Interview with Arnold

POSTED BY: GinoBiffaroni
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 02:15
VIEWED: 767
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GINOBIFFARONI

Monday, September 8, 2008 12:32 PM

I just read an interesting interview with Governor Schwarzenegger off a German website and thought a few here might be interested.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,576835,00.html

SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
'Political Campaigns Are Rarely about the Issues'

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't go to the Republican National Convention, but SPIEGEL spoke to him about McCain's new-found conservatism, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and whether he's eyeing a job in Washington D.C.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Governor, you were actually supposed to have spoken at the Republican National Convention last week, but you cancelled. Your wife’s cousin, Max Kennedy, joked that you were tired of the Republicans and were going to switch to the Democrats. Is there something to that?

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Schwarzenegger: That is wishful thinking from the Kennedy family because I would never become a Democrat. Not in this life, and definitely not in my next life, or the life after that.

SPIEGEL: Still, the convention must have been a disappointment for you. It was a celebration of conservative values rather than bipartisanship as you had hoped.

Schwarzenegger: There’s no celebration in any convention of bipartisanship because you have the most hard-core individuals. Think about the Republicans from California that are running the party. I have almost no contact with them. None -- because they’re just so out there. But those are the people that were there. I mean, I would have been there giving a speech, but they wouldn’t have wanted that kind of a presentation. The speech I would have given is the one that Fred Thompson gave. I gave him my speech because I did not go to the convention. It was a great speech because it talked in minute detail about McCain’s torture and his being a POW, and that’s the speech that the party wanted me to give. Why? Because this way I don’t go and talk about centrist politics and maybe rub some people the wrong way. That’s another stage.

SPIEGEL: Would you have criticized Obama?

Schwarzenegger: In the first place, I never would have mentioned his name because I’m a big believer in never doing that. As a man and a politician, I respect Obama. It’s just that, if I have a choice between the two, I’d rather go with McCain. But that doesn’t mean that I have to say that the other guy is the worst thing on Earth.

SPIEGEL: John McCain is now in favor of off-shore oil drilling, he is in favor of the tax cuts passed by the Bush administration and he has voiced his disapproval of abortion. Has he given in to the conservatives?

Schwarzenegger: That is a totally wrong argument. It would be ludicrous to accuse him of flip-flopping because there are new circumstances and new situations. Twenty years ago, we didn’t have an oil crisis. All of a sudden, the gas price hits $4.00 per gallon and everyone is suffering. We see this transfer of wealth going from America to the Middle East. People say, this is unbelievable; we have to do something about that; we should look into oil drilling -- and 57 percent of Americans agree.

SPIEGEL: But you are opposed to oil drilling.

Schwarzenegger: Yes. I oppose off-shore drilling off the coast of California. When I came here in the 1960s and I walked around on the beach, I remember the tar that was stuck to my feet and the dead birds lying around. They always said they would drill in a safe way, and protect wildlife, coastal scenery and all. And the fact is, they didn’t. So I don’t support off-shore drilling in California, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t lift the ban on off-shore drilling. But it’s up to the states if they want it or not.

SPIEGEL: In Sarah Palin, John McCain has chosen a young, pious, conservative running mate. She believes, for example, that global warming is not caused by human activity. What do you think of her?

Schwarzenegger: You can never find a candidate that will agree with everything you believe. Then you would just have a clone an

FREMDFIRMA

Monday, September 8, 2008 6:52 PM

I never liked Arnold as a Governor to begin with, didn't feel he was qualified or mature enough for it.

But you know, he has indeed grown into the job and proved me wrong on that respect - not that I agree with him or his policies so much, as that I do fully acknowledge he's not done so terrible a job.

Doesn't mean I'd want him as president either, tho.

-F

GINOBIFFARONI

Monday, September 8, 2008 11:25 PM

Everbody has a vision,

SPIEGEL: Would you have criticized Obama?

Schwarzenegger: In the first place, I never would have mentioned his name because I’m a big believer in never doing that. As a man and a politician, I respect Obama. It’s just that, if I have a choice between the two, I’d rather go with McCain. But that doesn’t mean that I have to say that the other guy is the worst thing on Earth.

too bad everyone in politics couldn't be as civil

Lets party like its 1939

GEEZER

Tuesday, September 9, 2008 2:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Everbody has a vision,

SPIEGEL: Would you have criticized Obama?

Schwarzenegger: In the first place, I never would have mentioned his name because I’m a big believer in never doing that. As a man and a politician, I respect Obama. It’s just that, if I have a choice between the two, I’d rather go with McCain. But that doesn’t mean that I have to say that the other guy is the worst thing on Earth.

too bad everyone in politics couldn't be as civil

Too bad some folk on this site don't live by the Governator's philosophy.

"Keep the Shiny side up"