Time for an odd forgiveness?
Only a couple years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger was believed to be the Republican Party's golden boy--a right-wing tool in the most powerful office in one of the staunchest and most powerful of blue states. Lunatics aplenty were calling for an amendment to the federal Constitution to eliminate the native-born requirement for President so that they could run Arnold.
We on the left have been wondering for years now, though, how on earth can Maria Shriver remain married to this man? Well, we might be getting a glimpse of how much of a political animal Arnold really is. Perhaps Arnold was simply riding the waves of the seeming rising tide of authoritarian nutjobbery, and has now come to realize that California, at least, isn't so right-wing after all.
Tacking to the left on many issues California has always held dear, Arnold is positioning himself as a "liberal Republican" populist, the likes of which this country hasn't seen in a long time. There are several issues that Arnold isn't quite sound on (he still doesn't like "welfare", for example, and is still too pro-business), but did either of the two main Democratic challengers from last November truly impress as representing a solid alternative? No candidate is perfect, and ever since Schwarzenegger's seemingly sincerely eye-opening (for him) and total loss of his legislative agenda in 2005's initiative showdown, he has made all the sounds politicians are supposed to make--he actually seems to be listening to his constituents, not merely his supporters.
Imagine that.
(See the Daily Kos piece with links to evidence of Arnold's liberal agenda here.)
We on the left have been wondering for years now, though, how on earth can Maria Shriver remain married to this man? Well, we might be getting a glimpse of how much of a political animal Arnold really is. Perhaps Arnold was simply riding the waves of the seeming rising tide of authoritarian nutjobbery, and has now come to realize that California, at least, isn't so right-wing after all.
Tacking to the left on many issues California has always held dear, Arnold is positioning himself as a "liberal Republican" populist, the likes of which this country hasn't seen in a long time. There are several issues that Arnold isn't quite sound on (he still doesn't like "welfare", for example, and is still too pro-business), but did either of the two main Democratic challengers from last November truly impress as representing a solid alternative? No candidate is perfect, and ever since Schwarzenegger's seemingly sincerely eye-opening (for him) and total loss of his legislative agenda in 2005's initiative showdown, he has made all the sounds politicians are supposed to make--he actually seems to be listening to his constituents, not merely his supporters.
Imagine that.
(See the Daily Kos piece with links to evidence of Arnold's liberal agenda here.)
Labels: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California politics, Liberal Republican
posted by bryduck at 9:14 AM
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