Schwarzenegger Mulls Calif. Gov. Election
Hey, come on, now. It's not as if an actor hasn't played the role of Governor before. Arnold couldn't do any worse than Rockin' Ronnie, could he? And he just might be an improvement over Grey Davis, who has managed to govern California despite being completely devoid of anything resembling personality, charisma, or effective policymaking.
"When I get to that point that I say, 'I want to run,' I will have that conversation with my family and with my close friends," Schwarzenegger told TV Guide for its May 31 issue. He said the advice of his wife, NBC correspondent Maria Shriver, a Kennedy cousin and a Democrat, will be especially significant.
"She has to give the green light and feel comfortable with it because she moved away from Washington to get away from all that kind of stuff," Schwarzenegger said.
"I'm not thinking about it (now), but I might start thinking about after "Terminator 3" is released," said Schwarzenegger, a Republican. He says the movie is his top priority for now.
"So much has to be done for marketing, publicity, commercial tie-ins, and the merchandising," he says.
What is it about being Governor of California that makes it acceptable for candidates or potential candidates to view the job as just another notch in their curriculum vitae?? You're talking about governing a state that is larger than most countries. Merely method-acting your way through four years would be about as successful as, well, whatever it is that Gray Davis has accomplished.
Of course, if his tenure in office goes South, Arnold could return to the one thing we know he does very, very well: blowing stuff up. It may not make for effective policy, but on the bread-and-circuses scale, it would be off the charts.
