Can we give Rove that much credit for Arnold/ Calif. ? Is he this good?

[cthrumatrix]

I think we all on some level can say how convenient the calif recall is for Arnold ...but is it really? Or was is a classical Rovian plan?


Let's connect the dots...is this 2004 planning for bush?
--------------------------------------------------------

* california is one of the largest Pres. electoral prizes - 50+ votes

* It's now clear that the ENRON manufactured illegal energy prices which Bush allowed by removing electricity price caps only days into office.(side note: Enron was bush's largest contributor)

* We can see the devasting effect of these increased energy prices on the Calif. purse strings, economy and overall budget concerns.

* Budget concerns spawned the Issa(R) driven "recall" and subsequently drops after arnold enters.

* Meantime Arnold goes to Iraq for "photo opps" with the troops and comes back to announce he will run.

* Furthermore, we are told Calif. will allow the troops to vote elctronically overseas setting up for a un-verifiable count.

* enter 2004 pres. campaign and you have Arnold working the state for Bush.


What do you think? Is Rove this good or am I givning them way too much credit?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Gee, I wonder who set this up???

It sure looks like a Rovian game plan to me!

S.O.B!!!

[rocktivity]

2. The voters of California have already had a muddled actor for governor

That alone should be enough to scare them off. But as the Pretzel-Dunce himself once attemped to say, fool them twice, shame on them. I'm not getting this impression from the press coming out of CA, but is the public aware of the things you've written? Do they realize that this recall is part of the vast right-wing conspiracy? Are they screaming for an investigation into Enron? Those are the things that should be concentrated on in CA.


rocknation

[nbsmom]

3. No...you can never credit Karl with too much

After all, what were the chances that Cheney would just happen to be in Sacto yesterday, anyway?

Don't forget that the minute Davis is out of office the pressure for Cheney to turn over his energy papers is GONE (and that's a big skeleton still kinda sitting out there, too).

Then there's the fact that the timing of the recall (still subject to court decision) really blows for many urban (read DEM) CA precincts. Polls simply won't open because there's no $$$ to staff and run them, meaning higher turnout at fewer places. And those that will open will have either suspect old equipment or brand new equipment (mostly touchscreen) that's never been used in any election, since the first real test was supposed to be the March 04 primaries. Under the best of circumstances, putting on an election in places like L.A. and S.F. is a logistical nightmare. Putting on an election in under 2 months is sheer lunacy.

Rove does seem to play a lot of reverse psychology games -- if 1600 Pennsylvania had really wanted Riordan to run, Arnold would have not announced last night. Nothing happens if Karl doesn't want it to.

[Dagaz]

4. Back away from the Tin Foil

This is just Californians being Californians. We have Propositions on teh ballot all teh time and this is just another one. Rove can't drum up 1.6 million signatures.

Think about it. Is this really a nutty idea or should we have this Nationally right now?

[julka]

5. read Bush's Brain, about Rove

and you may begin to think again about that.

remember.....this started IMMEDIATELY after the election.

they knew what they were doing.

Issa was just a convenient tool, an egomaniacal loon who they used to get the ball rolling

Rove is ubiquitous, from Texas to Illinois (he personally tried to twist Jim Edgar's arm for the Senate race) to California.

sure, there may be no hard evidence to support this, but did the antiMcCain smear start from nothing back in 2000?

if you read the book, you'll find that this has been EXACTLY his MO from the beginning.....do the dirty work at arm's length, always allowing for plausible deniability.

just ask Jim Hightower, the victim of his own alleged office-bugging.

[Dagaz]

7. Rove would pick Arnold?

Arnold is probably more Liberal on social issues than Davis. He's even pro gay adoption which I really doubt the WH would push. Maybe if Riordan was back (who they wanted in teh first place) I'd be suspicious but not now. Also consider that Issa is pro Arab which is another issue that the WH would not back.

[nbsmom]

12. They don't want perfect, they want power

Riordan didn't make it out of the Repub primaries, remember? And the main reason that he didn't was because he was on the record as being pro-life (which continues to be a non-starter for winning in CA). There are also the rumblings that Riordan is probably a leetle too old (and possibly just not sentient enough) to withstand the rigors of a even a short campaign...and then where would they be?

