posted
Did anybody watch the debate at CSUS tonight?
Here is how I saw it: 1. Arianna Huffington was a opportunistic half-wit that rely's more on her ability to insult he fellow candidates rather than he actual opinions.
2. Tom McClintock was one of the most rational candidates there, but he needs to learn how to speak a little better.
3. Cruz Bustamante was very self-controlled, but he was a bigoted smug individual. He seems to be out to only help immigrants.
4. Arnold Shwarzenegger had little self control, but some of the things that he said to Arianna was hilarious. "I could drive my hummer through some of the tax loopholes you take advantage of!"
5. I disliked the last candidate so much that I don't even remember his name. He was a Green party candidate, but his views are downright communistic.
I liked it. Anybody else watch it?
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:4. Arnold Shwarzenegger had little self control, but some of the things that he said to Arianna was hilarious. "I could drive my hummer through some of the tax loopholes you take advantage of!"
Awww, I can't believe I missed that. Only Arnold, eh?
Posts: 149 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Arianna called him sexist because he interuppted her too. She set herself WAAAAAY back in the election after he disaster debate tonight.
Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Sorry, but I had to post this. I got it in an email. *snicker*
Ah, the Golden State How many Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Californians don’t screw in light bulbs; they screw in hot tubs
You know you’re in California when...
1. Your co-worker has 20 body piercing and only four are visible. 2. You make over $250,000 a year and still can’t afford a house. 3. You take a bus and are shocked at 2 people conversing in English. 4. Your child’s 3rd grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring, and is named Breeze. 5. You can’t remember...is pot illegal? 6. You’ve been to a baby shower for the two mothers and sperm donor. 7. You have a very strong opinion about where your coffee beans are
grown and can taste the difference between Sumatran and Ethiopian! 8. You know which restaurant serves the freshest arugula. 9. You can’t remember...is pot illegal? 10. A low speed pursuit will interrupt ANY TV broadcast. 11. Gas cost 50 cents per gallon more than anywhere else in the U.S. 12. A man gets on the bus in full leather regalia and crotchless chaps. You don’t even notice. 13. Unlike back home, the guy at 8:30 am at Starbucks wearing the baseball cap and sun glasses who looks like George Clooney IS George Clooney. 14. Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment. 15. Your hairdresser is straight, your plumber is gay, the woman who delivers your mail is into S&M and your Mary Kay rep is a guy in drag. 16. You can’t remember...is pot illegal? 17. It’s sprinkling and there’s a report on every news station about “STORM WATCH 2003.” 18. You have to leave the big company meeting early because Billy Blanks himself is teaching the 4:00 PM TaeBo class. 19. You pass an elementary school playground and the children are all busy on their cell phones or checking their pagers. 20. It’s sprinkling outside, so you leave for work an hour early. 21. Hey! IS Pot Illegal? 22. You AND your dog have the same therapist.
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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quote: 11. Gas cost 50 cents per gallon more than anywhere
By the way, that's not an exaggeration. My gas at the nearest gas station is about $2.15 per gallon. It's rather disgusting. It costs a couple of dollars just to get to college and back. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I did find that list funny, but as a native Northern Californian I feel compelled to point out that 3, 10, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 20 pretty much only apply south of Santa Barbara. Yes, yes, I know that over 60% of the population lives south of Santa Barbara.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11. Gas cost 50 cents per gallon more than anywhere --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the way, that's not an exaggeration. My gas at the nearest gas station is about $2.15 per gallon. It's rather disgusting. It costs a couple of dollars just to get to college and back.
It may not be an exaggeration, but it's WRONG. Gas is $2.39 a gallon on Maui and even more on Lanai. Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
I wonder what the highest gas prices are in each state. I've seen the gas prices at Ragged Point in Big Sur get up over $3.00 before. No idea what they are right now, though.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Gas in Salt Lake is currently around $1.90 a gallon. When I was in San Diego last week, gas prices were between $1.99 and $2.15 per gallon. Thats higher but hardly 50 cents a gallon higher. The difference wouldn't even cover the difference in the price of the real estate on which the stations were built.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
Yeah, but can you get Burmese, Indian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Ethiopian, soul, Chinese (both normal and Szechuan), Mexican, Brazilian, Turkish, Russian, French, vegan, and Italian food all within a 10 minute drive of your house/apartment?
