troit

Political Muscle -- When It Comes to a Possible Run for Governor, Arnold Is Acting Coy

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Tokyo last week to promote "Terminator 3," won't say whether he'll run for governor of California if Gray Davis is recalled. (Koji Sasahara -- AP)




By Mark Leibovich
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 8, 2003; Page C01


WESTWOOD, Calif.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is out promoting his new movie, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." He is attacking his publicity regimen -- Leno, Howard Stern, "Good Morning America" -- with customary discipline.

He is not interested in discussing whether he'll run for governor of California. "Arnold is staying on message, and the message is T-3," says George Gorton, a Republican consultant who is advising Schwarzenegger on matters that are, right now, not on message.

But politics is following Arnold everywhere. There are "Arnold for Governor" signs outside the "T-3" premiere, at which Arnold toothy-grins from the red carpet. A few nights earlier on Leno, Snoop Dogg had christened him "Notorious G.O.P." "I would love to be governor of California," Arnold himself says in the current Esquire.

Cynics might say -- and God save cynics in Dreamland -- that Arnold Schwarzenegger, 55, is attempting to exploit interest in his potential candidacy to promote his movie. Or exploit his "T-3" promotional efforts to promote his campaign. Either way, by coincidence or calculation, Schwarzenegger is starring in this summer's biggest cross-promotional blockbuster.

He is a muscular man of monomaniacal focus. In the 1975 cult documentary "Pumping Iron," Schwarzenegger boasts of how he didn't return home to Austria after his father died because he feared it would interfere with his bodybuilding workouts. The Mr. Olympia competition was just a few months away -- just as California might be a few months and a few thousand signatures away from firing its Democratic governor, Gray Davis, in an unprecedented recall initiative.

But again, Schwarzenegger, who is married to Kennedy cousin Maria Shriver, is not discussing politics. Not until he's finished promoting "T-3," which sold an estimated $44 million in tickets over the weekend. Not now, not publicly and not for this article, for which he declined to comment.

Which is something of a True Lie, because Arnold, in fact, is talking endlessly about politics. Others are bringing up the topic and he hardly shies from it.

"You will be the next governor of California. . . . We will help," Howard Stern told Schwarzenegger on his radio show recently. "I'll get you in office. But I need to be invited to the mansion."

"There is no mansion in Sacramento," Schwarzenegger said.

"Then I need to videotape you and Maria having sex," Stern said. "I need some sort of perverted payment."

One gets the feeling this could be more fun than, say, the Lieberman campaign.

A Lift From Fans


Arnold's celebrity muscle is unquestioned, though the degree to which that translates to electoral success is not. Outside the "T-3" premiere at the Mann Village Theatre here, Amanda Wight would seem the passionate embodiment of his appeal. She drove two hours from Bakersfield to catch a glimpse. She is a big fan of Arnold and a non-fan of Davis. If only she were old enough to vote (she's 17).

Across the street, Brent Seguine, who is old enough to vote, is bemoaning the mess his home state faces. It needs Arnold, he says, now more than ever, and he would absolutely support him if he ever ran for governor -- of New Jersey.

Seguine, the comptroller of a chemical company, has been here for an hour and a half. He is standing a few feet from a "Terminate Gray" sign that's been discarded against the wall of an ice cream shop. He is with his friend James Scott, a registered nurse in a Hooters cap. They met through the Three Stooges Fan Club.

"I can't vote for Arnold for governor," says Scott, who's from Illinois, "so I'll wait for him to run for president." He is told that Schwarzenegger was born in Austria and thus is constitutionally barred from the presidency. Regardless, both Scott and Seguine agree that Arnold's candidacy would thrive among Three Stooges fans.

And bodybuilders. "They are Arnold's most fervent supporters," says Gorton, the consultant. "When Arnold walks into a gym, these guys come up to him and tell their stories. They'll say, 'I used to be a 90-pound weakling, but then I read your book and saw your video and whatever.' Arnold's like a god to these people. I'm not saying you could win an election on that, but . . . "

It's a start: weight lifters, teenagers, out-of-state Three Stooges fans, Stern and Snoop -- the beginnings of a political base.

