# CA: Kerry & Schwartzenegger!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 5, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184 "2004-11-05T14:33:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/1 "2004-11-05T14:33:35Z")
Can someone explain how CA elected a Republican governor, but the proud State of CA went for Kerry? I am quite surprised by the split. Yet, other states have done the same, and it is a puzzle to me! šŸ˜• Any theories? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/2 "2004-11-05T14:36:44Z")
Could be that people there have focused more on the candidate than his party affiliation? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/3 "2004-11-05T14:43:20Z")
Take a look at Arnoldā€™s positions on social issues. Theyā€™re not typical Republican stances. You \*cannot \* assume every Republican believes in the same things, across the board. The same goes for Dems. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/4 "2004-11-05T14:45:06Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Could be that people there have focused more on the candidate than his party affiliation? Not sure which way you mean that. I donā€™t accept Aahnold as a leader, so I donā€™t see him as a true candidate. So, maybe itā€™s the party affiliation for him? Heā€™s just an opportunist. Hopefully, the CA Legislature will show him this isnā€™t scripted with Hollywood-quick solutions for ride-off-into-the-sunset endings! Boy, when CA picks an ā€œacting governorā€, they _really_ pick one who knows how to act (at least twice now!) - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/5 "2004-11-05T14:54:13Z")
Maryland elected a Republican governor and went for Kerry. Virginia elected a Democratic governor and went for Bush. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/6 "2004-11-05T15:18:58Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Not sure which way you mean that. I donā€™t accept Aahnold as a leader, so I donā€™t see him as a true candidate. So, maybe itā€™s the party affiliation for him? Heā€™s just an opportunist. Hopefully, the CA Legislature will show him this isnā€™t scripted with Hollywood-quick solutions for ride-off-into-the-sunset endings! > > Boy, when CA picks an ā€œacting governorā€, they _really_ pick one who knows how to act (at least twice now!) - Jinx Party affiliation had nothing to do with Arnoldā€™s election as Governor. He was elected on the platform of being ā€œnot Davis.ā€ As Governor, he has so far done a very good job. He has managed to get both sides of the aisle at least talking to each other, and he isnā€™t afraid to bypass the Legislature completely and take issues directly to the people. I think this approach is exactly what is needed in California. And I **do** accept him as the leader of my fair state! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/7 "2004-11-05T15:34:20Z")
I swear I heard somewhere (probably radio) they mentioned something along the lines of how Schwarzenegger didnā€™t get any nookie\* from Maria for 14 days after some previous legislation, so he begged them not to give him credit for some Prop he supported this week? Can anyone confirm (or deny) that he discusses his sex life with the press? Can you imagine Bush (and his supporterā€™s shock) were he to say, ā€œYeah, after I bombed Iraq Lauraā€™s legs were clamped tight together for two weeks!ā€ \*Maybe he was misunderstood when he just said that Maria wouldnā€™t let him have his Hummer? ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/8 "2004-11-05T16:01:52Z")
I think you also canā€™t overlook the ā€œArnold factorā€. Iā€™m not saying itā€™s significant (because I really donā€™t know) but you KNOW there were people that went to the polls to vote for him just because heā€™s a famous movie star. I must say that Iā€™m pleasantly surprised at the job heā€™s done so far. I didnā€™t vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/9 "2004-11-05T16:04:09Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Can anyone confirm (or deny) that he discusses his sex life with the press? It was after his RNC speech. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/10 "2004-11-05T16:23:20Z")
Iā€™ve heard that California has a tradition of electing a Governor of the party that does not have the majority in the legislature. It keeps them politicians watchinā€™ each other, if not cooperating. I havenā€™t done any research into whether thatā€™s true, but it gets said a lot. Our senators are currently both Dems. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/11 "2004-11-05T17:27:32Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Not sure which way you mean that. I donā€™t accept Aahnold as a leader, so I donā€™t see him as a true candidate. So, maybe itā€™s the party affiliation for him? Heā€™s just an opportunist. Hopefully, the CA Legislature will show him this isnā€™t scripted with Hollywood-quick solutions for ride-off-into-the-sunset endings! > > Boy, when CA picks an ā€œacting governorā€, they _really_ pick one who knows how to act (at least twice now!) - Jinx So you open an IMHO thread to dump on Repulicans again but in a different forum. If you want to dump on Arnold then go Pit him. If you come to the opinion forum and ask peoples opinion, expect to get their opinion. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/12 "2004-11-05T18:11:38Z")
