Someone please explain the DUers who don't trust Arianna

[Paragon]

Is it that she criticized Clinton (oh, not our Bill!)? Or are there actually some of you naive enough to think she's going to do another 180? She was obviously misled in that marriage (in more ways than one) and thank goodness for all of us, her true self has been able to emerge.

She should get ALL of our support, and if you're in California, she'd better get your vote.

[JustJoe]

1. Right, Ariannnader was *brainwashed*

by that mean ol' tyrant Michael.
She'd better not wait for my vote.

[Paragon]

3. Ohhh, I get it

Another Nader-Hater. Party Loyalist.

Sorry, I meant "Someone with A MIND OF THEIR OWN explain their mistrust of Arianna". You may disregard this thread, thank you.

[JustJoe]

10. LOL. She will be performing a similar function

in Calfornia to that performed by Nader in 2000.
As for her spectacular conversion: she was
asked how she could go from hugging Gingrich
& praising him as a great guy to her current
position. She said she "did some more reading."

[bearfartinthewoods]

24. beacause no one does a 180 that quickly

from conservative hack to dem in a year? how does that happen? what has to happen to the core beliefs to allow such a transition. i can't imagine how anyone can sincerly do a switch like that in such a short period of time.

[Paragon]

28. A year?

She hasn't been a Republican since she divorced her husband, pal.

[bearfartinthewoods]

68. specificly how long was it between her last appearance as a repub

and her first as super lib?

pal...

[Tanketra]

102. Was NOBODY watching?

Arianna Huffington's "conversion" is NOT a mystery, people.

It was the McCain campaign.

She was out there plugging McCain to anybody who would listen, before McCain was. And she was 100% behind his campaign finance reform ideas. When McCain got Bushwhacked by the GOP party machinery, you could practically chart her growing disillusionment with the Republican party on a day-by-day basis, with the "shadow convention", and McCain's surrender to the GOP during it, as the last straw.

Plus, it's obvious she became friends with Al Franken from working with him. And given a daily dose of Al Franken, I think it would be hard *not* to become more liberal.

(Note: I'm not supporting her for the CA governor's spot ... actually, I'm not supporting ANYONE for the CA governor's spot, since I don't live in CA. It's best for me if Davis beats the recall, but it's not my place to vote. And I don't blame people for being *somewhat* skeptical of her compared to, I dunno, Ivins or Scheer. But I don't see how anybody could have paid attention to the 2000 campaign and come up with the conclusion that Arianna pulled a fast one on people. Especially considering, it didn't HELP her. I mean, she's ten times as interesting or entertaining as Hannity and Coulter put together. If she could follow the Bush party line, she'd be as big as any of the GOP pundits right now.)

[Fovea]

32. Naw

people who change themselves completely for a relationship, often experience a radical shift in paradigm after the relationship fails.

Desparation over an unstable relationship can make a person negate their own opinion making process, deferring to the 'beloved'. When it kicks back in, it can be fairly ugly.

She hangs with liberals now. Chances are she will find a good man, who can love her without having to control her. I am not suspect of her sincerity, but I think she is still working stuff out for herself.

[bearfartinthewoods]

74. if her change was just because of the break up then she wasn't sincere

in the first place. but she WAS very convincing though, wasn't she?
just as convincing as she is now. maybe she missed her true calling.

think about it....where is the money now? who is selling the most books now? we are. she was second fiddle on the repub scene. not young enough to be one of the blondes. her schtick was getting old with them. she flips and suddenly, she's our darling.

this is a no brainer folks.

[PretzelzRule]

101. Absolutely true!

My own mother is going through this metamorphosis right now. An ugly divorce from her Xtian fundamentalist husband (NOT my father, thank you very much!) is freeing her mind in a way it has not been in YEARS.

She is no longer parroting his right-wing crap, and is in fact beginning to regain some sense, and forming her OWN opinions about issues. Opinions that I still don't neccessarily agree with sometimes, but definitely more to the left than before.

[playahata1]

Arianna is not a Democrat.

She has somewhat libertarian leanings.

