[hammer4nc]

I thought about posting up on one of the existing Arnold threads, but thought this topic was sufficiently unique to discuss on its own.

Suppose Arnold wins. Facts: Cruz B. will still be Lt. Governor (pres of state senate) until 2006. Lockyer will still be AG. Perata will still be majority leader of state senate, comprising 25-15 demo. majority, IIRC. All liberal demo's with big dreams.

Every indication that the libs are building up warchests to fund legal challenges on the election (if its close), and to probably litigate every aspect of Arnold's new administration.

While handing the governors office to the repbulicans will be a huge political victory on the national stage, it would seem that, at best, Arnold would face years of slugging it out in political pigpens, outnumbered by demo's whose fondest dream would be to see him fail. I don't envy his position.

Can Arnold build up enough republican unity to actually get anything done?

[10-Ring]

I think the Arnold will be able to attack those things that have gotten the most press. Namely, driver's licenses for illegals & the tripling of the registration fees. As I understand it, there is already a petition circulating to remove the car tax for a vote in March. Plus, he really wants to make CA a more business friendly state to attract more jobs...
I hope he can put his schmoozing skills to good use to get some of these things done.

PS...I'll be happy w/ a moderate Rebuplican as CA's governor. Then work on improving on that...Next stop, getting rid of Feinstein & Boxer!

[jims98z28]

Next stop, getting rid of Feinstein & Boxer!

God I hope so!

[Preacherman]

I've posted before that even if Arnold or another Republican wins, the State government will still be dominated by Democrats, so he won't have much chance of getting his agenda passed into law. However, in researching the issue further, I found out a couple of interesting things that a new Governor can (and probably will) do:

1. He can replace somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 positions in the State government that are filled by gubernatorial nomination;

2. He can appoint his own Cabinet;

3. He can use California's referendum system to take his policies directly to the people. If he doesn't get co-operation from the Legislature, he could put his wishes before California voters at regular intervals, and let the people decide. If a popular (populist?) Governor does this, he's got a good chance of getting at least some measures passed into law (or removed from the law).

Interesting... :scrutiny:

[El Rojo]

We will probably get to find out soon what he can and will do! :D

[Russ]

Concerning guns, Arnold will be the same as Davis. Every new bill Jack Scott throws up will continue to become law just as before. What is a Republican that is liberal on social issues? A DemocRAT.

The Initiative and Referendum system is broken. Every election cycle there are 4 or 5 multi billion dollar bond issues on the ballot and generally they all pass. They say they are for the children or the schools or the veterans, etc. All worthy causes but when you don't have the money you can't keep spending. The taxpayers get to pay the interest on all those bonds.

The Legislature, both houses are overwhelmingly liberal socialist Democrat. I don't think Arnold will be able to do much at all. If Cruz gets elected Governor they will have to appoint an interim Lt. Goverrnor until the next election cycle. In California Lt. Gov is an elective office separate from the Governor. In the past we had a Republican Gov and a Dem Lt. Gov. If Arnold gets elected or Davis manages to hold on, Cruz will still be Lt. Gov.

Arianna Huffington is the biggest joke of all those who have run. I can't believe they let her into the 9/24 debate. She dropped out yesterday and now has a vendetta against Arnold so bad that she now is supporting Davis.

Why is it that so many fascist and communist regimes are called the Democratic Peoples Republic or Party, etc. The Democrats in California are cut from the same cloth. Most Democrats here in KY and most of the Southeast are fairly conservative and are registered as such because their parents were.

[pittspilot]

No

What is going to happen is another recall.

The Dem's easily have the money, the will, and the votes to do it. It is all but certain.

[hammer4nc]

The idea of Arnold using the initiative and referendum system to bypass an opposition legislature is interesting. But as Russ mentioned, it has been used to enact both conservative propositions (like property tax relief), and pork barrel bond issues.

If the demo legislature perceived that Arnold was going to use the referendum to cut them out of the loop, would they be able to change the law to prevent this? Probably would take about the same amount of time as it did to pass the DNC list, IMO.

[BrokenPaw]

What is going to happen is another recall. The Dem's easily have the money, the will, and the votes to do it. It is all but certain. pittspilot,
I don't follow. If they have the votes to do another recall, then they have the votes to keep this recall from going though. Don't they? Or am I missing something?

-BP

[pittspilot]

You only need 12% of the electorate to initiate the recall.

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 2 VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL


SEC. 14. (a) Recall of a state officer is initiated by delivering
to the Secretary of State a petition alleging reason for recall.
Sufficiency of reason is not reviewable. Proponents have 160 days to
file signed petitions.
(b) A petition to recall a statewide officer must be signed by
electors equal in number to 12 percent of the last vote for the
office, with signatures from each of 5 counties equal in number to 1
percent of the last vote for the office in the county. Signatures to
recall Senators, members of the Assembly, members of the Board of
Equalization, and judges of courts of appeal and trial courts must
equal in number 20 percent of the last vote for the office.
(c) The Secretary of State shall maintain a continuous count of
the signatures certified to that office.

[BrokenPaw]

You only need 12% of the electorate to initiate the recall. Ah. Ok. But even if they manage to do that, will it have any effect? If the democrats don't have enough votes to block Davis' recall, then, even if they succeed in forcing a recall ballot on Schwarzenegger, they won't have enough votes to make the recall succeed.

I think.

This is, of course, all armchair-politicking for me; I'm on the east coast, and don't ever even visit California. For a reason. :)

-BP

[pittspilot]

Yeah, but it could start the whole circus again, since we would have to have another election in March, and that would force whoever become governor to campaign again.

[simon]

If I was arnold and just won and it was Oct .8th,I would fire the AG, and cruz would be out with a vote of no confidence, and thats just a start.

One can dream...:cool: