Defeat of California Initiatives
The news is disappointing -- every initiative that Governor Schwarzenegger supported went down to defeat yesterday.
That in no way lessens my respect for the Governor. In fact, although I doubtless disagree with him on some matters, I believe that he is one of the few examples of a disinterested public servant. There is no higher office to which he can aspire (unless the Constitution is amended); he has plenty of money and fame. He could have remained -- rich, beloved, well-known and content -- in Los Angeles with his wife and family, living the good life that he's earned through his work and his business acumen. Instead, he's dealing with a bunch of politicians -- many greedy, grasping and none-too-bright -- up in Sacramento. I appreciate him and all he's trying to do.
That being said, there are some lessons that must be drawn from yesterday's fiasco. The clear message is that there needs to be a better strategy for non-leftist, non-union voices to reach the voters of California -- no easy task, when they are outspent 3 to 1 by unions and even by Indian tribes that are very content with the current composition of the legislature.
If there was a fatal flaw in the strategy for this special election, it was the decision to take on ALL the special interests -- teachers, government employees, the pro-abortion zealots, the politicians and unions generally -- at once.
It seems that the Governor and his aides overestimated the extent to which the people would "trust" him; underestimated the extent to which all the forces opposing them would band together and work cooperatively; underestimated the extent to which the press would cover the propositions fairly and thoroughly; and, perhaps, overestimated the extent to which normal people would become engaged enough to research the propositions on their own.
Live and learn. And prepare for a tax increase.
That in no way lessens my respect for the Governor. In fact, although I doubtless disagree with him on some matters, I believe that he is one of the few examples of a disinterested public servant. There is no higher office to which he can aspire (unless the Constitution is amended); he has plenty of money and fame. He could have remained -- rich, beloved, well-known and content -- in Los Angeles with his wife and family, living the good life that he's earned through his work and his business acumen. Instead, he's dealing with a bunch of politicians -- many greedy, grasping and none-too-bright -- up in Sacramento. I appreciate him and all he's trying to do.
That being said, there are some lessons that must be drawn from yesterday's fiasco. The clear message is that there needs to be a better strategy for non-leftist, non-union voices to reach the voters of California -- no easy task, when they are outspent 3 to 1 by unions and even by Indian tribes that are very content with the current composition of the legislature.
If there was a fatal flaw in the strategy for this special election, it was the decision to take on ALL the special interests -- teachers, government employees, the pro-abortion zealots, the politicians and unions generally -- at once.
It seems that the Governor and his aides overestimated the extent to which the people would "trust" him; underestimated the extent to which all the forces opposing them would band together and work cooperatively; underestimated the extent to which the press would cover the propositions fairly and thoroughly; and, perhaps, overestimated the extent to which normal people would become engaged enough to research the propositions on their own.
Live and learn. And prepare for a tax increase.
posted by LadybugUSA at 9:01 AM
4 Comments:
California government is broken. The governor was elected to fix it. He tried, but the unions and other special interests that benefit from the status quo spent tens of millions of dollars to distort the propositions, and they were defeated overwhelmingly.
I don’t blame the special interests because they don’t vote, the people do. However,
California government remains broken.
You're like a female version of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Your vile and disgusting. What do you get up and eat children for breakfast?
Your disdain for Teachers, government employees and nurses, basically the backbone of our society, is dispicable, like you.
Since when is "Union" a dirty word? Why shouldn't workers have the right to consolidate and organize in their own interests when corporations do? Where does this right-wing laissez-faire insanity end? Greedy disgusting oil pig CEOs are robbing middle america blind, gouging and looting. But you choose to pick on teachers and nurses instead.
You shower with praise an overly-wealthy, under-talented Power-hungry pot-smoking, women-groping steroid-using repbulican puppet but you bash teahers and nurses.
You make me sick.
anonymous, From the little bit that was written, I don't think lq is all that bad. (Oh, you meant Carol? Never mind.)
lq said, California government is broken. The governor was elected to fix it.
And rather than fix things, Arnold decided to become your typical inside-the-beltway, right-wing, partisan. He started by falling prey to Grover Norquist and his "drown the govenrment in the bathtub" philosophy.
He abandoned any pretense of being a disinterested public servant when he decided to raise obscene amounts of special interest money for his own campaigns.
He eschewed bipartisanship and decided to tell the legislature to go take a flying leap (even refusing to stand on the same stage with the Speaker of the House), and played the tired old I/R gambit, which is the surest sign of political hackery.
I can't feel sorry for Arnold. He was given a unique opportunity to be a breath of fresh air in Sacramento. He, instead, decided to become a politician. His political failures are those of his own making.
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