[ob. "Running Man" comment here]

[digitaldiscipline]

"For the people to win, politics as usual must lose," Schwarzenegger told supporters Tuesday night at his victory party.

It's statements like this one that make me wonder why so many people are torqued off that he won, or that he was running in the first place. Sure, I'm being simplistic, but when the average Joe [me] sees the best solution to the current bureaucracy as being napalm and bullets, we'll throw in with someone who made it in and wants to work some change.

Isn't change [for the sake of change or not] what all that liberal stuff was originally about?

I agree with the man's politics [pro-choice, etc] in large part anyway.

Viva la WTP.

Comments

[angel-renewed.livejournal.com]

We really need to work on that webpage. Sadly, I'm busy with the gothcruise page for the foreseeable future. Speaking of which, you should go on the cruise. Damnit.

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

There's a "gothcruise" page . . . ?
How odd. Are you talking about a shipboard cruise, with shuffleboard and waves and the whole nine yards?

[angel-renewed.livejournal.com]

Indeed. http://www.gothcruise.com

or

gothcruise

Last I checked, we had around 75 people signed up.

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

How fun!

Imagine the sunscreen profits that could be made . . . ! I think I'm going to have to start marketing sunscreen to goths. That entrepreneurial spirit has me again.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

K & I won't be cruising - the time just isn't there, even if the money was. *sigh*

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

Isn't change [for the sake of change or not] what all that liberal stuff was originally about?

Not at all. "Change for the sake of change" may be what anarchists want, but it's not a liberal value. Fascism is "change" but it sure as hell ain't liberal.

Besides, Arnie *is* politics as usual. Money bought power last night. Slick sound bites won over thoughtful policies. That's par for the course in America. Schwarzenegger is just Reagan lite, another pretty face trained to speak well in front of a crowd but without substance. There's nothing unusual about that.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

With all the huff about the "progressive agenda" in salon's coverage, you'd certainly think that there were plans for change afoot, or at least on the dem's wish list.

Maybe I'm misattributing meaning to these terms, but I hear people from both sides shouting that the other guy wants to maintain the status quo for his own benefit - statists - and neither side wants to be that guy. everyone says they're gonna make a change in their campaign, unless they're an idiot.

maybe arnold was just less-idiotic than the other alternatives. the least of several evils.

but, really, if you -had- to have any of the republicans on offer, he's about the most moderate-to-liberal you could have hoped for - pro choice, pro-gay [or at least not anti-gay], isn't he?

and, no, us anarchists just want the government to go fuck off and leave us alone. my money, my stuff, my body - keep your laws off it, and i'll lynch any motherfucker who tries to steal my stuff or that of my friends. yeah, i'm a whack-job, i know.

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

everyone says they're gonna make a change in their campaign, unless they're an idiot.

Which is why Arnie's "change" is meaningless. The only thing new he brings to the table is lack of experience, & I don't consider that a good thing.

maybe arnold was just less-idiotic than the other alternatives. the least of several evils.

I must disagree. The *only* position that Arnold admitted to standing for was being pro-business. He was even wishy-washy about being pro-choice. Camejo had the most practical budget positions - tax the rich, duh - & he & Bustamante supported immigrant rights a hell of a lot more than Arnie (the immigrant). Even Huffington was less idiotic than Arnie (plus, in their one debate together, she exposed him for the misogynistic jerk he is). I have more respect for McClintock bec. he actually stated clear positions the whole time. You knew what he really stood for, even if you despised it. Arnie had nothing more than recycled movie quips a la The Onion.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

fair enough. would it be inappropriate to ask who you put your vote behind?

[note: LA sucks in many ways, but I'm glad I'm not a CA resident, either last week -or- next]

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

The same guy I voted for last November - Bustamante. And, of course, no on the recall itself. I really liked what Camejo & Huffington brought to the table, but they only differed from Bustamente on some of the specifics. I also felt that, should the gov. get recalled, the job should fall to the lt. gov. who I already elected.

LA does suck & always will suck, & I wish SoCal would fall into the sea & stop sullying my beautiful, progressive NorCal. But that's a whole 'nother rant coming on.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

LA does suck & always will suck, & I wish SoCal would fall into the sea & stop sullying my beautiful, progressive NorCal. But that's a whole 'nother rant coming on.

I'm sorry, miss, you've just turned into a New Yorker. The rest of the country continues to exist. . . LA = Louisiana. *giggles*

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'd rather be a New Yorker than from Los Angeles ;-)

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

Isn't change [for the sake of change or not] what all that liberal stuff was originally about?

"Change for the sake of change" is as stupid as "We've always done it like that so we can't change it now," i.e., "Staying the same for the sake of staying the same."

So no, I don't think that's what all that liberal stuff was about. I can't speak for anyone else, at least, but I think it's about trying to fix things that are broken. Which, despite the name, is what "conservatism" is about, too -- just usually the methods of fixing are radically different.