[Mairead]

107. She explains it on her site

Her conservatism was evidently based in her Ortho religious beliefs, so she presumed that of rightwingers is also, mutatis mutandis. But she found herself being used by Gingrich, her charitable causes repeatedly turned down by the greedy bastards with all the money, and eventually the penny dropped for her: it's not the right-wing Pharisees who follow the Christ's teachings, it's those despised leftist Samaritans. Click!

[sangha]

2. She's a phony

who's never made any sort of sacrifice on behalf of others.

"misled in marriage"????

WTF?? How much brains does it take to realize that your fiance doesn't like having sex with you, or anyone of your gender?

Next, you'll be telling us Arianna thought Mike was a liberal.

[Paragon]

5. Ah, good ol' sangha

Please see post #3. Thank you.

[sangha]

6. Typical

1) You can't point out any sacrifices she's made

2) You can't show that Arianna was "misled" about Mike

3) You can't show that Arianna didn't know that Mike was a conservative

All you can do is offer personal attacks for those who disagree with you.

[redeye]

15. So...

...does a person have to sacrifice to be elected? :puke: And besides, she was a real conservative when she was married to Mike - the explanation one of her sites gives for her 180 seems plausible enough (she was a volunteering but then volunteered in soup kitchens and saw that only the government was strong enough to take care of the poor).

[sangha]

18. Shallow

So she lived for decades before she realized how hard the poor have it? How does *THAT* qualify her for public office?

[redeye]

48. You haven't addressed the main point...

...which is, she's a liberal now. I don't vote for people according to what they were 5 years ago. I vote for people according to what they are now, flip-flops notwithstanding. However, the soup kitchen explanation for Arianna's 180 is perfectly logical; she was in an influential position, being a Congressman's wife, so she used her power to try and help people in soup kitchens, only to realize that only the government could really help the poor.

[sangha]

54. No, you missed the main point

Which was a request to explain the opinions of those who don't trust Arianna. As someone who doesn't trust her, I felt qualified to explain. So I did.

And I don't believe her soup-kitchen story.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sangha]

29. Yes, your posts are hypocritical

I gave you reasons for not trusting her, and all you can respond with is personal attacks. Your only defense seems to be that I "deserve it"

What about the others you've attacked? Did they "deserve it" also?

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sangha]

35. More personal attacks

I'm still waiting for you to produce factual reasons for trusting her.

[Paragon]

36. Want another one?

Congratulations! You're my FIRST "ignore" on DU! Enjoy!

[sangha]

41. Great!!

Now I can refute your posts without your even knowing about it!!

[StopTheMorans]

37. sorry to hop into this,

but you are being extremely pompous. You are not citing any facts to back up reasonable objections to your arguments, and then you start accusing people of blind partisanship in an attempt to obfuscate the real issue. Don't expect people to accept blind assertions at face value; Arianna was a staunch conservative and Clinton-hater, and for her to turn liberal this late in her life only leads me to believe one thing about her: she is a political opportunist no matter what party she decides to place herself under the auspices of.

[AntiLempa]

13. we agree?

for once i agree with you.

[bpilgrim]

77. yeah, but shes OUR 'phony'...

did you loose your script :shrug:

:hi:

peace

[realFedUp]

4. Arianna has many sides to her

I think she's just as much a political opportunist as
anyone who has thrown his or her hat into the recall ring.
She's a businesswoman and I don't fault her for that, but
she's just another pig at this trough IMO.

I guess I still like experience...I don't want to
give the governorship to an intern.

[StopTheMorans]

23. agree 100%, Arianna=POLITICAL OPPORTUNIST

n/t

[Rooktoven]

91. So are they all.

If you aren't you will never run for office. Bottom line.

That said, I think we liberals are better off fighting with our strongest hand. And don't think so harshly of a change of thought-- It happens, and it has been happening gradually. You will notice Arianna still challenges Dems, so I'm inclined to believe her evolution is genuine.

[Tanketra]

104. So you think she's an idiot, too?

Why would a political opportunist jump ship when the party whose ideals she was ostensibly in favor of comes *into* power?

She could be Bill O'Reilly with a personality people could actually LIKE. Instead, she's getting the brushoff from half of us and all of them. Man, she jumped on a great ride there ...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. I like Arianna and I do trust her. I really think she entered the recall

to get the big issues around the budget discussed such as Enron.

