Governor's camp says his ideas didn't lose / Special election blamed

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's aides argued Wednesday that the crushing defeat of the governor's measures at the polls meant California voters had rejected the need for the special election -- not his calls for reform.

But the governor's gleeful opponents said the blowout loss of the governor's four measures Tuesday highlight just how weak and unpopular Schwarzenegger is heading into his 2006 re-election campaign -- and they're in no mood to compromise.

"When a guy tries to chop your arm off and then offers to shake your hand, it's hard to be forgiving,'' said Ben Tulchin, a Democratic pollster.

Despite Tuesday's results, the governor will continue to plot a course forward based on his vision of California's future, said Rob Stutzman, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger.

"The governor very much sees the results as an indication that voters want the problems of the state to be resolved here in Sacramento by elected officials,'' Stutzman said at a news conference late Wednesday afternoon. "We lost because the voters did not want a special election.''


Gawd -- I never thought I'd do anything to help this bully, but here it is -- some good advice:

Dear Arnold -- don't you know when to shut the fuck up? Are you so addicted to people preening and prancing and pumping up your ego you can't figure it out?

Your people have just said that not only are your ideas about reform crap, but your judgment is ALSO a load of crap.

We already knew -- when you tried to demonize teachers and nurses and firemen -- that your political technique stunk. Once you finished passing out the goodie bags -- cigars and movie tickets and backstage tours and, no doubt, nubile starlets -- you didn't have a second act.

YOU were the one who wanted a SPECIAL election because you knew from history that such off-year elections almost always bring out the conservatives in droves and the liberals not much.

Now they say "Oh, it was the fault of the SPECIAL ELECTION."

Tell YOUR OWN PEOPLE to shut the fuck up.

A real change from telling that to those who disagree with you, eh?

The thing you never understood was that Last Action Hero may not have been your BEST movie, but it was by God the one movie you needed to actually understand, that special effects only go so far, and the rest of the distance -- in real life -- takes some character. And just fanatically thrashing about and refusing to accept defeat isn't character or even determination -- it's just insanity.

So shut the fuck up, for your own good, go home, sign the bills the legislature gives to you and try to understand how grateful you should be for the ride you already had. Now grow old with Maria and become a "whatever happened to..."


OH, PS -- that mealy mouth "I want to give back to the people" that you and all the rest say -- that means building houses, working with disadvantaged kids (which you have done), cleaning out the Augean stables, draining swamps, etc. It does not mean bullying your way into a power grab.

It's hard to take but dig it -- this may be the best advice you'll ever get: WE DON'T NEED YOU. If you want us to care whether you live or die, do something FOR US, and stop trying to do something TO US.

(A hint -- we elected those people you despise and insult because WE WANTED THEM TO DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. And you know what? They're just as much bitter vindictive petty aggressive power hungry greedy assholes as you are, so I wouldn't expect them to accept your peace offering. Not to wear out the Hitler analogy, but your public desire to work together is kind of like the High Command telling the Allies "We really just want to be friends" when the Russians were within sight of Berlin. Somehow we're just not quite able to buy that it's sincere.

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