Arnold as CA Governer???

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by catland
lol. scary to think that our younger members only know "American Pie" - the movie.

or the horrid version Madonna recorded a year or so ago!

[babolaypo65]

Hey now! don't be dissin Madonna!
(okay, I hated it, I admit it).

Originally posted by RICHARD
or the horrid version Madonna recorded a year or so ago!

[catland]

Originally posted by RICHARD
or the horrid version Madonna recorded a year or so ago!

I must be blissfully out of the loop. I never heard her version.

What is entertaining is Weird Al Yanchovich doing his tribute to Star Wars I with the American Pie melody.

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by RICHARD
or the horrid version Madonna recorded a year or so ago!

That was my exact thought!!!!

[Soledad]

I think this article really sums up my feelings on this topic:

Joe Conason's Journal
Why are Republicans happy about Arnold -- but cry treason when lefty celebs get political?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Aug. 7, 2003 | California dreamin' -- but someday they'll wake up
Weren't the Republicans just telling us the other day that celebrities should keep their mouths shut about politics? Didn't they blast the Dixie Chicks, Janeane Garofalo, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and every other artist who spoke out about the war in Iraq? Wasn't the argument that fame doesn't confer experience, wisdom or competence?

Obviously that was then -- and today is Arnold. Of course, he's no longer a B-movie actor or ex-bodybuilder -- he's a "businessman" now. And like all businessmen he believes that there could be nothing simpler than straightening out the government with a loud voice and a spreadsheet. As Schwarzenegger explained to Jay Leno, he's going to "clean house" in Sacramento, presumably without the use of any automatic weapons or runaway semi trucks.


Today's best capsule story profile reacting to his surprise "Tonight Show" announcement appears in the L.A. Times. Among the astonished viewers were not only the actor's advisors but Richard Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor and Republican moderate who believed his close friend Schwarzenegger would defer to his ambitions. (Hasta la vista, Dick!) Schwarzenegger's sudden announcement must infuriate Darrell Issa (who weepily dropped out today), Bill Simon Jr., and all the other wing nuts who have spent time and millions promoting the recall. So scared of him that they've rolled over and peed on their bellies like submissive hounds, as Gene Lyons would say, those conservative candidates all now claim to be "welcoming" his entry into the contest. Still, I suspect that the state's conservatives will soon attack Arnold. His liberal attitudes toward abortion and gay rights are intolerable to the Republican right (whose Clinton-hating crackpot wing is also likely to remember his denunciations of impeachment and Kenneth Starr).

For Schwarzenegger, the most unfortunate conclusion to a race with scores or even hundreds of candidates could be "victory." Ill-equipped to govern, lacking a mandate, and facing the same problems that are undoing Gray Davis, he may end up in the same category as his old pal from "Predator," Jesse Ventura -- whose popularity plunged after Minnesotans realized what they had done to themselves by electing him.

[kohala]

Isn't it interesting that an ambitious person can fund a recall then not run for the obvious goal! The comments I've been hearing was - "Now he succeeded in the recall effort (at considerable cost)why doesn't Issa pay for the election?"
As for actors - weellll, c'mon - what is one thing politicians do with such finesse?
Davis - nothing to say there.
California - probably would still be a beautiful state if the majority of the population was actually from California. Nah.
It's more like a compact example of what corporate values are doing to the world.
Corporate values - Now THERE's an oxymoron for you, Miss Meow!!!!
So listen, you guys, when you find expatriate Californians moving to your area, don't freak out. They're just tired of living in a state run by outside interests.
Warning - this could happen to you.

Be careful what you wish for, Arnold.

[RICHARD]

1)Yeah! i'm gonna see arianna and ahrnold debate after all!
(what an entrance, arianna!! we have a gov that can't count and a candidate that can't walk!)

2) it is a california 'circus'...opine all you want, laugh all you want - then look at YOUR govenor....it could be worse.

3) everyone loves a parade! midget has-been stars,
wanna be stars, real BIG stars and porn stars...
do i see stars in your eyes? or are you really stunned????

4) now before ANYONE else comments, laughs, prods,
snickers, chortles, smiles, giggles or is just plain amused about the political climate here in the 'golden state'....your comments will be catalogued and your name will be put on the 'WATCH' list. upon your entrance to the state you will be immediately placed in the longest line
for the shortest ride at disneyland.

[RICHARD]

to make the recall election even more interesting the government of california has deemed the current alphabet as too easy to use, therefore....




It's alphabet soup on state's ballots
By Dean E. Murphy
The New York Times

SACRAMENTO -- Listen up, kindergartners. Put your ABCs out of mind. Even the alphabet is getting an official makeover as part of the California recall election. It now goes something like this (when singing, the familiar melody is still OK): R, W, Q, O, J, M, V, A, H, B, S, G, Z, X, N T, C, I, E, K, U, P, D, Y, F and L.

