I can’t help but wonder when I read stories like this:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered his most lavish praise yet Wednesday for any 2008 presidential candidate, calling John McCain a “great senator” and “very good friend” who shared his views on critical issues like the environment.
The celebrity governor stopped short of a formal declaration of support for McCain’s budding candidacy, but their appearance together in the Port of Los Angeles was a strong reminder that the two maverick Republicans share a well-developed friendship.
The Arizona senator joked that he was endorsed by Schwarzenegger. Then Schwarzenegger said their joint appearance wasn’t about politics.
“We share common philosophy and goals for this country,” McCain noted.
The governor called McCain a “great, great leader
Coming off a decisive re-election in November, the governor appears eager to assume a more prominent role in national affairs. His push to move California’s presidential primary to Feb. 5 from June could give the state _ and by association him _ much greater influence in the 2008 presidential sweepstakes.
With McCain at his side, Schwarzenegger called for a national low-carbon fuel standard for transportation fuels, similar to standards in California intended to make fuel burn cleaner. It wasn’t clear how such a standard would be put in place, or if it would become a centerpiece of McCain’s nascent campaign.
“I know that Senator McCain sees the value of bringing to Washington the same kind of programs that we have put into place right here in California,” Schwarzenegger said.
The senator and Schwarzenegger have shared a bond going back years. McCain has headlined fundraisers for Schwarzenegger in California, and they’ve campaigned together. The governor’s 2006 campaign manager is now a senior adviser to McCain’s campaign.
Even though Giuliani has been campaigning up and down California for the past couple of weeks, the governor saved most of his praise for McCain. If Schwarzenegger ends up endorsing McCain, that could up end the entire dynamic of the campaign and could help McCain make up a tremendous amount of ground in the CA polls.
Also, Newsweek has more.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:11 pm
As much as I like Schwarzenegger, I don’t think this is going to help McCain’s liberal image.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:33 pm
TM,
It’s funny because if Schwarzenegger ends up endorsing Giuliani instead, you’ll herald it as proof that he has the election in the bag. I guess politics is relative after all.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:35 pm
I think that’s wishful thinking LJ. The California activist Republicans pretty much despise Arnold. And for good reason. In my opinion, he’s probably the most liberal governor in America, in either party. He has absolutely no sense of fiscal responsibility (despite playing at being a fiscal conservative) and is leaving the state with enormous debt (not to much mention he’s now raising taxes). And he openly sides with Democrats on every other issue. He’s less of a Republican then Bloomberg is, and that says quite a bit. For the life of me I can’t understand what McCain is doing here. He’s wandering around screaming about global warming, calling everything remotely connected to Bush disastrous, and soliciting the support of the most liberal Republicans. Is this, you know, some sort of psychadelic, incomprehensible, response to Rudy soaring in the polls?
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
We mock that which we do not understand.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
LJ, when I read this in the Sacramento Bee I thought of you. Let’s not sell short the praise my Governator has for the good Senator McCain.
http://www.sacbee.com/111/v-print/story/126885.html
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 pm
LJ, I am not sure you have a finger on the pulse of California politics with your analysis here. Matt has it pegged more accurately, from what I can see from here in the Golden State. Schwarzenegger is not very popular, especially among Republicans, at this stage in California. His policies are increasingly left-wing (deficit spending financed by bonds with a push for mandatory healthcare financed by tax increases), as are his personal staff and government appointments. I was at a UCLA home men’s basketball game against USC in the last couple of weeks where Schwarzenegger was introduced by the public address announcer and loudly booed by the capacity crowd of 13,000. Schwarzenegger has reverted to role here – as a movie star he is merely doing whatever it takes to create adulation in a fairly liberal state no matter how revolting the product is; he is quickly abandoning what shaky Republican political principles he may have ever had to begin with. As many on the right feared, this has become the Shrivernegger gubernatorial administration in Sacramento. The only thing more disgusting than the Schwarzenegger hard turn to the left has been the rationalization by his political staff, made up largely of former President George W. Bush campaign aides (some of whom are also advising the Senator John McCain presidential campaign coincidentally), that co-opting and courting Democrats marks the road to success for the future of the Republican Party.
Word is that Schwarzenegger wants to run for U.S. Senate when his term as governor expires. There is no question that California conservatives will insist on a primary candidate to challenge him. He will not ever receive my vote again, after voting for him twice.
