Likelyhood of Ahnuld being elected: 70%
Likelyhood of Ahnuld being recalled within one year: 100%
I’m waiting to hear more about the guy’s views, but what little he’s shown so far isn’t too bad. I’m getting a very Riordan-like vibe from him, which is good IMO, especially since it’s sure to piss off the mainstream GOP. 
But we’ll see as more details come out.
And despite the goofy accent, he’s still more articulate than Bush will ever be. 
http://www.theonion.com/onion3930/infograph_3930.html
The Onion is priceless…
California’s governor has far more powers than Texas’. There is a line-item veto for starters. And there are lots and lots and lots of appointees.
But the CA Legislature is powerful and is the biggest stumbling block in governing the state nonetheless. The biggest problem is that the state budget has to be approved by a 2/3 majority in each house. The Democrats control each body, and likely will throughout the 2000s thanks to reapportionment, however they don’t have 2/3 majorities.
So the Democrats have to compromise on the budget with the Republicans. And this year there was really no compromising done. In the end, the Legislature just ignored about a $12 billion deficit and will try again next year. (It was covered over through bond financing, which might be unconstitutional.)
Any new Republican governor would face big problems because s/he would inherit a staff that is full of Davis appointees and that would require time to remove them and get up to speed. And all of the state Constitutional officers are Democrats. And none of them can be removed easily. They could only be recalled and none are so unpopular that anyone would vote for that.
At least I’ve never heard anyone say, “Damn, I hate that State Treasurer Phil Angelides. I think we need to recall him.”
And any replacement governor takes over as soon as the vote is certified. So there wouldn’t be a long transition. Maybe a week or so.
While much of the Onion infographic is funny and true, the California energy deregulation bill was championed by Steve Peace, a Democrat, who is now the State Finance Head under Davis.
Peace was considered a very capable legislator, but his plan for deregulation did not foresee the energy companies gaming the market.
The only way he’ll get my vote is if he can go back in time and stop Pete Wilson from fucking up the state with that de-regulation nonsense.
At least until Dennis Franz runs for office.
I am outraged -outraged- that a Hollywood figure would act on his political convictions.
I know the conservative media will share in this outrage because I have heard them express similar sentiments so many times.
So let’s hear the outrage, conservative media. 'Cause I know you’ll want to be consistent on this point, right? Right?
How are judicial vacancies filled in California? By appointment or by election? If the former, then despite the headache of taking over the Cali governorship, the position confers a lot of power. Lifetime appointees to the bench can make a huge difference in a State’s public policy.
I suspect that’s why Republicans covet this position in spite of the fiscal nightmare that awaits them.
In addition to pictures of Arnold’s nude ass, I believe you can also find pictures of Arnold’s nude penis. Not many governors have had their penises displayed before.
What about his family? Any connections to the Nazi party through his father (who was a policeman and would have been about the right age during WWII)? If so, someone is bound to dig them up and make an issue of it.
The current VA governor had no elected office experience before winning the election, and he’s done a pretty good job at addressing the economic shortfalls here. The state wasn’t in the red to a tune of $38 billion, but it was a proportionate amount.
Reagan at least had the presidency of the Screen Actor’s Guild experience behind him before he was elected Gov. of CA.
All food for thought.
Doesn’t he have a serious heart problem? Probably brought on by excessive steroid use, which is another issue in itself?
Why would steroid use be an issue? It’s bad if you’re an Olympic athlete, but as politicians go I’d rather vote for someone who took some 'roids than someone who drinks. Or someone who was a cokehead, like some really prominent politicians. Steroid use is pretty far down my list of bad things.
Doesn’t steroid use affect the brain and emotional balance, as well as causing life-threatening heart problems?
“In addition to pictures of Arnold’s nude ass, I believe you can also find pictures of Arnold’s nude penis. Not many governors have had their penises displayed before.”
They make clothes for the penis?
I used to date one of his exgirlfriends so Im privy to inside info on the size of things.
Arnold vs. Gary Coleman vs. Larry Flynt… I swear, you couldn’t have written something less believeable, and yet here we are.
That said, I think Arnold has a decent shot at it. I just about puked while watching him spout no fewer than three cornball movie/TV lines on The Tonight Show last night – the worst being “I’m going to pump Sacramento up!” However, Sam is right that he’s incredibly popular, and an awful lot of people eat that sort of shit up. It doesn’t make me want to vote for him, but I’m also not in Cali. He’s probably the highest-profile candidate, and he’s got plenty of money to fund his campaign. He could win, despite (maybe because of) the corny lines he tosses out.
And, who knows, maybe he’ll do a decent job. I didn’t hear much more than empty rhetoric last night, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t get things done.
So, handy, you can’t leave us… uh… hanging like that.
I’ve seen the pictures. You’re not missing much.
From what I understand Arnie has been candid about his use of steroids in the past. That was back when he was a bodybuilder. I don’t think this will hurt him too much politically now as long as he is honest about it.
“I was young and stupid.” “I made a mistake and have moved on.”
That sort of stuff.
Also, I think the reason he almost didn’t run were exactly these types of issues that his wife didn’t want in the public eye.
I understand that can be a side effect of excessive steroid use.
Judicial appointments to the Appeals and Supreme Court are by the governor, subject to the approval by the Commission on Judicial Appointments (which I believe has members from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches).
Judges get appointed for 12-year terms.
So if someone starts in the middle of a term, that judge has to go before the voters at the general election for a straight yes or no vote for reconfirmation.
If the judge is reconfirmed, she or he goes before the voters every 12 years for reconfirmation until retirement, death, recall, or impeachment.
The appellate court judges cover districts and are voted on locally. Supreme Court justices are voted on statewide.
It doesn’t happen often, but Californians have dumped Supreme Court justices, most notably Chief Justice Rose Bird and Associate Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin back in 1986. Their opposition to the death penalty proved to be political suicide for them. Bird was a big target of hatred by conservatives in California.
Any judge at any level can be recalled. I believe that in the case of a judicial recall though, a replacement election would not be held and the governor would appoint a replacement.
I have no reason to pre-disposed to vote against Arnold, but I also have no reason to vote for him at this point.
BTW, the energy crisis has more then enough blame to go to everybody. Wilson ® was Governor when the bill, of which Steve Peace (D) was the major proponent, was signed, which passed unanimously in the Legislature. The design of the market was severely flawed, allowing little flexibility to the utilities and allowed for gaming by the the Enron of the world. The gaming was decidedly illegal in many regards, yet the FERC was inclined to do nothing initially. Menawhile, the crisis hit while Gov. Davis was in office, yet the CPUC closed it’s eyes to the mess until the utilities were more-or-less bankrupted and the state was forced to step in. The state, having little experience and feeling the need to “do something” signed long-term contracts that are now seen to be extrememly bad deals. Davis was definitely not on the sidelines while the CPUC dropped the ball and the state got involved in a business it had never been in before. Many Californians are stuck for many years now with some of the highest electricity rates in the country.
Yes, Davis did not start the fire, but he watched the building burn and when it was practically to the ground he tried to put it out with gasoline.