[Of course, the housing is so expensive I can't afford to eat at any of these restraunts, but, you know, it's nice to know that they're there.]
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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It's becoming less and less of a justification now that so many other areas of the country are cosmopolitanizing. Heck, my cousin lives in Nashville and they have almost as good of an Ethiopian restraunt as we do in Berkeley.
But you have to leave me to my delusions. At least for the moment.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
We watched the first hour of the debate, and decided we'd rather see a rerun of West Wing after that point (and it was the one where Ainsley Hayes enters the show, so it was definitely worth switching).
As to most of the issues, I pretty much knew where most of the candidates stood, so for me this was functioning more as a character debate. What I thought was fascinating was the way each person considered his opposition (I'm using his for singular, even though Ari-in-a-huff-ington was there, too).
Camejo was marginalized; it didn't seem like most people cared what he had to say, because he was never in the race, and yet wasn't in-your-face enough (Like Hufflepuff) to get direct responses to anything. Arianna was also never in the race, but chose to be simply caustic, and directed most of her attacks at Arnie. I don't know if it was her intention, but I think her antics, in bringing on the intended humorous responses from Schwarzenegger, simply made McClintock look better, because he didn't rise to the bait the way Arnie did.
Arnie was definitely desiring to be liked, and so took as many opportunities to be humorous as to be serious, which was too many. I thought this was his opportunity to show he was more than Hollywood, and he didn't step up to the plate the way I'd expected. However, with the relationship between political and social climate in this state, it might work out for him anyway. But it seemed he was trying to keep the "popularity" vote, rather than gain the political vote, which I think he'll need to do to win the election.
McClintock had to argue his points against everyone, because he's fighting a two-front war. He needs to get Arnie to step down if he's to have any chance against Bustamante, but he can't do it by disillusioning Republicans, because that'll decimate his chances against Bustamante, also. Unless some pressure comes down from the party, or someone (probably McClintock) faces the reality of losing, he and Arnie will end up putting Cruz into office.
Cruz has a tough tap-dance to perform as well. He needs to remain distant enough from the Davis administration that, if the recall succeeds, the voters don't think they're going to get "more of the same." But he needs to be close enough that, if the recall fails, he doesn't render himself politically impotent in the future. I thought he conducted himself better than the other candidates -- he allowed Huffington to look foolish all on her own, only sent low-blows to the others in direct response rather than general accusation, and remained above the fray. He came off somewhat aloof, but I think that was the best of his options.
I don't yet know how I'm going to vote. I'm liberal for a conservative -- not really moderate, because indivual topics polarize me one way or the other, but I don't follow either party line on everything. I'd say I'm probably a republican in just about the same way OSC is a democrat -- I'm registered as one. My decision will probably remain in limbo right up until election day, or at bare minimum until/unless one of the front-running Republicans drops out. It'll be interesting to see who Issa declares he'll be backing, and what effect that will have on the Republican candidates.
posted
Tangent: hey, any of you notice that both Arnie and Maria Shriver have the most amazing jaw structures. Their kids must be able to chew dry wall and over-microwaved burritos without any problem.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
We watched. It was interesting to see Arnold and Arianna H. bicker like 4-year-olds. I thought McClintock came out very well, and agree that Bustamante seemed smug and condescending.
I find the whole thing very depressing, and don't know who I'll vote for. Bustamante is less useful than Gray Davis, IMO, and Arnold is just embarrassing. I have a good opinion of McClintock--he seems solid, knowledgeable, and reasonable, and heaven knows CA could use a little of that, esp. just now. He's more conservative than I am, but I'm inclined to vote for him as the best candidate--except that he's pretty unlikely to win because of this whole splitting of the Republican vote thing, and then Bustamante will win, and this whole headache will have been for pretty much nothing. I wish Arnold would go away. Sigh. Posts: 335 | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
That is the problem with this recall from the beginning. It wasn’t done to get rid of Gray Davis; it was to done to get a Republican (any Republican) into office. And now that it might not happen, some people are starting to worry.
