Bill Schneider: "Well, you know, unlike most Republicans, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did very well this year and his success carries a message for his fellow Republicans. What do Republicans do now? To paraphrase some famous advice: ‘Go west old party,' and follow the example of one Republican who had a very good year. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor. In three years as governor, he has played three different roles. Call it the three faces of Arnold. He started out as a moderate in 2004, campaigning side-by-side with Democrats to rescue the state budget."
Schwarzenegger: "Up and down the state we are campaigning together. When have you seen that the last time?"
Schneider: "Schwarzenegger won. Then he moved to the right, picking fights with the Democratic legislature and public employee unions."
Schwarzenegger: "This is a battle of the special interest versus the children's interests."
Schneider: "He called a special election to force a showdown with his opponents. He lost. He got the message."
Oddly, in the report, Schneider admitted what most Republicans know: Arnold Schwarzenegger is a liberal, not a moderate:
Schneider: "This year, Californians saw Arnold's third face. He's become, sort of, a liberal. He shifted positions."
Schwarzenegger: "When I ran for governor, I said that we could not afford an increase in the minimum wage, unless the economy bounced back. Well, the economy has bounced back."
Schneider: "He signed the most far-reaching program in the country to combat global warming."Schwarzenegger: "This is only the beginning, because by 2050 we will reduce emissions by another 80 percent."
Yet, demonstrating a rather contradictory attitude, Schneider quickly returned to labeling these positions as centrist, rather then leftist:
Schneider: "Look what happened in two states on Election Day. In Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum embraced a deeply conservative philosophy and never wavered. He went down. Santorum lost the center. Independents voted overwhelmingly for the Democrat. In California, Schwarzenegger carried independent voters handily. He reclaimed the center. Schwarzenegger did two things President Bush has never done. He flatly acknowledged his mistakes, and he changed course."
Schwarzenegger: "I have absorbed my defeat and I have learned my lesson."
So, the way for Republicans to win is to endorse, almost entirely, a Democratic agenda? Is this a case of confusing what you want with what you think? Schneider conveniently ignored overriding issues such as Iraq and the fact that a liberal Republican Senator such as Lincoln Chafee and Mike DeWine, a moderate GOP member, also went down to defeat.
The CNN reporter ended his report with a swipe at President Bush and some clear-cut editorializing:
Schneider: "Schwarzenegger is now thriving. President Bush has already become a lame duck. In their leadership election today, House Republicans decisively rejected conservative insurgents. They seem to have made the same calculation as California Governor Schwarzenegger, moving to the right is no way to reclaim the center, Wolf."
This may be stating the obvious, but perhaps CNN isn’t the best place for Republicans to get advice on how to be successful.
Interestingly, on election night 1994, when Republicans swept into power, Schneider found the overwhelmingly victory of conservatism as, yes, another call for the center:
"The cynics would say this was a vote for gridlock, but I think it's easier to say, and the data points to the conclusion, that it was a vote for bipartisanship, for centrism."
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 4:23p.m. EST on November 17, follows:
Wolf Blitzer: "Welcome back to ‘The Situation Room.’ I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. No one has ever accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of being boring. On election day, the California governor proved he knows how to play to his audience and now his political survival instincts may give other defeated Republicans something to get excited about. Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is in California. He is joining us now from L.A. What is the latest there with the governor, Bill?"
Bill Schneider: "Well, you know, unlike most Republicans, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did very well this year and his success carries a message for his fellow Republicans. What do Republicans do now? To paraphrase some famous advice: ‘Go west old party, and follow the example of one Republican who had a very good year.’ Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor. In three years as governor, he has played three different roles. Call it the three faces of Arnold. He started out as a moderate in 2004, campaigning side-by-side with Democrats to rescue the state budget."
Schwarzenegger: "Up and down the state we are campaigning together. When have you seen that the last time?"
Schneider: "Schwarzenegger won. Then he moved to the right, picking fights with the Democratic legislature and public employee unions."
Schwarzenegger: "This is a battle of the special interest versus the children's interests."
Schneider: "He called a special election to force a showdown with his opponents. He lost. He got the message."
Schwarzenegger: "I should have also listened to my wife, who said, I mean, don't do this."
Schneider: "This year, Californians saw Arnold's third face. He's become, sort of, a liberal. He shifted positions."
Schwarzenegger: "When I ran for governor, I said that we could not afford an increase in the minimum wage, unless the economy bounced back. Well, the economy has bounced back."
Schneider: "He signed the most far-reaching program in the country to combat global warming."Schwarzenegger: "This is only the beginning, because by 2050 we will reduce emissions by another 80 percent."
Schneider: "Look what happened in two states on election day. In Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum embraced a deeply conservative philosophy and never wavered. He went down. Santorum lost the center. Independents voted overwhelmingly for the Democrat. In California, Schwarzenegger carried independent voters handily. He reclaimed the center. Schwarzenegger did two things President Bush has never done. He flatly acknowledged his mistakes, and he changed course."
Schwarzenegger: "I have absorbed my defeat and I have learned my lesson."
Schneider: "Schwarzenegger is now thriving. President Bush has already become a lame duck. In their leadership election today, House Republicans decisively rejected conservative insurgents. They seem to have made the same calculation as California Governor Schwarzenegger, moving to the right is no way reclaim the center, Wolf."Blitzer: "Bill Schneider, thanks. Good report."