One of the sweetest parts about a Schwarzenegger candidacy is listening to political pros discuss his prospects. "He clearly has to run as Kindergarten Cop, not as the Terminator," says Phil Trounstine, director of the Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University. Trounstine, a former press secretary to Davis and political reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, says the candidate would need to project a kinder, softer image that would appeal to soccer moms and dads.

Schwarzenegger's violent record on celluloid won't hurt him if he runs, says Republican consultant Don Sipple. "If he played a well-known serial killer character it might be a problem," Sipple says. For instance, Anthony Hopkins, of "Silence of the Lambs" fame, might struggle to expand his base beyond cannibals.

The Plot Thickens


The basic plotline of Total Recall 2 begins with an aptly-named protagonist, Gray Davis, whose approval ratings have plunged to 21 percent. He finds himself in a death match with a $38 billion budget deficit, a hostile legislature and a recall campaign that's become increasingly viable.

By California law, a governor can be subject to a recall vote if opponents gather the signatures of a certain percentage of registered voters based on turnout in the previous election -- 897,158 in this case. Recall organizers say they have submitted close to 400,000 signatures to election officials and say they have hundreds of thousands more waiting to be processed.

The recall campaign is being driven and funded by Rep. Darrell Issa, a two-term Republican from the San Diego area who made his fortune selling car alarms. Issa, who has said he would like to succeed Davis, has put more than $1 million into the campaign, which Davis has called "partisan mischief."

But if recall supporters turn in the required number of signatures by next week, the state could hold a special election this fall.

A recall of Davis "looks almost certain at this point," says Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles. In addition to Issa, Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon, whom Davis beat last November, might run if Davis is recalled. So might Riordan, but only if Schwarzenegger, whom he calls a close friend, does not. For now, a host of well-known Democrats -- including Sen. Dianne Feinstein -- say they have no plans to run on a recall ballot. Neither will actor, director and Democratic activist Rob Reiner, denying Californians a coveted Meathead vs. Terminator scenario.

A recall ballot would include two straightforward questions: Should the governor be recalled? And if he is, who should replace him? A recall campaign could be an ideal portal into elective politics for Schwarzenegger. The campaign would be quick and wide-open, the kind that rewards name recognition. It would spare him the grind and scrutiny of a long campaign.

Schwarzenegger has been active in Republican circles for years. He has stumped for numerous Republican candidates and chaired President George H.W. Bush's council on physical fitness. He toyed with the idea of opposing Davis in 2002, which amounted to nothing more than a great slogan: T2 in '02.

His most sustained and visible foray came last year, when he led a ballot initiative to ensure some state funding for before- and after-school programs that would provide tutoring, sports and other activities. His work on Proposition 49 -- which involved fundraising and a regimen of speeches across the state -- was lauded by people in both parties. Opponents said the measure would come at the expense of more pressing educational needs. Proposition 49 passed easily.

Schwarzenegger's positions on the issues are not widely known. But he is commonly described as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, a supporter of abortion rights, adoption by gay and lesbian parents and, at least off-screen, a ban on assault weapons.

Once people get to know Schwarzenegger, Gorton says, "once they see that he's not some thug in a leather jacket," they will warm to him even more. Gorton, who ran the Proposition 49 campaign, is eating lunch at Schatzi on Main, Schwarzenegger's restaurant in Santa Monica, whose menu fuses California salads with Austrian staples such as bratwurst and Wiener schnitzel. Upstairs his office, which includes a special room for mementos of his Austrian youth.

Gorton has canceled two vacations this summer and is getting about 15 calls a day from the media about Arnold's political plans. Schwarzenegger is compassionate, philanthropic and civic-minded, Gorton says. He is eager to help his community, to work for children and give back to his adopted country. He also has a gift for oil painting, Gorton says, "although very few people know this."

