# California Dopers - How's Arnold doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514 "2004-07-23T14:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/1 "2004-07-23T14:34:27Z")
Hey how is Arnold doing out there as Governor? I looked up aproval ratings, and they are pretty high. Is he actually doing anything, or just maintaining the status quo? What is the consensus? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/2 "2004-07-23T14:42:54Z")
Well, aside from being dubbed Der Gropenfuhrer by G.B. Trudeau… I’ve been wondering the same thing; as an ex-Californian living in Minnesota, I have a little experience with atypical governers… I heard an interesting comment about Arnold just after he was elected. He came from a fairly humble, blue-collar background and decided to try his hand at bodybuilding. He proceeded to do about as well as it is possible to do at it. He then turned his ambition towards acting, and, although he’s not in the Royal Shakespeare company, given the number of blockbuster hits he’s had, he’s done about as well as it is possible to do at it. He then turned towards restaurants, and started up the Planet Hollywood chain with that Willis guy. Again, successful. Now he’s trying politics… ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/3 "2004-07-23T16:44:16Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Now he’s trying politics… I agree with your logic here, he seems to be good at whatever he does. He has the added plus of not being a career politician. I like Arnold, to me guys like him are the ideal canidate for running a state. He has a vested interest in working hard for the people, not for lobby groups. He’s got enough money for 10 Arnolds and his most import asset is his reputation. To keep that, he has to do well for the people he represents in CA. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/4 "2004-07-23T20:31:59Z")
There’s some grumblings that Arnold is revealing himself to be a more photogenic version of Grey Davis, which IMO says more about the problems of the state than his leadership. On the other hand, I don’t think the “girly man” incident helped him any. Not because the insult was rude (oh, brother), but because it ran counter to his pre-election “I will get Democrats and Republicans to work together in constructive, non-partisan ways.” Overall so far: _Meh._ ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/5 "2004-07-23T21:06:22Z")
I have one problem Arnold. His continued threats to put initiatives on the ballot if he doesn’t get his way. As if I want the same sheep who gavw us props 13, 187 and 209 deciding matters of state finance. That’s what got us into these budget messes to beginn with, He was voted i to lead so lead, not threaten. ---
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/6 "2004-07-24T00:48:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, aside from being dubbed Der Gropenfuhrer by G.B. Trudeau… > > I’ve been wondering the same thing; as an ex-Californian living in Minnesota, I have a little experience with atypical governers… > > I heard an interesting comment about Arnold just after he was elected. He came from a fairly humble, blue-collar background and decided to try his hand at bodybuilding. He proceeded to do about as well as it is possible to do at it. > > He then turned his ambition towards acting, and, although he’s not in the Royal Shakespeare company, given the number of blockbuster hits he’s had, he’s done about as well as it is possible to do at it. > > He then turned towards restaurants, and started up the Planet Hollywood chain with that Willis guy. Again, successful. > > Now he’s trying politics… He also did quite well in real estate before beginning his movie career. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/7 "2004-07-24T04:38:12Z")
Well, we haven’t slid into the ocean yet, so he’s exceeded my expectations, at the very (very, very, very) least. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/8 "2004-07-25T05:52:26Z")
[Hard to see him as much of an improvement over Gray Davis.](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/monthly/2004_07.php) This isn’t entirely his fault of course. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/9 "2004-07-25T06:31:12Z")
Well, he made a number of statements about what he was and was not going to do when he was campaigning, but we see contradictions. He takes contributions in ways he said he wouldn’t. He said he would cut waste and not education, etc; he’s cut the University budget so now fewer freshmen will be accepted. Funny, the public discussion seems to be about “What categories of the young will get shuffled into the junior colleges” rather than “Hey, education is getting cut”. The budget proposes to cut the “vector control” (contagious disease control) and this year West Nile virus has hit California. He said he wouldn’t borrow (it’s against the rules anyway). So he’s borrowing $13 or $16 billion, and just writing another rule that we won’t borrow two years down the road. The state can get into the counties’ money somehow. IE, your property tax money that the county expects to use for roads, police, fire departments, etc, is getting stopped in Sacramento. Counties are shutting down the occasional fire station, which means X added minutes in fire/ambulance response time. Nurse’s aides are laid off in the schools; I dunno what all. Business proprietors love him, but workmen’s comp which was supposed to be less burdensome is for some technical reason getting more expensive. Try **yokeroo** ’s [link](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/monthly/2004_07.php) and search for Arnold, it’s long, for a list. But b’gosh he’s popular. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/10 "2004-07-25T06:38:38Z")
Oh, you should know the counties can’t raise taxes or bump up fees to make up for the diverted money. That is on account of a State Constitution initiative called “Jarvis-Gann”. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/11 "2004-07-25T07:03:08Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > He then turned towards restaurants, and started up the Planet Hollywood chain with that Willis guy. Again, successful. I was under the impression that Planet Hollywood was a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/12 "2004-07-25T11:34:23Z")
Nobody goes to the Planet Hollywood anymore, 'cause it’s too…closed. _The Peter Principle_, by Lawrence Peter, states that every worker will rise to his level of incompetence. That is, he’ll be promoted until he reaches a job he can’t do. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/13 "2004-07-25T11:57:24Z")
But how can anyone take him seriously? That “I’ll be back” shit will be with him till his dying day. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-dopers-hows-arnold-doing/256514/14 "2004-07-25T19:57:14Z")
Calling legislators “girlie men” is pretty childish.