Gov Pulls Himself Off Screen (unpopular Arnie pulls TV ads featuring self)

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Governor Pulls Himself Off the Screen
Schwarzenegger asks stations to remove ads that feature him pitching initiatives. Some say move reflects his fading poll numbers.

By Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writer


SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked TV stations Friday to remove ads that feature him making a personal appeal to California voters — an acknowledgment, analysts said, that one of the world's most recognized figures has become a weak salesman for his own agenda.

An avid pitchman his entire adult life — selling everything from gym bags to action movies — Schwarzenegger nevertheless now will rely on "ordinary" supporters to promote his four Nov. 8 ballot initiatives in ads, his campaign said.

The remaining ads do not feature the governor or even mention his name. Instead, they include teachers and others asking people to "change California" and vote for the initiatives he backs.

The two Schwarzenegger ads being removed show him in a casual backyard setting, speaking to the camera. In one, he says: "Help me change Sacramento, so we can rebuild California."

Todd Harris, a spokesman for the governor's campaign, acknowledged that his staff had asked TV stations Friday to pull the direct-appeal ads. He would not comment on whether Schwarzenegger's face would appear again on the air in the two and a half weeks that remain until voting day....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arnold22oct22,0,1830360.story?coll=la-tot-promo&track=morenews

[Missy M]

1. Poor Arnold, finally realizing he is losing his star power...

even though I am at a loss as to how he ever had any.

[neuvocat]

2. Well...

I think when you're in California and you're known for your muscles, you're going to go pretty far in life. However, Arnold just hasn't looked very well at all after his heart surgery (sp?) and the tv-viewing public being the way it is, just isn't forgiving of how he's started looking.

That's my take on it anyway.

[tularetom]

5. Well, then

Why doesn't somebody run an ad showing that picture of ahnuld in the speedo (sagging belly, man boobs, the whole disgusting picture) with a message like "This POS wants you to vote for all these ballot measures". If I had the dough I'd do it myself. Seeing this fuckin ape humiliated would be worth it.

[kskiska]

12. Arnie at the beach

[bitchkitty]

14. Aaaaaarggggggh! My eyes! My eyes! n/t

[chaz4jazz]

29. GIRLY MAN!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. HAHAHA! He realizes it will ruin whatever film career he may have

to go back to if he keeps this negative association before the the audience

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Interesting point. Arnie may want to go back to his "day job"...

one of these days, but will anyone pay to see him?

[zanne]

9. Arnie--Explore the world of infomercials!

In a year or two, I expect to turn my TV on at 3 in the morning to watch Arnie sell bodybuilding equipment.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. I'll bet you're right! nt

[Canuckistanian]

3. Brilliant move!

Since you're so unpopular, Herr Gropinator, just get yourself off the TV.
That way, no one will know that it's really your policies.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. I hope the media puts his face in every news story they write or report

C'mon Arnie, it's free advertising. Heh, heh.

[Pool Hall Ace]

6. At first I read it as

"Schwarzenegger asks stations to remove ads that feature him pinching initiatives."

This was a wise move on the Bubengrabber's part.

[AlCzervik]

10. His prop ads without him are a huge turnoff as well

[MisterP]

32. like the raving, senile lady

"THEY STEAL ELECTIONS! Have a cat!"

[wryter2000]

34. Gawd that one is a hoot

You can't even tell what it's about. What a waste of money.

[DawnneOBTS]

13. He should just go back to making really shitty movies n/t

[joefree1]

15. Calee-forn-nee-ah

My teeth grate everytime he says it.

We're all just stunned this jerk has tried to make teachers, nurses and firefighters the bad guys. Thanks for screwing up our state Gropenator.

[Mountainman]

16. I have already voted no on all of Arnie's measures

We have no poling place here because we are too remote so we all vote absentee. I loved voting no on them but I fear too many people will not because they think the pitch from the repukes sounds good. Many working class people will vote against their own best interests again. The measures are mostly anti workers, anti choice and anti Dem.

[Nikki Stone 1]

37. ME TOO! I voted absentee.

:)

[LeftyMom]

38. I voted absentee too

because I'm a poll worker on election day. :)

[OnionPatch]

17. Rebuild California?

What I don't get is what's so damn awful about California in the first place. I've been here for ten years and the problems I encounter haven't even been mentioned by Arnold.

[wryter2000]

35. The schools are screwed

Thanks to Proposition 13. You should have seen this place before that piece of excrement hit the fan. It really was the Golden State.

