Did you see the Lehrer report before the convention coverage? He's not playing the "girlie man" thing straight - er, so to speak. He's joking about his image.
Actually, I was rather impressed by his speech. Except for his swipe at the UN. And of course that he's a Republican. But as a speech, I thought it was a good one, and he delivered it surprisingly well. (I did love his comment at the beginning about the guy saying he was as good a politician as he was an actor, and him taking that as an insult. And, "This is like receiving an Oscar! As if I would know.")
No, I didn't see the Lehrer report. But what I don't understand is why he'd say that at all, knowing that it offends people? I can understand that he didn't intend it to be homophobic the first time he said it.
(He should have known, but that's another issue. The whole point of those "girly-man" comments on that 80s SNL skit were that they were homophobic. There was even one of those skits implying that Hans and Frans were actually gay, and into each other, but were covering it up by acting so macho.)
So the fact that he'd brush off that criticism and keep making those remarks, knowing the impact they have -- it's not only spiteful; it's arrogant.
I don't think it's arrogance. It's more the naivete of a man who is as much an actor as a politician. There was a lot in his speech that was kind of self-deprecating and hamming at the same time - playing with his media image as a way to mock himself but also to connect with his "audience." (He really was *very* self-mocking in that speech, and that's how I heard the girlie man comment.) A typical politician would always be super-sensitive about "offending" people, but Arnold has himself appeared on SNL with Hans und Franz. His comment at the convention was actually inclusive in an Ah-nuld kind of way, about how he works with both the Pumped Up guys and the girlie men.
The Lehrer report on him before the convention definitely colored how I heard that comment. All this time I thought him being governor was an even bigger joke than Reagan, but the report spoke with a number of people, both democrat and republican, who have a pretty good view of him. The image I came away with is that he can be politically naive, especially with comments like that, but that he is really very bi-partisan and very sincere. He's like a throw-back to the Republicans of the 30s and 40s - fiscally conservative but socially liberal. And he also channeled $1 billion toward public schools in their new budget - something which the previous governor wouldn't do. Considering that Texas can't manage to come up with mere chump change for our schools, I have to admit that impressed me.
I'm not saying I would vote for him, but I came away with a more favorable view of him than I ever would have thought possible.
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Date: 2004-08-31 08:36 pm (UTC)Actually, I was rather impressed by his speech. Except for his swipe at the UN. And of course that he's a Republican. But as a speech, I thought it was a good one, and he delivered it surprisingly well. (I did love his comment at the beginning about the guy saying he was as good a politician as he was an actor, and him taking that as an insult. And, "This is like receiving an Oscar! As if I would know.")
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Date: 2004-09-01 10:25 am (UTC)(He should have known, but that's another issue. The whole point of those "girly-man" comments on that 80s SNL skit were that they were homophobic. There was even one of those skits implying that Hans and Frans were actually gay, and into each other, but were covering it up by acting so macho.)
So the fact that he'd brush off that criticism and keep making those remarks, knowing the impact they have -- it's not only spiteful; it's arrogant.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-01 01:56 pm (UTC)The Lehrer report on him before the convention definitely colored how I heard that comment. All this time I thought him being governor was an even bigger joke than Reagan, but the report spoke with a number of people, both democrat and republican, who have a pretty good view of him. The image I came away with is that he can be politically naive, especially with comments like that, but that he is really very bi-partisan and very sincere. He's like a throw-back to the Republicans of the 30s and 40s - fiscally conservative but socially liberal. And he also channeled $1 billion toward public schools in their new budget - something which the previous governor wouldn't do. Considering that Texas can't manage to come up with mere chump change for our schools, I have to admit that impressed me.
I'm not saying I would vote for him, but I came away with a more favorable view of him than I ever would have thought possible.