I don't disagree with much of the man's politics; I just think that California has revealed its incredible stupidity and lack of vision. He's not a man of substance; he's an ACTOR for fuck's sake! It's CHOOSING a liar, someone who has made a career of being fake; they're going to expect him to tell the the truth??? Can anything be more stupid and yet cynical than that? Did they learn nothing from Reagan?

If all we want is a talking head, a pretty face to read the scripts, why do we elect individuals? Why not just elect an ideology?

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I think it's about trying to fix things that are broken. Which, despite the name, is what "conservatism" is about, too -- just usually the methods of fixing are radically different.

Thank you for putting this so well.

If all we want is a talking head, a pretty face to read the scripts, why do we elect individuals? Why not just elect an ideology?

This, friends and neighbors, is why registering for a political party needs to be done away with. People should be required to listen and consider the issues and viewpoints espoused by each candidate [who will also, incidentally, not be allowed to label themselves as liberal, or democrat, or conservative, or republican, or libertarian, or whatever].

people hear the label and either align with or against it unthinkingly. that has to stop for any meaningful democratic process to work. unthinking response is what puts strom thurmond in office for sixty fucking years.

[the-tsm.livejournal.com]

Did they learn nothing from Reagan?

Unless I'm mistaken there are quite a few conservatives (including a good many members of the present administration) who consider Reagan to be the finest president in the past 50 years.

For people above a certain economic line, indeed there was nothing to be "learned" from Reaganomics since to them it was all milk and honey and fat fucking tax-breaks.

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

True, but the percentage of people who voted for Arnie means that those milk-and-honey types can't be toe only ones who voted for him.

I think the truth about how much of a scripted president Reagan was has yet to come out, and may never be known. Those people who think he was the greatest president in 50 years (or ever) actually think his handlers were the greatest president in 50 years. This may be an academic point, which is exactly what I'm saying -- we've ceased to elect presidents and governors, and started electing corporations and ideologies.

[milktongue.livejournal.com]

My only problem with asserting that electing an actor is tantamount to electing a liar is the assumption that electing *anyone(career politician or otherwise)* is any different. In my book, politicians = liars. Regardless of your politics, intentions, whatever - it's all about picking the less of two evils.

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

I see your point, but it's like saying, "we might as well elect a convicted murderer, because all politicians are criminals anyway." It certainly does away with the uncertainty ("Well," we could say, "we always knew he was a criminal, so basically we could trust him to be exactly what he was!") but not in a good way.

But really, I don't think he was elected on the basis of his platform. I can't know the intentions of anyone, but it seems highly likely that he was elected on the basis of his name and fame. I wonder how many people voted for the first time this election, and how many voted for him because they really liked that one movie. Yes, yes, I know I'm being cynical.

Predator

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I dunno, man. . . Jesse Ventura v. Arnold? I'd be torn!

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Which, I suppose, means that the fellow went from being an actor to voluntarily become a professional liar... (:

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

He's not a man of substance; he's an ACTOR for fuck's sake!

he's actually quite a bit more than that...he began as a bodybuilder, moved into a career as an actor and director, is well-known in business circles for his financial and investment acumen, married into one of the biggest political dynasties in america and has a successful marriage and has his opinion respected in political circles.

he's been successful in everything he's done.

try moving to austria, learning another language, and achieving all that. ;)

i may not agree with everything he says, but DAMN he's one smart guy.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

besides, he's banging maria shriver. . . . *smirk*

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

see? smart guy! am i wrong? ;))

[netgoth.livejournal.com]

against what?

Man, she looks like she was just liberated from auschwitz. I understand wanting to keep yourself trim, but she's positively *skeletal*. You can see the shape of her skull now.

*squick* I'd rather be a little too pudgy than to be that kind of aneorexic skinny.

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

i'm actually surprised to hear so many negative reactions...arnie's a smart, smart guy. he's proven himself to be financially and politically savvy, and while he tends to be more conservative than most of the views i subscribe to, he's shown an adapatabilty and open-mindedness that interests me.

i'm suspending judgement, but i think the outcome could have been far worse.

of course, i could be wrong.

[geekers.livejournal.com]

*nudgenudge* ... an interesting read... (http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1004-05.htm)

[dark-angel-nic.livejournal.com]

I personally dont believe that half the politicians in the "business" at the moment know what they are doing. So if someone who is on the other side of the coin so to speak, and that someone is a person who the people will listen to then Im all for it!

Go Arnie!

[etcet.livejournal.com]

i think that probably half of -everybody- doesn't know what the fuck they're doing at any given moment. at my office, that's running around 80% [and this is in a 3 person office].

[dark-angel-nic.livejournal.com]

Sounds good, in my office we are usually deciding whether to have another biscuit or not.