Well, good! The recall provision was meant to get a bad politician out of office, not to elect a member of the opposing party into office. If Bustamante gets elected, maybe it won’t be abused next time.
Posts: 2473 | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
Yes, that was the intent of Issa and other Republicans who bankrolled the recall; however, what's surprising is how much support the idea has among non-Republicans -- both when you look at the petition names gathered and Davis' approval ratings. The anger at Davis goes beyond partisan politics.
I'm not saying that justifies the recall. But this isn't strictly sour groups from a bunch of Republicans. Davis has alienated a lot of independent voters and members of his own party.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:It'll be interesting to see who Issa declares he'll be backing, and what effect that will have on the Republican candidates.
Actually, according to a radio report I heard a couple of days ago, right after the court overturned itself, Issa has come out as saying that if either Arnold or McClintock doesn't drop out of the race, he'll recommend voting no on the recall because the Republican vote will be split, and he doesn't want someone even more liberal than Davis (Bustamante) to become governor.
First Issa bankrolls the recall petition, promising to run for governor himself, then he drops out of the race, and now he's threatening to recommend a no vote on the recall. How many millions has this man cost the state to mount an election, for what basically started out as a vanity project? I say the state should bill Issa for the $65 million or whatever it's costing to put the election on. Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote: That is the problem with this recall from the beginning. It wasn’t done to get rid of Gray Davis; it was to done to get a Republican (any Republican) into office. And now that it might not happen, some people are starting to worry.
I disagree--there are a lot of Democrats who hate Davis. I'd be happy to vote for a Democrat I thought was a good guy. I have never had a good opinion of Bustamante, however. (I'm not really a good member of either party, just FYI.)
I just got off the phone with a friend who describes herself as nearly a yellow-dog liberal. She's very conflicted about this whole thing--hates Davis, hates Bustamente, loathes Arnold...she's considering McClintock out of a hope for a little balance in this state.
Posts: 335 | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
I was rather irritated that Ariana and Peter Conejo were allowed on the stage.
I would have much rather seen Davis up there.
Neither Ariana nor Mr Conejo were going to win, all they did was suck up time. Especially Ariana who simply made noise, random attacks (mostly at Arnold but also at Mr Bustamonte). If she had not been there I doubt it would have been the screaming match it was. Someone polling at 2% should not take up 60% of the stage as she did.
As it was, we didn't get to see Tom and Arnold debate eachother. We didn't get to see Mr Bustamonte hang himself. And Mr Davis wasn't even on the stage.
Instead of being a debate it was Ariana's rousing rendition of IT'S ALL ABOUT **ME!!**
quote: Nick, saxon is from NoCal, but he's a current member of the SoCal Clump.
Yeah maybe, but I wonder if I could meet him if he was near Elk Grove/South Sacramento.
Oh, and Pix, you're spelling of "Bustamonte" is bothering me. It's spelled Bustamante. A's in Spanish take place of the o in your mis-spelled version of his name. I don't mean to be nitpicky, but it was bugging me. I like to be corrected on my spelling, so I figured I'm just doing you a favor by lettin' you know. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Rabbit: just about any gas station I see on my way to work.
Which basically means any gas station on 4500 S, off of I-15, or any gas station in Bountiful. I don't go into downtown SL too often.
Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Nick... you picked on that instead of my spelling of Mr Camejo's name? I thought I was gonna get massively flamed for that.
And I spelled Bustamante like that because I keep hearing his name pronounced by gringos as if it's Boost-ay-Monty. I assumed they were trying to say Boost-ah-Mohn-tee. And I didn't check the proper pronunciation. I was too busy thinking about his membership and support for Mecha: http://www2.sjsu.edu/orgs/mecha/ (Azatlan is the American South West. By "Liberation" they mean Return to Mexico)
posted
Nick, I currently live in Orange County, but I am originally from the Monterey Peninsula. Either way it's still pretty far from the Sacramento area.
