CA-GOV: Homophobia In School OK With Arnie
Arnold Schwarzenegger is either doing serious work shoring up the conservative base, or he really thinks there's nothing wrong with homphobia in public schools. He has just "vetoed a Democratic bill that would have prohibited schools from teaching anything that `reflects advserely' on people because of their sexual orientation," the L.A. Times reports. The move appears to be designed to bolster conservative support at a time when he has been compromising with Democrats on everything from the minimum wage to global warming, but Arnold's campaign manager denies that's the reason behind the veto.
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So Schwarzenegger is now a social conservative? (He was for an anti-Choice initiative in '05 also.) Hmmm. What happened to moderate Republicans?
September 7, 2006 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess he's upset by "girlie men". Give him a macho moron like Bush any time (except on the Kyoto accords). To paraphrase a 1984 Native American anti-Reagan chant - "Terminator, he no good. Send him back to Hollywood".
Tom
September 7, 2006 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to Schwarzenegger's definition, I'm a ecnomic "girlie man". I always thought a "girlie men for Angelides" schtick would be amusing to point out Schwarzenegger's absurdity. I can see the prison gaurds doing this effectively.
September 7, 2006 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Arnold had nothing to lose by vetoing it and everything to lose by supporting it.
The thing is had he signed it his base would have been pissed and liberals would still hate his guts. And if he vetoed it, his base would applaud and liberals would still hate his guts.
So he did the logical thing - he vetoed it.
Also the issue isn't big on Californian's minds so Arnold doesn't have to worry about blow back.
September 7, 2006 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the Angelides had been portraying Schwarzenegger in a "Broken Promises" narrative, they could capitalize a little. There are a lot of moderate Dems and Decline to state who tepidly support Schwarzenegger. For Angelides to win, he needs to sour Schwarzenegger for those voters and a "Broken Promise" storyline could work.
Beyond that, you're right that this helps him hold some of his GOP support. But at the same time, this is a political move and he's supposed to be above politics. Fortunately for him, the Angelides campaign has been pretty dismal.
September 7, 2006 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't approve of Arnold's decision; it's pandering.
On the other hand, I'm not sure it is the absence of gay people in public school textbooks, or the presence of anti-gay stereotypes in public school textbooks (I think you'd find that gay people are more or less invisible there) making the lives of lgbt young people miserable. It is schoolyard bullying, the unwillingness of teachers and faculty to do anything about it, and the rather illiberal culture of American public schools.
I'm a liberal. I'm also a supporter of school choice (I'd like to see a Danish-style system in this country). When I talk about this issue, I often talk about my own personal experiences in public and private schools. What I don't often mention is that one of the reasons I left the public school system for good was because I was being harassed and bullied for appearing to be gay. It isn't something anyone wants to experience, and life was much, much better in private school; this is something liberals need to grapple with.
Linus: rounder of numbers, baker of pies, scorner of mesh.
September 8, 2006 12:47 AM | Reply | Permalink