't wait when he's up for reelection.
He will not be up for reelection, due to term limits. Yea!
I can't believe he was ever voted in office. His comments were purely offensive.
I wish this was satire. Alas, this is my state's governor, ladies and gentlemen. I'm ashamed. What a pathetic display of hypocrisy. Thanks for making us aware of this.
If people are ignorant enough to vote for unqualified celebrities, they get what they deserve. Of course, the rest of us Californians have to suffer through his inept governing. Hopefully, we have learned our lesson, but I am afraid that we have not.
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