I've been wondering about the whole MEChA thing, but I hesitated to actually post about it (not sure why). Now, on the one hand I'm all for being proud of one's cultural heritage. I think learning about the history, art, language and culture of a people is both interesting and enlightening (actually, I think it's good to learn about all cultures). And I've heard it explained by current Mechistas that these days the organization is more of a social club and a place to learn about Chicano culture.
Still, I can't help feeling uneasy about an organization whose motto is "Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada." (For The Race everything. Outside The Race nothing.) And while I have no problem in theory with creating a political party for a minority group, some of the language in MEChA's "Plan Espiritual de Aztlán" makes me uncomfortable.
Anyone more knowledgable than me want to say something about this?
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I live in Silicon Valley, and I just paid $2.25 for gas today.
And here's an Arnold story:
quote:In an exchange with reporters, Schwarzenegger criticized Gov. Gray Davis, saying he "has just started talking about the environment the last few days" in the recall election campaign. But Schwarzenegger backtracked when asked about laws signed by Davis, who generally wins high marks from environmentalists.
"I'm not aware of all those bills that he has signed the last year," Schwarzenegger said.
Davis spokesman Peter Ragone responded: "In the past four years Governor Davis has signed more than 200 measures protecting California's environment. These laws include the toughest air and water quality laws in America, most importantly, a landmark bill to limit greenhouse gases. We already know Arnold doesn't vote regularly in elections; now we know he doesn't read the papers either."
posted
At this point, I have no earthly idea who I'm going to vote for. Don't like Arnold - we've already established that. Even though I'm registered Democrat and have had a positive impression of Bustamante in the past, I find I'm not trusting him much. Arianna is just irritating. McClintock is way too conservative for me, if what I've been hearing on local outlets is anywhere near accurate.
But, I'm beginning to think I'll vote for anyone who will roll back the increase in car registration fees (the "car tax"). My registration increased from $113 last year to $250 this year, which I basically can't afford. Plus, I have to get a smog test this year. God only knows what that'll cost me. Personally, I'd be willing to park the car for a year just as a form of protest, but I have to have a way to get my mother to her doctor's appointments, so I can't.
Can I just scream now?
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
It looks like the Schwarzenegger bandwagon is really starting to accelerate. Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa, the multimillionaire who bankrolled the recall petition drive, endorsed him, and the day before former rival Bill Simon did the same. California's Republican County Chairmen's Association has thrown its support behind Schwarzenegger, with 40 of 59 Republican county chairmen supporting him, and 15 of the 20 GOP state congressional representatives also back him.
According to Fox News, GOP sources say they expect former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth (another Republican who dropped out of the recall race) to endorse Schwarzenegger on Monday. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will also give the actor his support. Dave Cox, leader of the GOP in the state assembly, is expected to endorse Schwarzenegger next week.
Also giving a boost to Schwarzenegger is Governor Gray Davis' issuing him a challenge Friday to a debate one-on-one. This elevated Schwarzenegger's status simply by the fact that it showed that Davis regards him as the real opposition to be taken seriously, not McClintock, Schwarzenegger's only significant Republican rival. The immediate distainful rejection of Davis' challenge by Schwarzenegger further diminished the governor's loser status by showing that Schwarzenegger did not regard him as opposition worth taking seriously. I think Davis' move in issuing the one-on-one challenge indicated desperation and a lack of sound political judgment, and was a serious mistake.
Current internal "tracking" polls conducted by the Republican and Democratic parties in California indicate that there is a surge of support for Schwarzenegger, who now stands at 33% compared to 27% for Bustamante and 15% for McClintock. It now appears that Schwarzenegger can win even if McClintock does not drop out. Also the margin has increased to 54% to 40% in favor of recalling Davis.
Schwarzenegger has raised $13.6 million, and added another $5 million of his own money, making him the highest-financed candidate in California by a wide margin.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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