Have Potholes? Maybe Arnold is to Blame...

Yesterday, Arnold staged another cheesy campaign event in a San Jose neighborhood. The build up was secretive to avoid the hoarde of protestors that follow the "Governator" everywhere he goes now (it didn't work, a number of protestors were there), and few people showed up to watch Arnold fix a pothole to demonstrate the need for more transportation funding.

Folks in the neighborhood weren't happy to see the event, particularly since there was no pothole the night before. Thats right, Arnold had city workers dig a pothole simply so he could fill it during a campaign stop. Aside from misusing city workers, it was just plain asinine. Some streets in this state are more pothole than asphalt and one wouldn't have been hard to find.

Is it 2006 yet????

Political Product Placement

During a recent campaign commercial, Arnold is seen in a cafeteria speaking to the few remaining state residents who aren't protesting him these days. You can also see products by Nestle and Pepsi. Who cares right?

Well you might care if you knew that these two groups have donated nearly $280,000 to Schwarzenegger's perpetual campaigns.

In the movies and tv, this is called "product placement". In politics its just dirty fundraising. A consumer group is urging Arnold to return the massive sum and the companies to compensate the state for the fair market value of the ad time since it is improper for the Governor to use his office to sell corporate products.

Arnold Lies, Skips Town, & Other Notes...

Shortly before skipping town to attend yet more fundraisers for his doomed special election, Arnold denied ever pledging to return the $2 billion he swiped from state schools. Really the only thing lower than stealing from kids is to do it and then deny it when people start pointing it out.

Meanwhile, Arnold can't even get his publicity stunts right anymore. He recently attempted to show how absurd legislative district boundaries are with a huge roll of red tape. Problem was, the only thing absurd about it was that he wasn't on an actual legislative boundary. Ever the blame shifter, Arnold tried to blame his latest fiasco on the State Assembly.

Some local elected officials throughout the state have joined the fight against Schwarzenegger. Yolo County Registrar Freddie Oakley said only a judge could order her to squander $300,000 in county funds to stage Arnold's election.

The Pete Wilson Playbook

Pete Wilson's eight year reign of terror as California Governor is fortunately long behind us, but it seems his failed political playbook is alive and well. In 1994, Wilson was trailing Kathleen Brown badly in the polls when an idea hit him: pander to the fears of old white men. Voila! Like a shot out of the blue, the unconstitutional Prop 187 materialized and as Wilson hoped, it helped turn out droves of white suburban males to support the measure AND his gubernatorial bid.

One problem...in 1994, Latino voter turnout was low. Prop 187's scapegoating of Latino immigrants changed that. Prop 187 was promptly declared unconstitutional, but by 1998, Latino voters were ready to punish Wilson. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for California, Wilson was termed out. Their rage was re-directed towards Wilson's successor Dan Lungren...Lungren lost to Gray Davis by 20%. Four years later, the Wilson/187 legacy was completed with the total obliteration of the California Republican party. For the first time ever, Democrats won every statewide elected office from Governor down to Insurance Commissioner.

Why then would Schwarzenegger turn to the same race baiting and immigrant bashing that left his hapless party on life support? Well, for one, his staff is made up almost entirely of recycled Wilsonians. Two, Republicans don't learn the lessons of history. It was really no surprise when Schwarzenegger came out in support of the Minutemen. The obvious paralells to Wilson's re-election bid are plain for all to see. What isn't clear to Schwarzenegger and his desperate Republican supporters is that 2006 is not 1994. In 1994, Latinos made up only 9% of the electorate. That figure had doubled by last fall, and thanks in large part to Wilson and Prop 187, these new voters go Democrat by an overwhelming majority.

While no one would like to see Arnold out of the Governor's office and on the set of Terminator 4 more than us, we would prefer if it could come without the divisive racial politics of the Wilson years.

Faux Dem Update

Schwarzenegger voter and king of the faux Dems, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, has announced he's dropping out of the Governor's race less than two weeks after handing out Lockyer for Governor pins at the Democrats' state convention. Perhaps the hypocrisy of running against a man he supports was too much even for an old pro like Lockyer. Or perhaps he just saw the massive campaign warchest and groundswell of support for State Treasurer Phil Angelides.

Down, but not out, Lockyer announced he is a candidate for Angelides' office. Of course, he has no experience or training that would qualify him to perform the job of State Treasurer, but when has being totally unqualified for a job stopped Lockyer or his friends (*cough* Schwarzenegger *cough*)...