Still Agog Over Arnold?
By Vincent Fiore (08/22/03)
In the spirit of Democracy, California is in the grips of what can be considered "Schwarzemania"; a product of a culturally plugged in but politically tuned out electorate. Through the media blitz across the country and riding high in the latest gubernatorial polls, Arnold Schwarzenegger looks more like the 2nd coming of the Elvis Presley.
Perhaps the biggest starring role of his life, the cinematic star turned overnight politician has a real fight on his hands, most of it coming from the right. Come October 7th, it is all but certain that Democratic Governor Gray Davis is on his way to being only the 2nd sitting Governor in history to be recalled. While Davis being recalled looks to happen, "Governor" Schwarzenegger is by no means a lock.
The GOP in California has lived long in the shadow of the State's last principled Republican/Conservative Governor, Ronald Reagan. Since Reagan's two terms as Governor of the State, the Party has, with few interruptions, receded meekly into the background. The biggest conservative gains have been enacted by the State's ceaseless ballot initiatives, as citizens en masse do what the Californian GOP cannot, enact principled change. Thanks to the complete ineptitude of Gov. Gray Davis, Republicans see a chance to come out of the wilderness. The only problem is the man to lead this charge back into the political arena. Arnold Schwarzenegger is about as "Conservative" as Tom Daschle, which means he's not. As far as his "Republican" credentials, he cast's more like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, another self professed "Republican" who governs like a Liberal.
Saying early on that Ronald Reagan was his hero, and touting the "compassionate conservative" line used by Pres. Bush, Schwarzenegger claims to be a "very astute businessman" who knows "exactly what I'm doing." But the proof is in the doing, and from the events of the past week, not encouraging.
After initially scoring a huge coup by letting it be known that he was leaning against running, Schwarzenegger flushed out California's highest polling Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who announced her intentions not to run for the Governor's mansion. Declaring his intention to run amidst the fire works of "The Tonight Show" was a media masterpiece, but since then, he has taken a series of amateurish missteps. After the familiar comfy confines of Jay Leno's stage, facing the "real bullets" that California Democratic Party Spokesman Bob Mulholland talked about made Schwarzenegger look like a deer caught in the headlights. Playing to the masses as a populist, Schwarzenegger panders feel good gimmickry such as how he will "clean up Sacramento," and make sure children have "first dibs on the treasury," the latter sentiment being the favorite political truncheon of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Even with Schwarzenegger's reluctance to answer nearly any substantive much less policy borne questions, the race looks like his to lose. Incumbent Gray Davis has the distinction of owning the lowest approval rating in political history, polling even lower than Pres. Richard Nixon by 2 points. In 1974 at the apex of Watergate, Nixon had a 24% approval rating in California, compared to the abysmal 22% that Davis now owns. The disapproval rating for Davis is an astounding 70%, according to the most recent field poll conducted August 15th.
The billing for Schwarzenegger to date has been that he will bring voters from both parties over to him. But is that accomplished at the expense of core Republican and Conservative principles? And why wouldn't Schwarzenegger point to the current California meltdown as wholly a product of liberal Democrat governance? Possibly because the terminator is himself more liberal than his handlers are letting on. Schwarzenegger has vocally opined {negatively} about the Republican party's Conservative roots. According to "talk" magazine, he has no patience with the religious right. He has publicly stated that he "will never forgive the Republican Party" for impeaching Bill Clinton. Schwarzenegger supports abortion, homosexual adoption, and what he terms as "sensible gun control," all positions shared by the sitting Governor Gray Davis.
Most ominous is his support of big Government social programs, which is exactly what got California into this mess in the first place. After being rushed onto the political stage too soon, Schwarzenegger has pulled back to regroup. He has assembled an inner core of "advisors" that is comprised of such rock ribbed liberals like stock picker/billionaire Warren Buffett, who's first contribution {and entirely suicidal} to the campaign was to lament to the Wall Street Journal that State property taxes are too low. In California, Prop. 13, passed in 1978, is the third rail of politics. Lesser-known advisors like Bonnie Reece, a Democratic operative, work in the campaign. The recent enlisting of Democratic actor/activist Rob Lowe just looks plain senseless, as in real life, Lowe plays a liberal even in his acting role as a speechwriter on "The West Wing." This is not the way to curry support with California Republicans, much less Conservatives.
What began as a walk to the Sacramento State House for Schwarzenegger will now turn into a race. From the left is Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante who received over 5 million votes in the last election, and is the State's highest elected Latino. From the right are Bill Simon, Tom McClintock, and Peter Ueberroth. Out of these three candidates, McClintock has the most specific plans for California's fiscal crisis, and has the history of being a fiscal hawk. He has been in the California Legislation since 1982, starting at the age of 26. And most important, he has the support of the States principled Republican/Conservative electorate.
Between now and October 7th, incredible pressure will be put on all serious Republican candidates to drop out for Schwarzenegger to run unopposed. But as time rolls on in the race to recall, State GOP'ers are becoming less enamored with Arnold Schwarzenegger and are starting to wonder aloud if this is not just another Hollywood starring role for the terminator, who's only Republican credential to date is the "R" he puts after his name.
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