Arnie & Math Class
Schwarzenegger Tries to Add Some Substance to Celebrity
"Does that mean we are going to make cuts?" he said. "Yes. Does this mean education is on the table? No. Does this mean I am willing to raise taxes? No. Additional taxes are the last burden we need to put on the backs of the citizens and businesses of California."
... cut to CalPundit:
Good luck! Once you remove education, there's about $50-60 billion left in the budget, and it needs to be cut about $25 billion or so to get into balance. Even the Terminator can't pull that off.Still, here in the land of make believe it's the politically expedient thing to say, and he should have stuck with it. But he didn't.
He was fine at first in his prepared remarks, striking a very Bush-like tone: "I will not raise taxes," he said firmly. But later, questioned by reporters, he sounded more like Bush Sr.: "Never say never ? but I am in principle against taxing."
Gary Coleman voters have reason to be very proud of their candidate when the "legitimate" candidates talk like this.
Comments
I thought Arnold acquitted himself relatively well, and I haven't exactly been his biggest backer. He certainly handled the political press well enough, after weeks of their assuring us they'll be "tougher" on him than the entertainment press. Whatever.
It strikes me that he comes out ahead when professional critics and bloggers pound on him for his naivete, shallowness, good looks, whatever. It only drives home the fact he's not a member of the political class.
Posted by: kevin whited | August 21, 2003 09:12 AM
Didn't see the video, but not too big of a shock that he'd come across better in that medium rather than in the printed word. In the end, I suspect he's right in that people don't care about the figures. But whether or not people want someone in office who DOES know about the figues, might be a different story.
The second graf, I agree with 100% ... it's his strongest selling point: essentially "I'm from Brentwood, not Sacremento."
Posted by: Greg | August 21, 2003 12:12 PM