September 25, 2003

VERDICT: ARIANNA NUTS

Roger L. Simon and reader Mike D. rate the Californian guberdebaters:

McClintock

Roger: Did well, but we will see if he extended his base. Was the most lucky not to have to answer questions on social issues.
Mike: Chief Running Third did well but not smoking. He'd sell like hotcakes in Nebraska or the antebellum South, but he's on the "drastically marked down" table here in California.

Cruz

Roger: As dull as ever. Sometimes you forget he's even there.
Mike: Barely held on, very rumpled looking and not too courteous to other debaters.

Camejo

Roger: An earnest socialist in an era when everyone knows socialism has been tried and failed hundreds of times. Touching, really.
Mike: Sounded more like a libertarian than a greenie, but was also way off message.

Arianna

Roger: One of the most bizarre human beings ever in American politics, the witch from the Wizard of Oz (and I don't mean Glenda!). Possibly a sociopath.
Mike: A national embarrassment. Disgraceful. She's insane and everyone knows it.

Arnold

Roger: Did okay, but spent too much time responding to the near sociopath above (did I say near?... How do you really feel about her, Roger?... Don't ask!)
Mike: Held his own, looked gubernatorial but did not kick butt.

UPDATE. And here’s another debate, over at The Independent. Your topic: The Soviet Union Was Good.

Posted by Tim Blair at September 25, 2003 05:33 PM
Comments

On the Soviet thing, best responce so far

Damn, idealisim foiled by reality again!

Posted by: Glenn Slaven at September 25, 2003 at 06:17 PM

Wait a minute:

Camejo

Roger: An earnest socialist...
Mike: Sounded more like a libertarian...

Yep, makes sense. ?!?

Posted by: Robert at September 25, 2003 at 07:10 PM

I liked "Communism is a boot, perpetually stomping on an innocent face, and somewhere, there is a western liberal, saying that the face has healthcare and 100% literacy." from a couple of posts down from the one Glenn pointed out.

Posted by: Murdoch Software Engineer Std at September 25, 2003 at 07:33 PM

I've got to admit, comming from the The Independent board i expected a lot more commie lunatics. I've read a few dozen so far, and it looks like the sane people are far more numerous. As for the debate...I think McClintock is my long lost soul mate. Every answer he gave was almost EXACTLY the one i would hjave given. With more cursing of course.

Posted by: madne0 at September 25, 2003 at 11:45 PM

Oops, almost forgot. Best answer yet:
"Remember what they called him (Reagan)? Simpleton. Actor. Unsophisticated. Comparing what I hear now, to what I heard then, the echoes sound awful familiar." From "Assad, you're next"

Posted by: madne0 at September 25, 2003 at 11:47 PM

If Cali wants a Gov that can deal with its wild mix of hi-tech and lowlife, left and right wing frootloops, maryjane as its biggest cash crop while also home to the world's best auto design house, all underpinned by a freewheeling military-industrial-entertainment complex - then I suggest Tony "Scarface" Montana.

Who has more and better one-liners per square screen inch in that one movie than anything in all of Arnie's flicks.

"First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women." - Now that's a campaign slogan.

Tony Montana for Gov.

Posted by: Elitism For The People at September 26, 2003 at 12:46 AM

I thought Arnie came off pretty well, but how could he not when facing off against dishwater dull Cruz Bustamente and the loony Ariana Huffington. They almost made the Green Party candidate sound reasonable.

Posted by: Randal Robinson at September 26, 2003 at 02:42 AM

Wicked Witch? Watching last night's performance by Commandante Zsa Zsa of the Brentwood Populists inspired neither fear nor loathing, just basic morbid cutiosity.

No wonder her ex-husband went poofter. Ten minutes of exposure to this shrew, and I was Googling "bathhouse."

Posted by: iowahawk at September 26, 2003 at 02:58 AM

The Soviet Union was good....at ice hockey. Really good.

Posted by: JDB at September 26, 2003 at 09:21 AM

I am on the fence about communism, this has no intended bias in it. But this is from Reagan's Evil Empire Speech:

"Historians looking back at our time will note the consistent restraint and peaceful intentions of the West. They will note that it was the democracies who refused to use the threat of their nuclear monopoly in the forties and early fifties for territorial or imperial gain. Had that nuclear monopoly been in the hands of the Communist world, the map of Europe--indeed, the world--would look very different today. And certainly they will note it was not the democracies that invaded Afghanistan..."

Posted by: Josh j at September 27, 2003 at 08:50 PM

Ooh, Josh. Cute dig. Let's see...Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to prop up communist dictatorship...US invades Afghanistan after having 3000 people murdered by Islamofascist harbored there by (and possibly even controlling) a murderous, fundamentalist government. Nope, no difference there.

Besides, we all know Communism is good. 100 million corpses wouldn't lie.

Posted by: Ken Summers at September 28, 2003 at 03:00 AM