Arnold Schwarzenegger (D-CA)

[SaveElmer]

Arnold Schwarzenegger (D-CA)
by kos
Mon May 21, 2007 at 09:38:05 AM PDT

Early this year, I found myself speaking to a California legislator high up on the leadership. Democrats had just lost a governors race that looked winnable six months before Election Day, but turned into an easy romp by the Terminator.

But rather than be upset, instead of gearing up for battle, this legislator was feeling quite optimistic and content. "We're going to be working with a Democratic governor," he told me.

And while not even a real Democratic governor is perfect, fact is that Schwarzenegger is for all intent purposes a Democrat to the consternation of Republicans and quiet glee of Democrats in the great Golden State.

(IN between a very Un-Republican like interview on MTP)


And Arnold has remained true to form, with his State of the State address sounding many of those progressive themes. His performance can't be considered "perfect" to all Democrats, of course (his budget trims funding for programs dealing with welfare and the disabled). But not even Democratic governors are "perfect" on every issue.

So it's pretty funny seeing California's neanderthal Republican Party reduced to an irrelevant sideshow as Arnold and the state's Democrats work to enact a surprisingly progressive agenda.

http://www.dailykos.com/

[wyldwolf]

1. Arnold's political affiliation is a product of what he was exposed to first...

[zbdent]

3. was that the Nazi pop?

[wyldwolf]

4. probably.

[mike_c]

2. I partly agree with this assessment, and partly disagree....

First and foremost, the last democratic governor we had was a genuine disaster, and republican or no, I think it would be a real stretch to say that Schwarzenegger hasn't done a better job than Grey Davis did. At the same time, Schwarzenegger has been WAY too willing to compromise elements of his progressive agenda in favor of big business (although how this affects his green initiatives remains to be seen).

I'm a public employee-- faculty at a California State University-- so I'm particularly pissed off about Schwarzenegger's use of the voter initiative process to attack state workers and labor unions in California. That attack wholly failed, and was a humiliating defeat for Schwarzenegger-- one from which he quickly recovered by being contrite rather than vindictive, to his credit-- but a telling glimpse into his pro-corporate soul nonetheless. Of course, that's never been a surprise-- Schwarzenegger was a pretty well understood package from day one, including both his socially progressive side and his pro-business mobster regressive side.

As a republican, Schwarzenegger has by and large been a better governor than some democratic governors we've had in recent years. As a progressive liberal WAY to the left of much of the democratic party, even in this state, I appreciate that. At the same time, I say the dem legislature and liberal public institutions-- like labor-- need to keep a very close eye on der gubernator. A very close watch indeed.

[marlakay]

5. Arnold thinks he can have it both ways

He totally lost it with me when he promised not to leave the state and then made that speech to help re elect Bush in 2004.

Then all the stuff he did pardoning the enron people....notice how the news was too busy cover Lacy Peterson at the time.