I have mixed feelings about that given the ORIGINS of the recall but I don't think she entered the race to harm the process.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. she was a repuke since becoming a US citizen

and only after divorce from repuke husband mike did she leave the repuke party....i question her motives for her dicission to run and her timing (why not run during regular election cycle?)....or was it to spite her ex, to make money?:shrug:...what ever the reason it's just something in my spirit that questions her true motives...(incert old sig line here)
"Never again will I trust anyone in power. I start from the immediate assumption that they are lying, and the burden is then on them to convince me that they are telling the truth." -- Michael Moore


I AM SO JADED AND I HATE BUSHCO FOR THIS REASON ALONE!

[TLM]

43. So you do not trust her conversion...

yet Kucinich's flip on abortion is ok with you?

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

9. I don't trust her

She seems like just another self-promoter. When Clinton was in office, she appeared rightist to create controversy. With Bush in office, she flip-flopped to apparent liberalism just to create a stir.

She just likes the limelight and the sound of her own voice.

She definitely will not get my vote.

[Brian Sweat]

11. Count me as one

When she was on the other side, she was every bit as intellectually dishonest as anyone in the currect gang.

The things she says today are more grounded in fact, but I feel a little hypocritical if I accept her as a liberal.

[radwriter0555]

12. I like SOME of her positions and some of her ideals, but she likes

the attention far too much. Watching her leap into AS's press conference last week was QUITE a spectacle... she really came off badly all on her own.

I like someone a bit more humble, and a bit more willing to listen, than to immediately interject with opinions.

I like that she HAS opinions, but I'd prefer someone with more compassion and humility.

[Paragon]

14. This is sad, folks.

Obviously, paranoia and fear tactics are not limited to the Republican Party.

Sad.

[sangha]

20. How about some facts, instead of personal attacks?

.

[IndianaGreen]

98. Pot meet kettle

Are we projecting today, hmmmm?

:eyes:

[StopTheMorans]

34. ahh, the old Green Party standby

if you can't defend your own candidate, accuse the Democrats of blind partisanship. Sorry, not normally a green-basher, but that was pure, unwarranted baiting IMHO:)

[Paragon]

76. No...

What exactly, is there for me to defend about her past as a Republican wife?

If you want me to defend her as a pundit, writer, and independant running for Governor of California, I can go all night. OK?

[samsingh]

16. although she seems very pleasant today

she was rabid anti-Clinton and very unfair in her criticisms. I used to dislike her positions intensely. Then she had a change when her husband was mistreated by the GOP.

[Rooktoven]

93. News bulletin!

Clinton's behavior let a lot of Democrats down. One could imagine how well he'd have done and how easily Gore would have been elected if he controlled himself a bit more.

And as for the treatment by the party, maybe she began to comprehend compassion a bit more after the fact.

Liberals and Moderates (Dems and Greens) should want elegant speakers for their cause.

[redeye]

17. Maybe...

...if she's more electable than Camejo then yes, I'll vote for her, but still view that as a wasted opportunity for the Greens to win an important national office.

[Undemcided]

19. Not looking too good at the moment.

News like this is hardly likely to help her.
Huffington Paid Little Income Tax

TV commentator and author Arianna Huffington, who launched her campaign for governor with criticism of "fat cats" who fail to shoulder a fair share of taxes, paid no individual state income tax and just $771 in federal taxes during the last two years, her tax returns show.

[sangha]

21. Hypocrit

.

[VermontDem2004]

22. I was reading some of the posts and I had to say something

My mom was about as republican as they come. Here is how she voted Reagan, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Dole, Bush Jr., and will be voting for Dean in the primaries and whoever the dem candidate is in the general election. She made a bigger 180 then Dennis Miller, she is pro-environment, pro-gay rights, anti-war, and anti-bush. What sparked the change was the fact that she started following the news real closely and seen Bush for who he really is. So it is possible for someone to complete a political 180 because my mom done it. As to comment, I criticized some of the things Clinton did. I don't think she will do another 180 because I felt she started keeping up with what is going on. Anyone who keeps up with current events (with an open minded approach) they will become anti-bush. I don't know if she has been misled in marriage, but when my mom was married for 7 years, she was basically dictated by my dad. So what you said is somewhat believeable.