OTOH, Ahnuld is pro-choice, meaning that while women may vote for the pro-choice Dem (or keeping Davis) at the polls in October, their husbands or boyfriends are pulling the lever for Ahnuld. It's all good, right? Ahnuld is okay with smoking a doobie, so we'll probably get that pesky medical marijuana thing worked out, too? Bonus!

Rove and Co. just want the R -- and they're not that picky about who the R is -- sitting there in the state house for 2004... they need to bring home those 50+ electoral votes more than they care about short-term consequences for CA. Issa was never going to be the WH's choice.

[JNelson6563]

6. I do not think brilliance

is required to do what they've done in CA.

We all know the circumstances surrounding California's "energy crisis", right? Then, naturally it lead to a "budget crisis", and naturally the Republicans still couldn't win the Governorship.

So the undo a democratic election that they couldn't win and open a window of opportunity for an ego-driven action-figure to achieve some power--and the fact he isn't qualified to run the fifth largest economy in the world is a plus, of course. Just like the Simian being, well, a simian, makes for the perfect puppet, dontcha think?

To me this is a simple plan that has merely taken ages to play out. I do not consider Rove brilliant but I will concede he has foresight and patience.

Julie

[nbsmom]

8. Yes. A Conveniently Perfect Storm

Rove is all about history and strategy, and Cheney is all about tactics. It's been a winning combination for them so far.

[West Coast Democrat]

9. I Don't Know. How Does Rove Find the Time.....

to be responsible for everything that goes on within the Republican Party?

[jiacinto]

10. This is what I think

I am sure that Bush pressured Issa to drop out, along with the heads of the RNC.

[SEAburb]

11. Arnold is a useful idiot to Rove

Arnold doesn't realize that Rove could careless if he wins or loses. A repug strategist on MSNBC said Arnold is going to suck up all the oxygen. Leaving the Dem presidential candidates with no way to get their message out.

This is a media manipulation campaign being run by Rove. He has the media talking about what he wants them to talk about. Nobody in the media is talking about Bush, are they. The CA recall isn't a national issue, but it's being reported nationally. The local news here are reporting on it nightly.

[blm]

13. Yes...Rove wants Bush to get the POPULAR VOTE this time.

For the history books.

[Cappadonna]

14. You damn straight Rove is that good, he is a master of the game:

Karl Rove reminds me alot of my boss at my job, he might not have a college degree, but he's brains that would scary even the nerdiest eggheads.

Rove is a master of the american political game, on a level I dare say Clinton couldn't achieve. Karl knows his hustle, get right wing bastards into office, make their evil sadistic bullshit almost palatable and stay so far out of site that nobody knows it was him all along. With Ahnuld running for office it accomplishes two thing:

1) Much like the Kobe Bryant trial, this weird ass election takes everyone's attention of the Clown Prince's royal fuck ups. Basically, because everyone so star fucked that the walking action figure and the king of smut are running for Sacramento-- nobody is mentioning that are troops are getting their asses capped in Iraq, and that Rumsfeld is about to make "Black Hawk Down II" in Liberia. Nobody is asking about the 9/11 investigation, where the fuck bin Laden and how the hell can we afford these massive tax cuts. Nobody will be paying attention of the Democrats who are gearing up to put a foot in Bush's ass. And nobody will realize that the Crisco Kid somehow feels that its been ordained by God for him to harrass poor people next year over the Earned Income Tax Credit. Or a myriad of other issue that would make even the biggest cynic on either side long for the days of the Big Dawg.

While everyone's busy trying to figure out whether Arnold will come dress as the Terminator or Conan in his first debate, Karl Rove can breathe a little easier knowing that nobody is watching the anal rape he's about to pull on the nation. And best of all, since Arnold's so damn well known he's can almos go by his first name, the Smirk cabal doesn't have to pay a dime for publicity.

2) If Conan wins, well good news for Smirk. Rove would have secure the 5 largest economy on the planet and almost all of the state's electoral votes just because most people are too stupid to realize they are being had. Despite all of the claims to the contrary, Schwarzenegger a mindless wingnut hollywood tough guy just like Gibson, Red Ink, John Wayne and Bruce Willis (eh, bruce willis isn't all that though). He may talk like a moderate. But he'll take orders just like the rest of them. And, again, because of the name, Schwarzenegger could just Say "Bush is okay" and that's could send the CA to the red in '04.


Just my thoughts
Cappa

[Catherine Vincent]

15. I agree!

n/t