The race to replace Gov. Gray Davis, often likened to a carnival, looked more like a political version of "Wheel of Fortune" on Monday as a state elections official, assisted by a part-time percussionist from a Latin jazz band, determined the random alphabetical order of the candidates on the Oct. 7 ballot.

"I asked if I could break into song, but they wouldn't let me," said the percussionist, Miguel Castillo, who also works as an analyst in the Secretary of State's Office and as the manager of a local rock band. "They needed someone with experience in front of the camera. The first time I performed live on stage, I was scared to death. You choke on your words."

It is still not known who has officially qualified to appear on the ballot as a possible successor to Davis, should he lose the recall vote. At last count, 195 candidates had submitted the necessary paperwork, with more names still trickling in Monday from county elections offices.

Once the final tally is official, probably not until Wednesday, the new alphabet will be used to place them in order. The secretary of state, Kevin Shelley, said Monday that 96 of the candidates had so far been checked out as legitimate and were likely to be among those certified.

But Shelley could not predict what the final list might look like or how such an unwieldy ballot would play with the voters.

"Let me be candid," Shelley said, "there are going to be problems. Like in any situation, you play with the cards you have been dealt."

Castillo's was a nonspeaking part Monday, but no matter. The percussionist expertly churned a bingo-style barrel spray-painted gold and crammed with 26 plastic film canisters, each containing a different letter of the alphabet.

The state official joining him, Shirley Washington, who works in the press office for the secretary of state, assumed the Vanna White role, plucking the canisters one by one and reading the letters aloud. She did so in a slimming black suit and a classic pearl necklace under the scrutiny of a former director of the California lottery, positioned just off stage.

"This is now the new alphabet," Terri M. Carbaugh, an assistant secretary of state, declared from a lectern after the final letter, "L," was drawn.

Though Carbaugh did not do so, it would have been an appropriate moment to extend condolences to Dick Lane of Santa Clara County and Gary Leonard of Los Angeles, two candidates who will never appear at the top of the ballot under a dizzying rotation system that assures a different candidate occupies the marquee position in each of the state's 80 Assembly districts.

Using the current list of 96 qualified candidates, for example, the first name on the ballot would be David Laughing Horse Robinson, an artist from the Central Valley. He would be followed by Ned Fenton Roscoe, a Libertarian from Napa, and Daniel C. Ramirez, a Democrat from Imperial County.

Some of the race's biggest name contenders would not show up until well down the roster. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger would be in the 45th spot; Lt. Cruz Bustamante in the 43rd. Bill Simon Jr., the Republican candidate for governor last November, would be 48th, and Peter V. Ueberroth, the former baseball commissioner, 74th.

But that lineup would only apply to the first of the state's 80 Assembly districts, a mostly rural area that covers the state's far northwest corner, including Humboldt and Mendocino counties, a place where redwoods and wild animals outnumber people.

According to the rotation system, the top name on the ballot falls to the bottom in each successive district, so that each of 80 candidates on the ballot gets the best billing in one district. So keeping with the example of the 96 candidates, Robinson would drop to No. 96 in the second Assembly district, also in rural Northern California, and so on.

With such a system, it is hard to know where a candidate might want to land in the alphabetical tally.

If the election for governor last November is any guide, Democratic candidates like Bustamante should be hoping for a shot at the top of ballot in Assembly Districts 45, 46, 47, 48 and 52. All of them are in Los Angeles County and all of them voted overwhelmingly for Davis. In his best showing statewide, the governor got 83 percent of the vote in District 48.

For Republicans, the odds-on favorites based on the same election would be District 32, which covers parts of Kern and San Bernardino counties; District 71 in Orange and Riverside counties; District 66 in Riverside and San Diego counties; District 29 in Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties; and District 73, in Orange and San Diego counties.

All those counties voted heavily for Simon. He had his strongest showing in District 32, where he won 65 percent of the vote.

Shelley, the secretary of state, said the random alphabetical drawing has been performed for statewide elections since 1975, after court rulings that determined the standard alphabetical listing of candidates was not constitutional. Studies at the time, Shelley said, showed that the name at the top of a ballot typically enjoys a 5 percent advantage over the others.

"We do it prior to every election," Shelley said. "No one ever comes."

Until Monday.

At least a dozen television cameras recorded Washington's every move. A crush of radio reporters huddled beneath the bingo barrel, their microphones extended as close as possible to capture the clickety clack of the tumbling canisters.

"We need the sound! We need the sound!" one of them demanded, as elections officials slid the barrel closer to them.

The media and public interest was so great -- even a few lesser-known candidates made an appearance -- that the event was moved down the hall in the secretary of state's building from a small conference room into an auditorium.