[truthisfreedom]

18. he hasn't lost his star power. the audience just realized that he's

playing the bad guy, like in the first couple of terminator movies.

[zann725]

19. Which goes to show...not EVERY ex-actor is a loveable "Gipper"

After all, Ahnallld WAS a pretty frightening action-figure on screen. And the older he gets, the more "age" makes all that "anger" (simulated or real) really scarey on that skin-tight, Hollywood touched-up face of his.

And that heart of his which needed repairing a few years back, clearly healed without compassion for we-the-people.

[olddad56]

20. Now he can't even show his face in public. Funny

[VegasWolf]

21. "I'm not a school teacher, but I play one on TV!"

:sarcasm:

[Mark E. Smith]

22. He Looks like A Croaking Stump

... and his "voice of doom" manner of speaking isn't exactly compelling either.

I'll be out walking the precinct again this weekend passing out literature so that people can make an informed vote.

Can't wait for this bastard to go down.

[Cha]

31. Thank you so much

for doing this! I can't believe California would vote for what the shovelnator wants unless somehow the machines leave no paper trail.

[shanti]

23. I LOVE IT!!!

hasta la vista, BABY! :evilgrin:

[confludemocrat]

24. He's dead meat. He won't "be back". California is a peculiar state

When I was growing up there politics was discussed uninhibitedly. A lot of word-of-mouth takes place. Ronnie was a shoo-in by spring of 1966, Brown II was cool way before he took the governorship, spread by word of mouth w/ some media coverage. Trends spread fast there. Both the pro-Arnold trend and the STFU-Arnold trend have spread fast. And there are no comebacks in that state, once you are out of favor there you never come back. So I don't know how one commentator could say that Aahhnold is the odds-on favorite for reelection. I say no way.

[olddad56]

26. He is the odds on favorite because the election will be fraudulent.

[cliss]

25. I had to laugh....

on the radio yesterday, they said that "Arnold was upset with Bush, because Bush is campaigning right now in California". Arnold is trying to raise money, and just at the same time, Bush is making the circuit, pimping for money. Arnold said that "it was bad timing".

I wonder if this is revenge on Bush's part for something Arnie did (or didn't do), or just plain stupidity:smoke:

[SF Bay Area Dem]

27. Arnie's poll numbers started sliding when he whored for Bush...

... in the election. Arnie also helped tip Ohio to this pathetic president. Californians are not stupid and this is a democratic state and not some disgusting smelly place like Texas (sorry fellow dems who live there but the place is nasty). Arnie continued his long line of screw-ups by calling the police, firefighters, nurses and teachers "losers" and that he was going to "kick their butt"... uh huh, sure Arnie... now who is the one running like a scared dog?

[LibDemAlways]

28. Ahnuld is over.

There are many idiots in this state who know nothing about government who thought it would be cool to put The Terminator in charge. I honestly think they confused his kick-ass screen persona with the bloated ego shit-ass he actually is. His initiatives will go down because the voters who'll show up for the off-year special election are the informed pissed-off ones who finally get to send him a message - just go away.

[senseandsensibility]

30. I really hope you're right,

but what about electronic voting? It can still be stolen.

[wryter2000]

33. What a fucking loser

I hope my state will be the end of repug operatives taking over states by force.

[fooj]

36. ditto.

:banghead:

[kick_them_hard]

39. It all started when he called Dems Girlymen

He lost support and went downhill after that. Duh, Blue state, Dumbass!!

[Hissyspit]

40. AP: Gov Special Election Campaign Takes Schwarzenegger Ads Off Air

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBL6ZL15FE.html

Governor's Special Election Campaign Takes Schwarzenegger Ads off the Air

By Tom Chorneau Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election campaign said it was withdrawing a television advertisement that featured the governor appealing to voters to support his slate of ballot initiatives.

- snip -

His campaign dismissed the notion that the ad - the only one featuring the governor - was pulled because of Schwarzenegger's falling approval ratings. Instead, they said TV ads are being rotated as part of a plan to educate voters about specific ballot measures.

Still, some observers said Schwarzenegger's ability to sell his ballot agenda might be limited because polls show he has the approval of only about 35 percent of voters.

"An overwhelming majority of voters think this special election is unnecessary and an overwhelming number of voters say they will not vote for Schwarzenegger again. Let's face it, he's unpopular," said Larry Gerston, a political scientist from San Jose State University.

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