If I lived in Cali, she would definately get my vote. Also, I can't wait to watch her kick Ann Coulter's ass on Real Time Friday.

[Catherine Vincent]

25. She's live on CNN now!

Tying the energy crisis with Arnie and Bushie.

[sangha]

26. No offense but

I wouldn't vote for your mom either.

I mean, it's great that she's come to realize the dangers of cheap-labor conservatism and I"m sure she's a real nice lady. However, that doesn't qualify her for office.

[VermontDem2004]

39. It isn't like she is running

but everybody is surprised she pulled a 180, she is an oppurtunist, blah, blah, blah etc. But I wouldn't not vote for someone unless I looked at their platform and what they could to do to fix the current problems. You shouldn't just vote for someone and hope he/she does well because he/she has a (d) next to there name. I would suggest to look at Arianna's ideas on how to fix the current situation.

[sangha]

44. Your mom is NOT an opportunist

That's the difference between your mom and Arianna, Your mom had nothing to gain by switching, financially that is. Arianna does.

I would suggest looking at Arianna's (and any other candidates) record. It's not a good record.

People can say anything. Talk is cheap. Just look at what Bush* has said, as compared to what he's done.

[VermontDem2004]

47. Your response has just 1 flaw in it

There is nothing you can gain financially from being a liberal. Look at Ann Coulter for example, she makes up shit and happens to sell 500,000 copies, get tv appearences and so on. I seen Ann Coulter on tv probaly about 5 times more then I ever seen Arianna on tv.

[TLM]

55. To understand huffington and her switch....

you have to understand what it means to love someone enough to supress your views and your feelings about things like political differences.

That is something I doubt Shanga will ever understand.

[sangha]

62. Is that why Arianna pushed her hubby to run?

You want to make it out as if Arianna had nothing to do with Mike's conservative campaign, when the truth is if anyone in that marriage was keeping quiet about something, it was Mike, and not Arianna.

[TLM]

69. OMG you mean she was a supportive political wife of a repub?

Amazing, she supported her republican husband in his run for office.


I've talked to this woman and asked her about her views, and I find her infinitely more trustworthy and believable than you, shanga.

[sangha]

85. More personal attacks

And she didn't merely "support" her Republican husband - His run was her idea, and she pushed him further to the right.

[VermontDem2004]

87. How did he committ a personal attack on you?

[IndianaGreen]

99. Can you back up what you are saying with EVIDENCE?

His run was her idea, and she pushed him further to the right.

In case you don't know what that means:

Evidence.
Function: noun
Date: 14th century

1 a : an outward sign : INDICATION b : something that furnishes proof : TESTIMONY; specifically : something legally submitted to a tribunal to ascertain the truth of a matter

2 : one who bears witness; especially : one who voluntarily confesses a crime and testifies for the prosecution against his accomplices
- in evidence 1 : to be seen : CONSPICUOUS <trim lawns ... are everywhere in evidence -- Amer. Guide Series: N.C.> 2 : as evidence

http://www.m-w.com/

[sangha]

61. Wrong

In CA, you can gain from being a liberal.

[VermontDem2004]

64. Appearently California isn't the only state selling Arianna's book

I seen it at the bookstore the other day, but books are sold all over the country, tell me what place Arianna is on the best seller list? Tell me what # is Anthrax on the best seller list? You will gain much more from being a conservative in this Country then being a democrat. I think you are being extremely closed minded about this and you cannot cite a single example where she changed because of financial reasons.

[Tanketra]

105. Or you can get recalled ...

... for being even slightly liberal.

[sendero]

112. trust me...

... every single point made in that list could be refuted easily by my 13 year old son (except the one about marrying a gay, he doesn't really understand all that stuff yet, but it HAPPENS ALL THE TIME).

But why bother? Nobody's mind is going to change. And that is fine, if I saw a halo over Ralphie's head tomorrow, I'd still never vote for his sorry lying ass.

We all have a threshold of past behavior we can forgive. Some cannot forgive Arianna's past behavior. Some call her an opportunist and yet vehemently support the biggest and most stunningly blatant opportunist of all time.

Go figure.

[Mairead]

108. As Zinn has pointed out, the entire basis of democracy is that

ordinary people are qualified for these offices.