> [@scout1222](#): > > I think you also canā€™t overlook the ā€œArnold factorā€. Iā€™m not saying itā€™s significant (because I really donā€™t know) but you KNOW there were people that went to the polls to vote for him just because heā€™s a famous movie star. Quite a lot of people said the same thing when Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota, too. Apropos of nothing. Anyway, I think that Arnold turned out to be the most electable of all the candidates who ran in the recall election. I think that many moderate Dems find him at least tolerable because of his Kennedy-ness by association. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/13 "2004-11-05T18:22:20Z")
It is a big mistake to laugh at Arnold as a joke for governor. The people elected him because he showed signs of being an effective leader and politician. His social views were in step with California, and his personal life is actually quite Clintonesque. Objectively considering the job he has done in California so far, he has been an excellent governor. I am as suprised as the next guy, but I have to give him credit. Gray Davis was a stiff and I donā€™t think anyone is pining for his return. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/14 "2004-11-05T19:43:13Z")
California is a big state and its opinions are diverse and hard to pinpoint. California has voted in favor of medical marijuana and against gay marriage. Californians have also voted to eliminate affirmative action programs in colleges and to prohibit public agencies from providing services for illegal aliens (since declared unconstitutional) Californians have also adopted numerous antismoking laws and stringent enivormental laws. And we elected Ronald Reagan as governor for 8 years and followed him up with Gerry Brown for another 8 years. And the biggest state in the country got called for Kerry almost as soon as the polls closed. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/15 "2004-11-05T21:13:50Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger is closer to John McCain than George W. Bush. Though I wouldnā€™t be so quick as to say Schwarzenegger has been doing a ā€œgreat job.ā€ Itā€™s too early to tell, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/16 "2004-11-05T21:32:58Z")
A lot of states that are dominated by a single party tend to elect the other party to state offices because they view them as ā€œoutsidersā€ who will keep an eye on the other party. Mass. is a good example of this, they have been dominated by a single party for a very long time, but have a Repub (Mormon!!) mayor. Iā€™ll also add that, while I think Arnold is a good politician, I think the Cal. people are going to fall out of love with him _hard_ in the next few years. He was put into office to solve the budget crisis, promising not to raise taxes but instead to ā€œaudit the govā€™tā€ and eliminate waste. Of course, to waste enough money to have caused Cal.'s budget crisis, state employees would have had to be using gold leaf as toliet paper. So instead he just cut taxes and borrowed the difference, basically what Davis wouldā€™ve done, but more so (though Arnold of course did it with much more charisma). Whatā€™s more, Arnold has championed the referendum process, most lately in championing the stem cell amendment (cost, 3 billion). This referendum mandated spending is what has made Calā€™s fiscal difficulties so deep in the first place, and instead of solving the problem Arnold has encouraged it further. So unless there is a major economic upturn in the near future to put Cal back in the black, Arnold will have to either raise taxes or run Calā€™s credit rating into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/17 "2004-11-05T21:53:07Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > A lot of states that are dominated by a single party tend to elect the other party to state offices because they view them as ā€œoutsidersā€ who will keep an eye on the other party. Mass. is a good example of this, they have been dominated by a single party for a very long time, but have a Repub (Mormon!!) mayor. Massachusetts has a mayor? Itā€™s not that small, is it? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/18 "2004-11-05T22:24:28Z")
I had to reread that, but I think that was a reference to Mitt Romney. Another example of Californiaā€™s contrariness, the city of San Diego, one of Californiaā€™s more conservative cities, is poised to elect a Democrat as its mayor. Donna Frye, who ran as a write-in, has just been on the City Council for 3 years and is far from being polished. Past San Diego mayors are guys like Pete Wilson and Roger Hedgecock. The latter hosts a radio talk show in San Diego, which pretty much focuses on one topic: illegal immigrants and how they are ruining San Diego. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/19 "2004-11-05T22:27:47Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > A lot of states that are dominated by a single party tend to elect the other party to state offices because they view them as ā€œoutsidersā€ who will keep an eye on the other party. Even Texas had Ann Richards, a pretty popular governor until she was unseated by you-know-who. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184/20 "2004-11-05T23:19:26Z")
However, the Southern states are a lot different case from California. Those states were historically Democratic and switched to the Republican side because of cultural shifts in the nation as a whole. California is always a bit off. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-kerry-schwartzenegger/273184.md?page=2)