Arnold The Contrarian

By Keith Boykin, in politics
Tuesday, August 12 2003, 10:45AM

He's been called "Mr. Universe," the "barbarian," and the "terminator." These days, they call him the "governator." Arnold Schwarzenegger may just have what it takes to win California's highest elected office. But can he govern?

Forget Terminator 3, these days you can't write an article about Arnold Schwarzenegger without also mentioning Jesse Ventura, Ronald Reagan, Peter Ueberroth, Gary Coleman and Larry Flynt. By this point, everyone knows Arnold is running for governor and we all know the California recall election has drawn a host of colorful candidates from the woodwork.

When we think about it, Arnold's candidacy is not that unusual. If former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura can run the state of Minnesota then there's no reason why a Hollywood actor can't run California. In the largest state in the country, a candidate who is larger than life might just make sense. After all, former actor Ronald Reagan ran that state in the 1960s.

Goodness knows, we've had some horrible governors who were professional politicians and some horrible actors who were professional something or another. Being an actor should not disqualify one from public service, and being a politician should not necessarily qualify one either. What matters is the candidate's vision for the constituents and ability to lead.

I have no doubt Arnold Schwarzenegger is a leader. He's a motivational speaker and inspiring public figure. He can lead lots of ordinary people, but can he lead the Democratic-controlled California state assembly to support him? That remains to be seen.

I also believe Arnold has a vision for the state of California. The only problem is that he hasn't told anyone what that vision is. Instead, reporters have had to speculate about his platform from his prior public statements.

What does it say about our confidence in the political system that we support candidates based on their name recognition before we know anything about them? Remember the hoopla over Colin Powell for president when no one knew where he stood on any of the issues? Maybe that means political elections are just another form of junior high school popularity contests.

Hollywood and Washington have long enjoyed a jealous relationship with each other. These days, people in both worlds constantly reinvent themselves. Just look at actor turned senator turned actor again Fred Thompson. And rapper turned tv actor turned movie star Will Smith has said he wants to be president one day. Who know's what's next. The Rock for senator? Bill Clinton becomes an actor?

Enter Arnold to save the day. Arnold is a study in paradox. He supports gay rights and abortion but, depending on who you talk to, he may or may not support gun control. He's worth a reported $300 million, but he connects with the everyday guy on the street. He's a Republican but he's married to a Kennedy. Go figure.

With the highest approval rating in the state, the guy is a shoo-in to win the governor's race. That doesn't mean he'll win. That means it's his race to lose.

Gary Coleman (always described as former child actor) and Larry Flynt (always described as "pornographer Larry Flynt") aren't serious about winning. Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante looks disloyal for abandoning his party's leader. And Republican Tom McClintock just doesn't inspire the same enthusiasm that Arnold does.

Then there's Gray Davis. Remember him? The guy who was elected governor of California just last November. Does it make sense to replace an elected official who hasn't committed high crimes and misdemeanors so soon after his election?

I'm not opposed to recall elections. The idea behind them seems to make sense to me. But I do question the process by which millionaires can bankroll an effort to undo the democratic election results. But they did it in Florida, so why shouldn't they do it in California?

Republicans are excited right now about the prospects of winning the governorship in the most important state in the union, but there are some dangers here for the GOP.

First, many Republicans blame Davis for the decline of the state's economy. That's a fair criticism, but if they apply that logic to the national scene, then they have to blame George Bush for the precipitous decline in the American economy. Don't expect them to be logical and consistent. And don't forget, California is a part of America. When the U.S. economy goes sour, all 50 states feel the pain.

Second, if the recall election works, Democrats may decide to take the next logical step and begin to recall unpopular Republican elected officials too. If Gray Davis is recalled, why not recall Governor George Pataki in New York? Once we open Pandora's box, we can't control what comes out of it.

California often leads the nation in setting political trends, and the next trend may be a trend toward recall elections in several states. If Arnold is half the leader we think he is, this bodybuilder turned actor turned politician may just lead us there.

Comments (1) reveal