# Arnold Schwarzenneger is a fucking idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527 "2004-09-01T02:56:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/101 "2004-09-01T16:30:46Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > Exhibit A is completely off topic. Please explain how it is an example of compromise in any way instead of a misguided bipartisan effort at reform. You do realize the McCain in the title is a Republican, right? And you do realize that the Feingold in the title was a Democrat, don’t you? Or don’t you realize that? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/102 "2004-09-01T16:36:12Z")
Yes, **Dewey** , please do tell us more. Or at least tell us something; as \*\*Homebrew \*\* points out, you don’t even fucking read and understand your \*own \* “cites”. You do realize how much your childish spitefulness gets you into trouble on this board, don’t you? Well, maybe you don’t. **Mr. Moto** , you do realize that McCain-Feingold was gutted before passage by the Republicans who were finally shamed into bringing it to the floor against their wishes? You also do realize that McCain is a loose cannon who by no means is part of the GOP leadership? You didn’t? Did either of you know about the House GOP refusing to let the Dems on the budget committee even see the budget, much less have any input to it? You didn’t? Go fight your own ignorance before you display it here. For your own good. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/103 "2004-09-01T16:39:12Z")
[Bill Saletan](http://slate.msn.com/id/2106025/) goes point by point through the Governator’s speech to show that, by its logic, it proves Bush is \*not \* a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/104 "2004-09-01T16:40:58Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Or don’t you realize that? Yes, moron, that’s part of what makes it _bipartisan_. Doesn’t make it a compromise, though. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/105 "2004-09-01T16:59:07Z")
Wow, there’s been a lot of activity in this thread since I logged off last night. A few random thoughts: WRT, Arnold’s intelligence, I think that his success is do to a few admirable traits as well as a bit of luck. Arnold is goal driven, optimistic, has a work ethic and has a natural likeability. His Mr. Universe titles were entirely self-earned and he worked his ass off to get them. No argument there. His movie success was a result of having a good screen presence (despite the accent and lack of acting ability) as well as some fairly shrewd decisions such as taking the _Terminator_ role. This was probably the best decision he ever made as an actor because it had had very little dialogue and it allowed him to use his strengths (i.e. walking around looking like a badass) while minimizing his weaknesses (acting, dialogue). It was shrewd because he saw (or his agent saw) that by playing a villain in a good movie he would get more career milage than by playing the hero in a bad movie. It was also lucky because the movie was very well made and was a huge hit. It led to better parts and bigger budgets than he would have gotten otherwise. Another part of Arnold’s movie success was that he never took himself too seriously and he played everything just a little tongue in cheek. Having said all that, likeability, optimism, hard work and luck are still not dependent on a high IQ, and I’ve never thought that Arnold was exactly a genius. It was not terribly bright for him to say that he admired Hitler in _any_ context. He also comes off like a dumb body builder in those old interviews where he talks about gangbanging women in the bathroom and throws the word “fag” around. In his campaign for Governor he showed no signs at all that he really grasped any complex issues of policy and, in fact, he was derisive when answering questions about them. “Californians don’t care about facts and figures,” he said. Well maybe not, but the Governor better damn well care. WRT Spielberg/Castro: Spielberg doesn’t hold an elected office and hasn’t spoken at any conventions. When he does I’ll be happy to revisit the issue. Finally, I just want to say it’s nice to see **gobear** posting again, even if it’s just to give us a lecture. Hope you hang around, gb. 🙂 ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/106 "2004-09-01T17:11:27Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > _Continue_? Hell, you haven’t even started. Exhibit B is clearly a Pork Barrell sop to win votes. Even the damned lobbyist admits in in your own cite. So what? It was principally opposed by Republicans. If that isn’t a compromise, what is? Quit moving the goalposts. > [@Homebrew](#): > > Exhibit A is completely off topic. Please explain how it is an example of compromise in any way instead of a misguided bipartisan effort at reform. You do realize the McCain in the title is a Republican, right? And you realize Feingold is the name of a Democrat, right? Look, campaign finance reform was opposed almost exclusively by Republicans, particularly conservative republicans. In the Senate, [every single “no” vote](http://www.commoncause.org/news/default.cfm?ArtID=317) came from a Republican. It was derided in the pages of conservative journals and by conservative talk radio hosts, and praised by their liberal opposite numbers. If signing that bill isn’t a compromise with the other party, what is? ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/107 "2004-09-01T17:59:53Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > I haven’t posted here since July precisely because of this sort of ignnorant, partisan bullshit. Everyone of you, without exception, is talking out of his or her ass by using out of context quotes, suppressing some facts and inflating others in order to make your opponents look foolish. Every one of us? I guess with that statement, that would include _you_. I don’t suppress facts, I don’t use quotes out of context, and I don’t inflate(I blow, big difference). Further, I’ve done nothing of the sort in this thread. So, you’re talking out of **YOUR** ass. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/108 "2004-09-01T18:16:39Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Oh, please. Yeah, when Bush starts having Kerry and his supporters drug before firing squads, and when people who have spoken against him start being drug from their beds at night never to be seen again, that’s when I’ll feel the same way about Bush. Then it would be too late. We’ll eventually get there anyway, I predict within 75 years. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/109 "2004-09-01T18:19:43Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I’ll take the story at face value (notice I didn’t target it in my OP). But my question is why is that a reason to vote for Bush? Because, thanks to Bush, he was able to lose about 20 pounds in just under two seconds? -Joe, on the hiiiiiiighway to hell! ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/110 "2004-09-01T19:29:25Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#): > > And you realize Feingold is the name of a Democrat, right? To quote myself, “Yes, moron, that’s part of what makes it _bipartisan_. Doesn’t make it a compromise, though”. > [@](#): > > Look, campaign finance reform was opposed almost exclusively by Republicans, particularly conservative republicans. In the Senate, [every single “no” vote](http://www.commoncause.org/news/default.cfm?ArtID=317) came from a Republican. It was derided in the pages of conservative journals and by conservative talk radio hosts, and praised by their liberal opposite numbers. If signing that bill isn’t a compromise with the other party, what is? That’s absurd. Among the opponents of that bill were the ACLU, Alliance for Justice and the AFL-CIO. Public Campaign withdrew support after limits on personal contributions were raised. It was roundly derided by liberal advocacy groups in advance of passage. The **Bipartisan** Campaign Refom Act of 2002 was poorly conceived, if well intentioned, when it was introduced. Then, it was gutted before it passed. It’s idiotic to claim that it’s passage was in any way a compromise. It was pandering to the clamor in the public for reform, but it was meaningless and ineffectual. An example of compromise would be the Family and Medical Leave Act. > [@](#): > > So what? It was principally opposed by Republicans. If that isn’t a compromise, what is? Quit moving the goalposts. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 was principally supported by Congresscritters from farm states - at least those with certain program crops. It was a pork barrell sop that mostly benefited Big Agribusiness like ConAgra or Monsanto . It was opposed by many family farmers and _real_ liberals such as Food First or Conscious Choice. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/111 "2004-09-01T21:14:39Z")
**Homebrew** , if you could please produce a working definition of “compromise” it would be useful, because as it stands it appears you reject any amount of reaching across party lines as fitting your definition. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/112 "2004-09-02T02:40:12Z")
**DtC** , I don’t meant to lecture,; I just want the partisan rancor to subside and let reason, not emotion, rule. **Mockingbird** , **Weirddave** has your number, you have a serious anger problem combined with an utter lack of proportion. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/113 "2004-09-02T03:42:37Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Really? Since fucking when? Aren’t the Republicans the authoritarians? Aren’t they the ones who support garbage like the Patriots Act which is is the most brutal attack on American civil liberties in modern history?