The Schwarzenegger praise of McCain is expected given that the Senator allowed some of these President George W. Bush campaign aides to remain advisers to the Governor while working on his presidential campaign. It is a marriage of convenience for both. But any Schwarzenegger endorsement will have little impact in a Republican primary here in California; and in terms of California conservatives, it may well do significant harm. Your claim that a Schwarzenegger endorsement of McCain will change the Republican presidential polling dynamics in California is wishful thinking from everything I am seeing and hearing. Endorsements by stalwart California Republicans such as Jim Brulte, David Dreier, and Tom McClintock may have even more impact than anything Schwarzenegger does. California Republicans have figured it out, when it comes to politics and public policy, Schwarzenegger is just acting and playing to the box office; he is disdainful of both political parties and believes only in the principle of self-aggrandizement.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:13 pm
[...] post by LJ and software by Elliott [...]
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Jon Huntsman endorsing McCain hasn’t stopped Romney from garnering a 40% first place primary finish in the polls in Utah.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:54 pm
WHOA!
Did Woodrow just say something good about Romney?!
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Of course. I really like Mitt Romney.
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:46 am
McCain is already making a mistake in political judgement in this race. By describing Rumsfeld (who is a scapegoat for, more than the cause of, the situation in Iraq) as the worst Sec. Def. we’ve had and then slamming the entire Bush administration on global-warming/climate change, he is trumpeting general-election themes instead of primary-election themes. He is giving Rudy and Romney plenty of ammunition to attack him effectively down the road.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:54 am
Listen guys, I am not a professional political analyst and I probably have a lot less formal educatio0n than you guys. But here is my thoery about The Governator endorsing John McCain. I believe that he will not officially endorse him and I believe this is true because McCain really will drop out of the race. Arnold is waiting for the right moment in the future, to endorse Rudy.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:14 am
That’s tricky KT. Very tricky. Yes, yes, the allures of Rudy are probably too great for any man to withstand. Here’s my theory. McCain’s not really running. He really swore neverending allegiance to Rudy 14 years ago and is now running hard left so that Rudy will LOOK conservative in comparison. It’s maniacal and diabolical, but could their be any other possibility? It’s not, you know, actually possible that a Republican could not wish to support Rudy.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:25 am
Matt; to quote the late, great ralph Kramden: “Har har haaaardy har har”
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Guys (and ladies) a great article for all you who are cautious about Rudy:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20070222/cm_rcp/why_i_a_staunch_prolifer_am_vo_1
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:36 pm
KT,
Thanks for posting the perspective, it was helpful. I read through it all, but still have my doubts. Given that I’m making a sincere effort here to listen to another point of view, maybe you could address my concerns?
1. The author states that a President can only do two things…appoint judges to overturn RvW, veto pro-choice legislation, and sign pro-life legislation. Even if you take Rudy’s word for it that he intends to appoint judges opposed to his personal beliefs, everything from Rudy’s record indicates that should something find its way to his desk, he will continue to “support the woman’s right to choose” as he has promised.
2. The author fails to address the fact that the President will have an enormous potential to shape the abortion debate. A pro-life leader like Reagan could inspire many to join us…an ineffective communicator like Bush would not help or harm much…an inspiring man who argues for a “woman’s right to choose” will send many converts to the pro-abortion camp.
3. The author calls folly all the domestic challenges facing America (health care crisis, entitlement spending, $9 trillion national debt, etc) on which Rudy is weaker than other candidates, and tries to focus all attention on Iraq and Iran where Rudy is equivalent to other candidates. The rationale? If we aren’t safe, then nothing domestic is worth our attention. True, if I’m dead I won’t care much about suicide bombers, but she offers no reason why Rudy is the only one who can keep America safe from large scale destruction.
4. The author then says that we need Giuliani because he doesn’t care about polls or image, but the author fails to address the point that Rudy is flipping his position on partial birth abortion and gun control specifically to appeal to the GOP base.
5. The author specifically points to crime cleanup and 9/11 disaster management as examples of Rudy’s fine leadership, which they are. But the author fails to explain why crime clean up or disaster management make Rudy the top choice for the nomination despite all his other flaws.
February 24th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Interesting update on when Schwarzenegger will endorse.
From:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2874.html
“He will not endorse a presidential candidate until after the Republican Convention in September 2008, even though he thinks Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are strong candidates and either could win the California primary.”