There, Shelley was introduced with Pat Sajak fanfare (his entrance from stage right was announced in advance for the cameras) and then fielded questions. Afterward, a "five-minute intermission" was announced for journalists to prepare for the drawing.

"This is a big test for California," Shelley said before exiting stage left for San Francisco, where his wife is expecting their second child. "History will be our witness."

[captain]

Yup - I'm with Miss Meow. I'd vote for Arnie .....

....... but, Richard - if you ran for govenor, I would move to the USA to vote for you. Need some help .......... I can mix the drinks while you campaign ................???

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by captain


....... but, Richard - if you ran for govenor, I would move to the USA to vote for you. Need some help .......... I can mix the drinks while you campaign ................???

sure, but would you want to LIVE in california??

[KYS]

posted by RICHARD:sure, but would you want to LIVE in california??>>>>>>

As a native Calif. I can not even answer this question
at this time!! Oregon/CO sure looks mighty pretty!!

I am not even shure if I will be able
to sift through all the names on the recall ballot.
Ummm! prostitute, or???

Richard, did I hear this right?
By the time this recall will be over, it will cost
the CA tax payers
around 70 million dollars?

[Soledad]

Yeah, I wonder if the people who signed the petitions realized how much further in debt this was going to put the state.

Whoever gets in is not going to have a good ride. They won't have enough time to affect any real change and will most likely get dumped on in a similar fashion.

If leaders can get ousted out of office before their term for bad economic leadership, why is Bush still around?

[LoudLou]

Strange News - AP

Game Show Network to Spoof Calif. Recall
Mon Aug 11, 7:39 PM ET Add Strange News - AP to My Yahoo!



LOS ANGELES - The Game Show Network has found a reason to get into politics: the California recall, which will be spoofed in an October special.



"Who Wants to Be Governor of California? The Debating Game" will include a political debate produced in the style of a game show, the channel announced Monday.


"Politics is the ultimate game and the California recall election is one of the most bizarre contests in American history," Rich Cronin, president of the channel, said in a statement.


The channel said it is lining up five candidates to take part in the Oct. 1 program. The show will chronicle their campaigns and include a "wide-ranging" debate, including buzz-in answers and bonus questions, the channel said.


Officials say 195 people have submitted papers to run to replace Democratic Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites), whose approval ratings have fallen to record lows.


The five will compete for a prize of $21,200, the maximum corporate campaign contribution allowed by California law, the channel said. The prize will go to the candidate in the group who receives the most votes in the Oct. 7 recall election.


"If the winning candidate/contestant is actually elected governor, Game Show Network promises not to ask for any political favors in exchange for the money," the channel said.

[KYS]

posted by Soledad:
Whoever gets in is not going to have a good ride. They won't have enough time to affect any real change and will most likely get dumped on in a similar fashion.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Bingo! Did CA forget that Gov. Davis has only been
in office for approx. 11 months, and he inherited
many of these problems from our last Governor Pete.
Who do you think was hand in hand with the energy/gas companies the first place?
I am not a Gov. Davis fan, and I am not saying Gov. Davis
did not make mistakes, but HEY! when you are black-mailed by
the energy company's, or no electricity for the public,
I would say your back is to the wall.
When Davis, seeks help from the Federal Gov. and they
turned their back on us, and we had to bank our own
law suit, and we WON, still the Fed. Government
did not help us. So lets not put all the blame on
Gov. Davis to warrent this history in the making
game show recall.
And whomever wins the recall, I do not envy them
for taking over this CA. mess.

[RICHARD]

BUSH IS STILL OUR PRESIDENT???


seeing that the dems can't get their own house in order why should they challenge the white house?
I'm sure the party could pony up the money for a recall, but why spend all the SIG money they get?

as a registered Dem I really dont see the party extending themselves to do anything positive for the country...but then again maybe some 'oral persuasion' is in order.

something along the lines of..."The Dem party has decided to fund a recall effort against GW...."

70 million versus 38 billion???
a spit in the bucket..


aren't all politicians prostitutes?

what's the difference between a politico and a prostitute??

nothing, they both screw people for money.

the only person I believe (politics aside) is the porn star......she admits to making money by, well, you know......

lol


this will not be a trend anywhere soon.....
first, it's a financially intensive process-people will not be keen on millionaires buying an office on a whim. How many people have the money to actually start the process and once the door opens
you will have 10 jillion people running on your dime.......look at what Ralph Nader and Ross Perot
accomplished----nothing....

my suggestion??? succeed from the United States,
charge an entrance fee to come into the state.....50 cents...and put up signs saying, "YOU MUST BE THIS TALL TO ENTER THE STATE". Raise the prices at disneyland, make the film industry our main export, charge more for movie tickets.

elect Arnold as president of California, Clint Eastwood as vice pres....Steven Segal as Sec of Defense......tough guys....that's the ticket.