[/size] Nope, they aren’t. The Republicans wrote it and introduced it but they weren’t the only ones voting for it. It passed the Senate 98-1, NINETY EIGHT TO ONE! and that includes Kerry’s yea vote BTW. It passed the House 357-66. That includes 145 -or over 70% - of the Democrats voting Yea. Short of a House Resolution to establish sunshine as a good thing for plants, I’ve never seen a piece of legislation get such overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/114 "2004-09-02T04:00:27Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > **DtC** , I don’t meant to lecture,; I just want the partisan rancor to subside and let reason, not emotion, rule. > > **Mockingbird** , **Weirddave** has your number, you have a serious anger problem combined with an utter lack of proportion. Pot. Kettle. Black. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/115 "2004-09-02T05:20:14Z")
Holy shit! Thanks, **t-keela**. That’s pretty damn bad. Entertaining, but bad. And I thought Reagan said some woppers. Oy vey. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/116 "2004-09-02T13:20:45Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > Schwarzenneger is no idiot. He’s a politician. An expert self-promoter. Genius, really. He’s no genius, a genius is a guy like Norman Einstein - _Joe Theisman_ ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/117 "2004-09-02T13:47:52Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#): > > **Homebrew** , if you could please produce a working definition of “compromise” it would be useful, because as it stands it appears you reject any amount of reaching across party lines as fitting your definition. You seem to be confusing bipartisan with compromise. A compromise is when two parties want something different, they each give a little and get a little. For instance, Clinton wanted to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. The Troglodyte Right threw a hissy fit. A compromise was struck and we ended up with Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell. This case turned out to be a horrible compromise and bad policy. Nevertheless, it was a compromise. FMLA was a compromise. The democrats had to agree to scale it back in terms of legth of time and eligibility to get enough republicans to vote to pass the law. That was a compromose because they had to make the bill they wanted less expansive. The republicans didn’t want it at all. The cases you cited were supported and opposed by people from both sides. They weren’t compromises. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/118 "2004-09-02T14:34:17Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > The cases you cited were supported and opposed by people from both sides. They weren’t compromises. Bullshit. Again, campaign finance reform was opposed exclusively by Republicans in the Senate and nearly exclusively by Republicans in the House. [Senate vote](http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=1&vote=00064). [House vote](http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll034.xml): ```auto AYE NAY Not Voting Republican 41 176 5 Democratic 198 12 1 Indep. 1 1 TOTALS 240 189 6 ``` The ACLU, etc, are ostensibly nonpartisan groups. In this case, they departed from the position of the great majority of Democrats. Furthermore, there _were_ plenty of compromises on the law. Bush initially wasn’t going to sign it without getting concessions on union money and other provisions. Also, here’s a hint: just because an act of Congress has “Bipartisan” in the title doesn’t necessarily mean it’s truly bipartisan. Congress doesn’t have to mess around with truth in advertising. Frankly, I’m surprised it wasn’t called the “Bipartisan Good Government and Fuzzy Warm Puppies Campaign Finance Act.” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527/119 "2004-09-02T16:44:25Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > WRT, Arnold’s intelligence, I think that his success is do to a few admirable traits as well as a bit of luck. Arnold is goal driven, optimistic, has a work ethic and has a natural likeability. His Mr. Universe titles were entirely self-earned and he worked his ass off to get them. No argument there. His movie success was a result of having a good screen presence (despite the accent and lack of acting ability) as well as some fairly shrewd decisions such as taking the _Terminator_ role. This was probably the best decision he ever made as an actor because it had had very little dialogue and it allowed him to use his strengths (i.e. walking around looking like a badass) while minimizing his weaknesses (acting, dialogue). It was shrewd because he saw (or his agent saw) that by playing a villain in a good movie he would get more career milage than by playing the hero in a bad movie. It was also lucky because the movie was very well made and was a huge hit. It led to better parts and bigger budgets than he would have gotten otherwise. Another part of Arnold’s movie success was that he never took himself too seriously and he played everything just a little tongue in cheek. You’ve left out his success with real estate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arnold-schwarzenneger-is-a-fucking-idiot/262527.md?page=5)