[meti57b]

30. I like her, trust her and believe she had an honest conversion to ....

her current ideas. She is certainly more knowledgeable, intelligent and verbal than ahh-nulled, (who has apparently noticed that duhbya got elected and is popular despite his lack of brainpower and lack of relevant knowledge, and figured out he can do it too.)

I would and will vote for Arianna if she looks like the most viable Democratic candidate.

[Clete]

31. I was one of those, but after today I have have turned 180 degrees

in my opinion of her. They just showed part of a speech she made on CNN. I knew it. She's not running for Governor. She is running against Arnold and Pete Wilson the former Governor of California and the person who should be blamed for California's economic problems. She has always said she was against the recall, which made me wonder why she would run for Governor. Now she has stated that Arnold needs to answer a lot of hard questions and not Pete Wilson, who is his spokesman, and who is fielding questions instead of Arnold.

Go Arianna go! Let's see who the real terminator is at the end of this fiasco.

[TLM]

38. I've met her and asked her about this myself...

That's me in the black.


And she said basicaly two things that came into play in her conversion... first she was a bit silent on some things because she was a wife to a republican. Also she said she's always been a populist, and had really turned more liberal with the coming of the neocons.

She is like a goldwater republican, and the party moved so far to the right, that she found herself in the middle, and from there the left was making a lot more sense.

[GalleryGod]

40. Gawd! A Middle aged Cover Girl with BRAINS

Make me your love slave,Ari-Baby?!!?:P }( :bounce: :wow:

[Paragon]

42. Couldn't agree more

TLM, you sly dog, you. ;-)

[TLM]

46. You should have heard what she had to say about Dennis Miller.

I told her the next time she is on real time with coulter and miller, she should beat miller to death with coulter, that way it would look like a really bad pedestrian accident... no murder weapon.

[Paragon]

53. Tell me

I'd LOVE to hear what she had to say about that sadsack. They probably did "Politically Incorrect" together a few times back in the day.

Powerful the Force is, young Jedi -- to turn Arianna from the Dark Side and Dennis TO the Dark Side.

[TLM]

65. She had just done Real Time with him...

I think... like a week prior when she said he was in danger of becoming Bush's "Sammy."

She just kept asking... "what happened to him?"

I said he wanted some of those Limbaugh bucks... and wanted his next book to be bought in bulk by shaife.

[Paragon]

71. You're right

I'm pretty sure it was HBO cancelling his show, not 9/11, that scared the shit out of him.

He's not altogether stupid -- here's one crowd (the Republisheep) that will ALWAYS support him financially as long as he tells them what they want to hear.

[Rooktoven]

94. Ditto ;)

nm

[sangha]

45. She's a liar

Arianna never was "a bit silent"

[TLM]

50. Shanga, I'm not interested in your closed minded bile today.

She was silent about her more leftward views, because of her position as the wife of a republican... pretty simple to see when your vision is not clouded with hate and venom.

[Paragon]

56. Allow me to recommend the "ignore" feature

I've only ever used it on one person, and already, this thread has improved tenfold. ;-)

[sangha]

60. I second that recommendation

.

[sangha]

59. Too bad.

I'm gonna keep on posting.

And she goaded her "husband" (another sign of her opportunism) into spending millions on a conservative campaign. She was an enthusiastic conservative, and it wasn't because of her husband. If anything, it was Mike who was keeping quiet about some things because of his Repubican wife.

[TLM]

67. And your proof of this?

My position comes from talking with her personaly... what is yours based on?

I mean other than you obvious hate...

[demgrrrll]

57. Camejo has agreed to throw Green support to AH if it looks like she has

any kind of momentum. I don't know what to make of that.
I don't know if she has made a similar agreement to throw
support to the Greens if they gain any momentum.

[bpilgrim]

78. look whos talking...

:hi:

peace

[robbedvoter]

49. Hope Cali DU-ers vote "No"on recall and yes for Bustamante

Anything else, and you better learn German.
As for Arianna, her most recent pearl: she went on Maher show and called Peter Arnet a traitor because he went on Iraqi TV and said: "Thank you for your hospitality" (in a very indignant tone)

[Clete]

52. Actually, we will need to learn Bushglish.

Can't let the emperor look bad.

Must speak worse.

He look better.

