Is the California election a bellwether for 04?

[DemNoir]

If Arnold is able to somehow squeak out a win does this portend bad things for Dems in 04? Likewise, if the recall is defeated, does it mean that voters are geting smarter about Republican manipulations leading to happy days for Dems in 04?

Or is this just a freak show disconnected from the national scene?

[QC]

1. I suspect it's just a freakshow.

And sometimes I think it might be best for us if the orangutan misogynist were to win.

Because then, when the party is over, he has to plug a very big leak in a very tight budget.

It could be a hell of a lot of fun watching that fucking moron have to choose between kicking old folks out of the nursing homes and imposing a Hummer tax on his best buddies. And just wait until the Goopers come up with some new crackpot initiative designed to stick it to the immigrants, and Arnie, who needs immigrant votes, has to take a side.

Honestly, if the Goopers win this one, I think they will be the dog who finally caught the car.

[CMT]

2. no

though if Arnold pulls it off (I was going to say pulls it out, but I wouldn't put it past him to do that either)--I expect the Rove machine and whore media will try to spin it that way.

[Democat]

3. Yes, it proves the media is going to promote Republicans and destroy Dems

Even if Arnold loses, how can one Democrat be even close to losting to two Republicans in California?

If you don't think there are problems, you aren't paying attention.

Add together the support for Arnold and McClintock and compare that to the support for Cruz.

It is not good and it's all the media's doing.

The media constantly promotes Arnold and bashes Davis and Cruz.

[cherryperry]

4. Well, harumph, ahem, as a California DUer,

I'm thinkin' the days of California bellwethering are about as over as the days of Harvey Milk :cry: ... so I'm thinkin' it IS just a freak show; but, that is just one woman's opinion ... nothing more, nothing less ...

:kick: :kick:

[Vitruvius]

5. YES. Both CA '03 and US '04 are on voting machines from Rethug companies,

as was Minnesota '02 and Georgia '02.

"He who casts the vote is nothing.
He who counts the vote is everything.
-- Josef Stalin

[Romberry]

6. I don't think it's a referendum on 04 so much...

...as I think it's a referendum on the ability of Americans to know enough to sustain democracy. (Short version: Are voters really this stupid?)

Apparently a lot of people just don't know much about the history of western civilization. They don't know the lessons of "too much democracy" from ancient Athens. California has a system that allows the voters to vote for all kinds of goodies at the same time they vote for all kinds of propositions that leave their state unable to pay for what they just voted for. And let us not even consider a recall system in which a sitting official can draw 49.9% of the vote and lose their office to a candidate who may only garner 10 or 20% of the vote. How effing crazy is that?

[TomNickell]

7. No, too confusing to mean much at all.

And, given the very real problems the Calif gov will have to deal with, Arnold might soon wish he had lost.

[havocmom]

8. The actual election is a systems test for programed vote theft

The campaign is Circus Maximus to keep the citizens occupied.