What is your reaction to the California governor's election?
- MS, West Columbia:
We are still talking about this? I am ready for some new news!!!! What about you? - WW, Columbia:
Looks like California got tired of the lies and hate mongers of the democrats. Democrats are great at accusing others of what they have been doing for years and lying about it. I feel sorry for Arnonld because the entire national democratic lie machine will be aimed at him to destroy him. - JP, Columbia:
I am hoping that the people of California (and maybe the rest of the coutry) saw through the democrats "allegations" for just what they are, typical democrat lies. Democrats are completely without conscience when it comes to making their "allegations". Even when proven to be false you will never hear a democrat admit that their "allegations" were untrue. You have to remember that when a democrat is talking, they are probably lying. - DL, Gilbert:
I think that "The Terminator" will be an outstanding governor. If he can endure the Kennedy's for all these years, he can surely govern California! - TM, Batesburg:
I dont see how in the world the people of CA elected a man who knows nothing about politics except for being married to a Kennedy. What really got me was when Arnold refused to answer any important questions that the public had a right to no and he refused to debate. I am afraid that the people of CA made a terrible mistake but this is their problem & not ours we have a enough to deal with right here in SC and thank God we dont have to hear about it any more. - MG, Durham, NC:
The electorate is simply looking for some new blood to perhaps fix some problems that are not easy fixes. I get the sense there are a lot of angry voters who are simply tired of the same old garbage spewed forth by the politicians of both parties. I just wonder if we as the people have waited to long to start caring. - PR, Orangeburg:
It appears to me that Americans have grown tired of being diappointed by American born politians who repeatedly allowed themselves to become corrupt representatives of the poeple. Aronald may not be experienced in the political arena, but I think he should be allowed to implement fresh ideas. Besides, New Yorkers voted Hilary in as an outsider of New York politics. Why not allow Arnold. He happens to be a talent on the silver screen and I can understand him just fine. Ronald Reagan was an actor turned politician. I say Arnold, you go boy!!!!!!! - jm, lexington:
Normally I read responses here with some amusement, seeking comic relief in how out of touch and propogandized some people are. Other times I find it sad how far people go to advance their agendas or prejudices at the cost of the truth in their search for perfect narrow-mindedness. Today I am just disgusted at the blatant hypocrisy and sheer bigotry shown on these pages. First, good luck Arnold, you are going to need it. The problems with California are monumental. If you are as you proclaim "a moderate Republican" I wish you well. If you are, like so many, a fake moderate who turns to the far right after your election (read our current President here) I know you will fail. Now, so far on these pages today I have seen a writer who regularly blames the Demos and Clinton with every single problem of the Bush administration equate the Democrats with blame (huh?), another talks about Arnold's not being a politician and having a heart, then makes one question his own heart location with a horrifying piece of bigotry aimed at the Bantu (would you object so much if they were white Austrians?) that makes me ashamed and saddened what a foreigner would make of this supposed "land of freedom and opportunity". Also, I notice that many who excoriated Clinton for his sexual adventures, are strangely silent on Arnold's. God must love hypocrites, he made a lot of 'em. - WF, batesburg:
Thank God it's over!!!! You would have thought "Ahhhhhnole" was running for President with all the media coverage this has gotten - what will CNN do for news now?? Why do we in S.C. even CARE who is governor of California??? Think they know (or care) who Mark Sanford is?? - RM, Columbia:
I think it's great! California had a sorry Democratic governor that was taxing his people to death - so much so that businesses were leaving the state! Unfortunately, Arnold will have a lot of Davis's mess to clean up just like President Bush had to after Clinton. And by the way, I'm sick to death of the Democrats blaming President Bush for the poor economy and anything and everything else they can think of. Be thankful you have a President that is a decent and moral man. He's had the weight of the world on his shoulders from almost the first day he took office. Support him instead of criticizing him all of the time!!!!! - JJ, IRMO:
I think we need a recall on some of our elected officals here. The govenor has not accomplished one economic thing for this state other than cutting state budgets and laying people off. The good old fine southern legislators we have better look out too. They are going to have to raise taxes or bring back video poker or heck let the indians have a shot at running the video poker that way we can tax them to help bail out the state economy. - HS, Columbia:
Why should we really care what has happened in Kalifornia, but it did spice up the news. - cc, west columbia:
