Thoughts from
San Diego on Law, Politics, and Culture

 
Why Arnie will win
By Tom Smith

As he so often does, John Fund gets it absolutely right about the role of non-traditional media in the California recall election. For the same reason, The L.A. Times below-the-belt late hit is likely to be the big nothing it deserves to be. You know, the one in which various unnamed women claim Arnie groped them in the '70's. (Note: the LA Times web site, true to form, requires even more annoying than usual registration-- annual income a required field? Who are these people?) Similarly, the rumored 'Arnold is a Nazi' ads supposedly coming this weekend, if they come, will do nothing. It will just be fodder for Monday morning talk radio, with the theme being, Davis can beat anybody at political limbo dancing (how low can you go?). The story is, Davis operatives have been going around trying to find a Jewish leader willing to express anxiety over the fact that Arnie's father was a Nazi. But no dice, apparently, as Arnie has been a major donor (millions) and supporter of Jewish causes in California over the years.

Speaking of talk radio, I'm another trapped in my car on the freeway, So Cal talk radio listener, and pretty jaded. But the Mark Larsen bit this morning on KCBQ, with our beloved Bustamante talking about how people come to California from "planets all over the world," with the deliciously corny theme from the first year of Star Trek playing in the background, was one of the funniest (if cruel) things I've heard on the radio in a long time. Play it again, Mark!
posted by thomas at 10/02/2003 09:10:00 AM