[Rooktoven]

95. That also shows continuity of belief

Dunno if I'd go the traitor route, but lots of Dems didn't aprove of that. (Regardless of the misguided _reasons given_ for war)

[Blue_Chill]

51. She paid $771 in taxes in the last two years

<snip>
TV commentator and author Arianna Huffington, who launched her campaign for governor with criticism of "fat cats" who fail to shoulder a fair share of taxes, paid no individual state income tax and just $771 in federal taxes during the last two years, her tax returns show.<snip>




source: http://www.latimes.com/news/yahoo/la-me-ariannatax14aug14,0,3462013.story?coll=la-newsaol-headlines

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

58. So she is a hypocrite as well

I'm sure that if a Democrat is elected president, she'll become conservative again to keep herself in the spotlight.

[TLM]

63. Did you read the whole piece... her income for those two years

was way offset by huge losses in her publishing company.

[Blue_Chill]

70. Yes and I smell a rat

I don't buy it.

[Clete]

72. Actually, it isn't her fault that the law allows her to

write off business losses. So you don't think she should take advantage of them?

[TLM]

79. Yeah it would be one thing if she was movign money around

and faking the losses or something like that. But the fact is you get taxed on what you make over what you spend.

Her publishing company lost more than it made while she was researching and writing her book.

[TLM]

75. Ever worked in the publishing business?

I have... and the fact is that in between publications, you do take major losses. THe way around this is to do many publications spaced out... but if her publishing company is only built around her own books, she would be looking at major losses during writing time and research time, and then a few years of gains after publication.

So it does balance out and you're lucky to break even.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

80. So she times her publications to take advantage of tax writeoffs

Sounds like she can easily manipulate her losses and profits to avoid taxes when it is to her advantage.

[TLM]

82. That is how publishing works....

Should she be writing a new book every tax year? Or should she take the time to write and research a good book?


I mean if she wrote a crappy book every year and made less money because of the lower quality... and still did not overcome the losses and publishing costs, would you then claim she was also manipulating her taxes?

[MiltonLeBerle]

86. For someone with so many losses-

She sure lives a pretty nice lifestyle.

And an EXTREMELY nice lifestyle for someone who only pays $771.00 in income tax.

[Rooktoven]

96. Newsflash!

Poor people can't run for governor. Even if you spend _none_ of your own money, you need time to do it.

Has anyone proven that she did anything remotely illegal or dishonest?

[xequals]

66. Arianna - the female Hitchens

It's a moot point anyway. She's an opposition candidate.

[Freddie Stubbs]

73. She is running so that she can earn more on speakers fees

That is why Alan Keyes ran. That is why Al Sharpton ran. Personal enrichment.

[TLM]

81. Look at that picture of me and huffington...

that was taken at a little hole in the wall bookstore where she came to do a signing.

She did not charge some massive speaking fee, there was no charge to talk with her, etc.

[TreasonousBastard]

83. OK, so TLM...

is the only one here who actually met her and gives her side of the story.

But I'm still not convinced she's not an opportunist.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but I got the distinct impression over here on the original coast that she was the driving force behind her conveniently rich, and not too bright, husband's Senate race, then dumped him when that was over and she got a national stage. I just can't buy the downtrodden wife story with those two. I can buy "calculating."

She talks the talk now, which is OK, because people can change, but I still suspect she's taking the profitable road, not the high one.

I am willing to be convinced otherwise, but you gotta come up with something good to convince me it's not just an act, albeit a classier one than Coulter's act.

[TLM]

84. When she was asked about her conversion and her husband...

Like I said she said the neocon movement really pushed her out. She did the good wife thing and stood by her man. When he lost, she did not have to be the good supportive political campaign wife.

I don't think she was downtrodden. I think she did not want him to be able to blame his loss on her... like he lost because his wife left him, etc. When he lost all on his own, she was ok to leave.

She reminds me a lot of Hillary... but then some call her an oppertunist too. Some women will put up with a lot of shit from their husbands, even more so when they are in politics.

[TreasonousBastard]

100. OK, that's what she said...

in the time you hung out with her at a booksigning.

But, that may not be the whole story.