Aronald is a good and selfmade man plus he is married to a Kennedy. He has a heart and that does make him a human and not just a politican. Most they are elected are politican. I want to hear more about this tribe that will be relocated in Columbia. I do not think it is right to just bring any one to our country without letting the PEOPLE have a voice. I think the Cacy Mayor has seen enough and is trying to stop trouble before it happens. If these people are not a problem then let them live with the people that want them here. I just wonder how many of them will open their homes and have their familys maybe placed in danger, Not a one of them will gcome forward to do this, but they want tham to live next door to you and I. FORGET IT. Someone needs to figure a way to bring a Lawsuite on the Lutheran Church and Coulmbia. God help these people, just do not help them come here to live. - MM, Jefferson:
I feel the recall should be in every State not just 18 States. It should be used from Governor to County Council. If recall were avaible it would get rid of people who are dead beats laying in office to get a salary and affordable insurance at the citizens expense. - DA, Columbia:
I was shocked that a candidate who had no qualifications, who refused to debate unless he knew the questions in advance, who refused interviews to credible news organizations while granting exclusives to Entertainment Tonight, got elected. But the recall gives us hope. If California can get rid of her govenor over record deficit spending, maybe America will wise up and vote Bush out of office for creating a deadly quagmire for our military, alienating our allies, and driving our country into bankruptcy with the largest deficits in US. Arnold, like Bush, got in on name only. Lets hope he does better than Bush. - JD, Rock Hill:
I am not surprised at all that Arnold was elected. Once again, the electorate does not realize that their solution is the "quick fix" and hence the problems which caused the situation in the first place will not be resolved as a result. - EM, Irmo:
Although politics, infrastructure, and economy in California do not directly effect me, I welcome the needed change that may lead to furthering the conservative cause in America. I am however, concerned about the illegal aliens that infiltrate this nation via California on a daily basis. Not one democrat in California, or running for President for that matter is willing to do anything to stop the invasion. It’s just a matter of time before some “Jihad” folks come over posing as Mexicans looking for work. I don’t like the idea of those guys handling the fruit & vegetable crops if you know what I mean. I do think it is high time the deceitful and scheming democrats learn that the American majority disapproves of their campaign techniques and the total disregard for the well being & desires of the public. The Republicans, the silent majority, need speak only with votes. Democrats = blame & excuses. Republicans = ethics & action. - DH, Columbia:
What an embarrassment to America (and the World)! This race was totally a popularity contest and nothing about old fashioned qualification! As much hype as there's been about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Afleck lately if one of them had run I'm sure they would have won! - DT, West Columbia:
I think the people of California have merely put a new face on their old problems. Californians got themselves into the mess they are in by refusing to make the hard choices about spending and taxes that a balanced budget requires, and they will not solve their problems until they bite the bullet and make those hard choices. Blaming the governor and recalling him is simply another tactic by which they avoid making those choices. I believe that it matters much less than people think who the governor is. He simply becomes the personification of the power of government – someone to praise when things go well and to blame when things go badly. It is just as simplistic and unrealistic to believe that Gray Davis was the cause of California’s problems as it is to believe that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be the solution to them. No one man has that much power. So Californians have a new governor all right, but they still have the problems they had yesterday. There is a lesson in this for us all as we contemplate the 2004 elections. - sc, columbia:
Although I disagree with the concept and ability to have a recall in the first place, I applaud the election of Arnold Swartzennager primarily as a way to show Gray Davis that last minutes Dirty Politics, and unsubstantiated personal attacks have no plce in politics. - SY, Irmo:
We have all watched the mess in Calif. and breath a sigh of relief that this type of politics have not occured in SC. It does make a good point in that the people of Calif. got fed up with the way things were being done politically and did something about it. Can that happen here? I hope not but one can never tell in SC where the good old boy reigns. - FD, Irmo:
I think it is great. Gray Davis was not doing his job therefore the people have spoken. Maybe the people of SC should also speak about our do nothing Governor and Legislature! How about a recall in SC! Our taxes keep going up, roads are in horrible shape, school buses are in terrible shape, schools are in terrible shape and little if any police patrols on our highways! But we do have money to test a bus system by the DOT that no one will use. Someone needs to step up to the plate in SC to get things turned arround. If we had a leader who would take initiate to get things done and do away with the good ole boy club.
