Report: Schwarzenegger Considered Party Switch

[wyldwolf]

How bad did things get between Der Governator and his fellow Republicans? Schwarzenegger’s biographer, Joe Mathews, reports that he recently considered dropping out of the party altogether. It’s the latest blast in a long-running war.

A few months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a few close associates discussed whether he should leave the Republican Party, according to two people familiar with the conversation. His friend Mike Bloomberg, the New York mayor, had become an independent. Maybe Schwarzenegger should, too. But the governor and his people quickly concluded that Californians already saw him as independent of the Republican Party. So what would be the point of a switch? (A spokesman for the governor declined comment.)

To people outside the state, Schwarzenegger’s recent battles with Republican legislators over a budget and his criticism of GOP governors and congressmen for their opposition to President Obama’s stimulus package might sound jarring. Schwarzenegger once was “Conan the Republican” (the first President Bush’s nickname for him), a politician who declared in his 2004 convention speech, “I'm proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan and the party of George W. Bush.” Now he is on ABC News saying that “it doesn’t really mater if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-02-23/arnold-considered-party-switch

[TwilightGardener]

1. Deep inside, he's a girlie man.

[Champion Jack]

2. ROFLMAO!!

[YOY]

3. Ughhh...they can keep the gropenator.

n.t.

[avaistheone1]

11. The Gropenator...how appropriate.

LOL

[mikekohr]

21. The Boobassengraghber

nt

[avaistheone1]

23. Or how about the Boobassengrabanator?

[wyldwolf]

4. this actually got me thinking of people who have switched from the GOP to another party...

... and vice versa.

Here's a list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_switching_in_the_United_States

[theblasmo]

16. Fascinating...

... how many of the 1960's "switchers" from Dem. to Rep. were Southern. No connection to anything going on there, of course.

[4lbs]

18. Not to mention the number of Repukes running in this past election that conveniently "forgot" to

attach the (R) to the end of their name. Evidently, acknowledging they were a Repuke was often an instant 10 point drop.

[last_texas_dem]

22. Very interesting list, wyldwolf; thanks for posting.

The one I wasn't aware of that jumped out at me the most: Michelle Bachmann. How in the world was that woman once a Democrat- and a 1970s Minnesota Democrat, at that?!?

[Clio the Leo]

5. Nah, it's one more vote for us.........

...... I'll take any GOP turncoat that wants to hop the fence.

[NV Whino]

6. Noooooo

Please keep him! We don't want him!

[Doctor_J]

7. If he were to switch, the California GOP would be officially dead

To which I say

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Jennicut]

8. Any Rethug that turns and comes over to our side is okay with me, it looks bad for them

I think Arnold is starting to realize the Rethug party is dying.

[Tiggeroshii]

9. This threat gives him a lto of control over the GOP and it's direction.

Given that his stature as the GOP governor of California does lend a lo of weight the very existance of the party in this state, he will very likely use this bring the party more towards the middle. I guess they can pretty much dump him if they'd like to. It's between Arnold and the GOP, I guess I shouldn't get involved. It could get messy...

[wyldwolf]

10. If the GOP dumped him, you know what he'd say?

"I'll Be Back."

[damonm]

13. And you remember what happened when he said it?

Usually wasn't too pleasant for the person(s) he said it to...

[Cleita]

12. I could have slightly more respect for him, if he did something like saying

he was becoming an independent because he finally realized that the party of Lincoln was not the same party as the party of Bush. Also, he would be free of demands from the GOP to back their agenda. However, I hope he doesn't. I would just like to see him out of politics altogether. He's incompetent as a person of authority.

[Cha]

25. Exactly...it's his Karma to be

stuck in a party that stands for greed, obsfucation, and perversion.

[izzybeans]

14. It looks like one of the Festrunk brothers finally realized the

leisure suit he's been wearing all this years didn't make him the "wild n' crazy guy" he thought he was?

http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=&usg=AFQjCNEd4S8lh43xKlWjXKdPfAy3MN3rRw

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

15. Memo to Awwwnold: We don't want you. Please go away.

[mulsh]

17. retire from politics, do us all a favor.

He should be hanging out in Brentwood, driving the kids to school, making crappy movies, doing as little harm as possible.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Unfortunately, it's too late for that...

[vaberella]

20. I get the feeling he might be reelected into office. n/t

[Retrograde]

24. term limits mean he has to find a different one

he can't run for CA governor next year. There are rumors he might try for senate, but unless the Republicans go for an open primary he's not insane enough to win a Republicans-only primary in this state.

[blueclown]

26. None of us like Arnold, but he is really only one of the few liberal Republicans..

... that have any significant power.

Liberal Republicans are a dying breed. The wackjob fundies are pushing them out of the party. And that's a shame.