Now, that doesn't mean that if I lived out there and thought Davis was toast I wouldn't seriously consider voting for her. Even if she is an opportunist with an act, sometimes that works. (And I don't know who else besides the porn star is worth a shot.)

She's got the brains for the job, and knows how to work people. And she does talk the talk. She might even walk it for a while.

Sounds like a lot of successful politicians we know.

[Rooktoven]

111. Lord knows we can use

a successful liberal politician.

[Shanty Oilish]

88. She's a woman

If I could edit out all gender references in this thread, I'd still know she was a woman by the comments. All these references to AH's marriage, and personal life. AH running to spite ex-spouse. AH needs to be more willing to listen, more humble. AH was kept silent as the spouse of a Republican. AH was really the silencer, not the silencee.

None of that sounds like anything but a woman.

Wish more than the few here would concentrate on her ideas. Taking a woman seriously is still a challenge for too many.

[REP]

90. I'm Surprised How Much I Like Arianna

I generally distrust people who change their stances. With Huffington, however, the changes in her public statements were gradual, and she seems to value many of the same things I do. I think her ideas are intriguing, and while I don't agree with everything she says, a lot of it makes sense to me (though the Arnet quote doesn't). That's okay - I didn't agree with everything Clinton said, and I think he turned out to be an overall fine leader.

[Mairead]

110. Right on.

There are a lot of 'boys' at DU, and it shows.

[Hippo_Tron]

89. Because She's Nuts

In her little mind driving SUV's somehow directly supports terror. Plus she turned her husband gay...

[Rooktoven]

97. Wrong!

The implication is that owning SUVs is as likely or more likely to contribute to terror than smoking weed will. The SUV ad was a double pronged attack-- both on the bullshit drug war and the wasteful petroleum industrial complex that drives mortal combat.

[IndianaGreen]

92. The moment Arianna announced against Saint Gray Davis

she became persona non grata to many of those that once applauded her epiphany from conservatism and her stinging columns against Bush & Co.

Arianna is still okay in my book, and Saint Davis is still going down in flames.

Accept Davis defeat, and focus your energies in getting Bustamante in.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

103. A vote for Arianna

is a vote for truth, freedom, liberty, justice,
democracy, idealism, feminism, truth, freedom, and
me.

[Cthulu_2004]

106. She's false-flagging it....

she's a Repuke.

[Mairead]

109. Her political migration, in her own words

What prompted the transformation in my political thinking

(from http://www.ariannaonline.com/latimes.html)

As anyone reading my column over the last five years knows, this certainly has been no overnight flip-flop. And for those few sturdy souls who've plowed through "The Other Revolution," the largely unread book on the crisis in political leadership I wrote in my mid- 20s, it's clear that the seeds of "How to Overthrow the Government" were sown a long time ago.

...

I admit: I was seduced {by Gingrich}, fooled, blinded, bamboozled--call it what you will. But it didn't take long before I recognized that the Gingrich spiel was only empty rhetoric. And readers of my column were made privy to each realization as it occurred. Disillusioned with the right, did I fall in love with the left? No, because the path I was searching for would take us beyond the standard left-right paradigm and provide new solutions to the greatest crisis America is facing today: the fact that we have become two nations, one basking in unprecedented prosperity, the other left to choke on the dust of Wall Street's galloping bulls.

...

I once believed that the private sector--especially conservative multibillionaires who want less government involvement--would rise to the occasion and provide the funding needed to replicate the programs that work, sustain them and bring them to market. One of the changes in my thinking was born of the hard reality I confronted when I tried to raise money for groups and community activists who were good at saving lives but not at raising funds. I sadly discovered how much easier it was raising money for the opera or a fashionable museum. So now, at the same time that I urge--and practice--tithing to poverty fighting, I recognize that the task of overcoming poverty is too monumental to be achieved without the raw power of annual government appropriations.

I also believe more fervently than ever that government dollars, however many trillions of them, will never mend broken lives without citizen engagement. What I found, whether in South Central or Anacostia in Washington, D.C., is the truth of what the Rev. Henry Delaney, who has been transforming boarded up crack houses in Savannah, Ga., once told me: "I want to get people involved in what we're doing. It's like putting a poker in the fire. After a while, the fire gets in the poker too." It certainly does.

So you can blame my evolution on the fire getting in the poker.