# Arnie's Running. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464 "2003-08-07T00:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/81 "2003-08-10T04:01:40Z")
**Sam Stone** , you’re right. But since the main reason given for Davis’ recall is financial screw-ups, I suspect the voters will want more specific financial plans from Ahnuld. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/82 "2003-08-10T10:43:39Z")
Why, if that guy gets elected, I’m leavin’ the State ! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/83 "2003-08-10T11:32:06Z")
I like Arnold, but I don’t like him running. The job should be going to Richard Riordan. I’m a democrat and I wrote him in in the last election. I do not think a person’s first public office should be Governor. I think someone should pay their dues and have some first-hand knowledge of how the state works. I know, he can surround himself with the smartest advisors and he’s no dummy himself, but still. Riordan was very successful in business also. And he did job as mayor of Los Angeles, so he knows how to lead. But with umpteen guys on the ballot, Arnold should win it in a walk on name recognition alone. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/84 "2003-08-10T11:59:13Z")
For some reason, I caught on to Arnie very early on, having a friend in my youth who was into body building, on the sadly naive presumption that huge pecs and altoids would transform a spectacularly ugly young man into a nooky magnet. (I relied on charm and wit, with equal disappointment…) At any rate…I remember reading about him before he even came to America, even before the documentary was made centering around him. Thing is, we’re heading into insinuation territory here, so I want to start with a disclaimer. I am not making such, merely pointing out that the material for such slander is present. Arnie was a full-time body builder, thats pretty much all he did, it took up his time. The prize purses for body building contests were, and likely remain, negligible. There was no money in it. And so Arnie, and any body builder who might hope to compete with him was forced to accept assistance from sponsors. That is to say, wealthy men with a particular fondness and interest in spectacularly well-developed young men. At the time, sales of body-building magazines divided into two groups: body builders, a vanishingly small demographic, and men who like to look at pictures of body builders. A much larger demographic. This has some sordid implications, none of which I personally believe or regard as relevant. But it is entirely likely that these implications will surface as the glare of media attention focuses. Arnie may be operating on the naive presumption that the sort of attention and deference a movie star gets is roughly the same as a political candidate recieves. He is in for a rude awakening. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/85 "2003-08-10T12:40:58Z")
Well, he didn’t marry a Kennedy fer nuffin’, imho. Less, of course, it was just the most remarkable coincidence . . . ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/86 "2003-08-10T13:41:05Z")
I don’t know how plausible that is, **'luce**. Arnie [immigrated here in 1968](http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0154916.html), _after_ he had already won several European titles. Given that he was born in 1947, that makes him 21 at the time he immigrated. He invested his winnings in real estate and other ventures such that he was [“a millionaire before the age of 22.”](http://www.amctv.com/person/detail/0,,11358-1-EST,00.html) Arnie came from a supportive family that stressed athletic achievement – I doubt he would have had to do unseemly things to pay the rent early on in his career. And he made money pretty quickly thereafter. That’s hardly the profile of someone who would need to be beholden to a wealthy, leering patron. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/87 "2003-08-10T14:04:15Z")
He invested his “winnings”? Now, I am relying on faulty and largely disinterested memory here, but what “winnings”? Keep in mine, international body building and muscle posing shows were hardly a lucrative bonanza. The puff-piece you cite also calls his appearance in _The Villain_ proof of his keen comedic sensitivity. I saw it. Have you? It bites like a pit bull, it bites like a school of piranha, it tanked. Arnie may well have been a millionaire at 21, but not from the prize money from body building contests. Keep in mind, this ain’t _my_ rubber ducky here. Just don’t be terribly surprised if something like this surfaces. Personally, I wouldn’t much care if Arnie is as queer as a blue horse, I would almost be willing to move for the privilege of voting for Barney Frank, who is the ballsiest sumbitch in Congress, for my money. Don’t matter to me, but it matters to other people. Hey, if I’m wrong about this, cool. If it doesn’t come up, fine. If it comes up but is utterly ignored by a tolerant and sophisticated electorate, even better. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/88 "2003-08-10T16:46:21Z")
Define “lucrative bonanza.” What exactly did winning Mr. Universe pay in the late sixties? Even if it is quite a bit less than the rather large sums paid by the larger competitions today, it probably would be enough to set aside a small nest egg. Even in small, non-big-money sports, the top few guys usually do pretty well for themselves. And Arnie was certainly _the_ top guy of his day. Arnie would hardly be the first guy to take a small pool of capital and turn it into beaucoup bucks. At any rate, you should be ashamed of yourself for indulging in this kind of tacky, unsubstantiated insinuation. Your hand-washing statements do not make your post any less sordid or reprehensible. It is irresponsible of you to engage in that behavior. If a media outlet were to print that sort of thing, with no more investigation than you’ve done, they would be quite open to a libel suit, even with the higher threshold of proof required of a public figure – this certainly falls into the “willful or reckless disregard for the truth” category. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/89 "2003-08-10T17:27:43Z")
Oh, piffle. For partisan reasons, I’m perfectly content that Arnie shall be Governor of California. I don’t live there. If a Republican wants to do a triple gainer from the high board into a pool of boiling shit, I will happily bring a lawn chair and some popcorn. This rumor floated around lo, those many years ago. I didn’t seek any confirmation because, well, who cares? Your display of high dudgeon notwithstanding, your accusations are flatulence. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/90 "2003-08-10T17:51:10Z")
…And yet, you saw fit to repeat this supposed old rumor, which you admit is spurious, unsubstantiated, and as likely to have been made up by the town gossip as is to actually be true, and to do so under the guise of merely reporting on an example of mudslinging that Arnie may have to face. And then you have the temerity to be snarky when your bullshit is called. Have you no sense of decency? You said you read of this back before Arnie came to America. Where did you read this? What publication in the late sixties had the stones to suggest, even implicitly, that professional bodybuilding was a hotbed of economically coerced homosexual behavior? Less than a decade ago, I read stories that were considered quite risque that suggested women’s tennis was not only brimming with lesbianism, but that substantial pressure was put on newcomers, be they straight nor not, to engage in sexual practices with other tour members. That was the early nineties, and even then it was considered too controversial for most publications. I have a hard time believing that what you’ve suggested would make it to print three decades prior. I think you’re slinging more shit than a rhesus monkey. Shame on you. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/91 "2003-08-10T18:47:47Z")
You know whats really cool, **Dewey**? You can believe whatever you damn well please! That’s really cool. ---
**Author:** ![dave316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dave316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dave316)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/92 "2003-08-10T21:48:19Z")
i read the same thing except it was one of Arnold books i think it was called “Education of a Bodybuilder” where he writes about wealthy homosexual sponsors and one that made advances to him ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/93 "2003-08-10T22:48:00Z")
Do you recall anything about how much prize money was involved? I tried to Google it but didn’t even get close. Also, any reminiscences about his years on Sunset Strip? (Just kidding, **Dewey**. Really.) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/94 "2003-08-10T23:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*The problem today is that when you get into specifics, you’re guaranteed to alienate someone. This is especially true in California. Take that paid leave question: What’s Arnold going to say? If he says yes, we’ll get rid of it, the unions and others on the left will go bananas. If he says, “absolutely not - that program is untouchable”, then he’s open to attacks from the right, and from others who will no doubt say “So, what WILL you cut?” > > Almost every question you can ask about specific California problems is a potential landmine, because the state is polarized and everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too.\*\* I understand that. And I’m telling you that waffling is a loser’s strategy anyway. It’s OKAY to alienate some people; voicing a consistent and clear plan will win more votes than it loses. If you take a position you will lose Joe’s votes, but if you don’t, there’s a darned good chance you won’t get his vote anyway. **And the more candidates you’re running against, the better it works.** ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/95 "2003-08-11T02:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > **Arnold was confident, he had his stump themes ready, which seemed to be “Throw da bums out” “Let’s bring jobs back to the state!” and a rather Helen Lovejoy-ish “Won’t somebody puhlease think of the chilllldren?” which is fine, but that seemed to be all he had.** Almost as good as Adam Carolla’s slogan: “Vote for me for Governor and send a _message_ to those _fatcats_ in Washington!” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/96 "2003-08-11T02:46:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dave316 \* > \*\*i read the same thing except it was one of Arnold books i think it was called “Education of a Bodybuilder” where he writes about wealthy homosexual sponsors and one that made advances to him \*\* Two points on this: 1. [Education of a Bodybuilder](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/067122879X/ref=ed_oe_h/002-9735210-1539243?v=glance&s=books&st=*) was published in 1983, which means that couldn’t possibly be the source for **'luce** ’s for a rumor he allegedly heard about “before [Arnie] even came to America.” And I still think such a rumor would be beyond the pale for most publications in the late 1960s. 2. What you said is a far cry from what **'luce** was implying. Saying that _some_ aspiring bodybuilders had patrons that paid their way in exchange for sexual favors, and that one such patron made an advance on Arnie is a far cry from saying that _Arnie himself_ succumbed to such a sex-for-cash deal. Indeed, if that material is in Arnie’s own autobiography, I’d be surprised if he actually did go through with such acts – if he had gone along with rather than shunning his would-be suitor, I’d think the whole affair would be one he’d simply not mention, even in revisionist form. ---
**Author:** ![whiteboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@whiteboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiteboy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/97 "2003-08-11T07:46:11Z")
What, no Total Recall jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/98 "2003-08-11T09:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*Oh, piffle. > > For partisan reasons, I’m perfectly content that Arnie shall be Governor of California. I don’t live there. If a Republican wants to do a triple gainer from the high board into a pool of boiling shit, I will happily bring a lawn chair and some popcorn. > . \*\* Unfortunately for us Dems, even if Arnold is completely lame and stupid, he can hardly do any worse than the man he replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/99 "2003-08-15T04:02:27Z")
Well, he’s tapped [George Shultz and Warren Buffet](http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/08/14/schwarzenneger.shultz/index.html) to be advisors. That should make things interesting, a Republican and a Democrat working for Arnie. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464/100 "2003-08-15T04:57:35Z")
It’s a bit more interesting than just Dem/Pub, **Tuck**. Buffet is a supporter of Hillary, and Schultz is part of the Hoover Institute. There’s a pretty big poltical distance between Hillary and Hoover. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnies-running/193464.md?page=6)