In "Pumping Iron," the then-gaptoothed Schwarzenegger spoke of his fascination with dictators. "I look down on people who are waiting, who are helpless," Schwarzenegger said, as quoted by writer Wendy Leigh in "Arnold," an unauthorized biography written in 1990. "I like people who think there is more to life than eating and going to the toilet."

At minimum, Arnold is 6-2 and 220 pounds, a man of supreme balance, proportion and symmetry -- the tenets he preached as a bodybuilder. People underestimate his mind -- the musclehead stigma -- which Schwarzenegger rather enjoys.

Still, Schwarzenegger is hardly a let's-prove-'em-wrong type. One of the guiding objectives of his life is to have fun. "The first 10 times I saw Arnold, he told me to relax and lighten up," Gorton says. "This is someone who loves to have a good time."

It's not clear why anyone's idea of a good time would include a $38 billion budget deficit, a contentious legislature and a state credit rating that's plummeting toward junk-bond status. There's also the question of whether Arnold would withstand the shoot'em-up rigors of a statewide campaign, even a short one. "He has been involved with ballot initiatives in the past, but that's the political equivalent of a B or C movie," says Democratic consultant Kam Kuwata. "But a campaign for the governor of California is huge. It's a blockbuster." Kuwata is not involved in the recall campaign.

It could be a big-screen fantasy, the mid-career amusement for a pumped-up icon (although increasingly flabby, judging by a photo in the latest People magazine). Schwarzenegger wouldn't be the first celebrity to flirt with running for office (see Warren Beatty, Charles Barkley, Cybill Shepherd). At the very least, if Arnold elects not to flex his twitchy political muscle this time around, maybe he'll sell some "T-3" tickets during the run-up.

At worst, he runs and loses, gets the electoral equivalent of sand kicked in his face by a puny-necked Bill Simon or Darrell Issa. He says "Hasta la vista, baby!" to politics. And he moves on to Terminators 4 and 5.

"He'll just go back to being Arnold Schwarzenegger," Gorton says. "And really, how bad could that be?"


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2003Jul7.html


What do we think about actors / actresses using fame to pursue a second career in politics?

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Sparhawk

I'd much rather see Terminator 4! It was set up so well! =)

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The_Dude

reagan did it and won presidency, why cant arnold win california?

i dont know his qualifications other than being an actor.

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Darkblack

No thanks.

sportsrule101

only with term limits

because one day we won't want him back

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winning isn't everything but
losing isn't anything

Kabsnow

99/100's of terminator 3 was action. i'd like to see a little more plot expansion..


hes a good guy, i'd vote for him.

is he repulican or democrat?

Sen

Arnold is a Republican.

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"I want to announce my presence with authority!"

"You want to what?"

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Liquor Dealer

As was mentioned earlier it would be nothing new as Reagan did it earlier - unlike Reagan it would be the end of the line for Arnold as he is inelgible to follow Ronnie to the next step. I don't know much about California politics other than they seem to be all fucked up most of the time and they vote on some really idiotic propositions - From what I've heard even Mickey Mouse is probably more capable of being governor than Davis - Between Arnold and Mickey it might be questionable as to who is the better actor.

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Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's more like a jar of Jalapenos --- what you say or do today might burn your ass tomorrow!!!

HarmlessRabbit

California is in a big mess right now, and I don't see how having a inexperienced republican governor while every other elected office is democratic will solve anything. It will just be deadlock. Gray Davis may not be perfect, but he was screwed by the .com crash and the Enron created power "crisis", so I really don't understand the recall effort. It's just one rich republican funding the recall and causing trouble.

geep

I bet they have surplus "My Governor can beat up your Governor" in Minnesota they could sell out there.

bermuDa

Reagan was also the governor of california before he became president, too bad Arnold is ineligable, he could win on name recognition alone.

Gray Davis is a total moron and should never have been elected into office in the first place. He's made a bad situation worse and is dipping into 'expendable' resources like education and public works to try and clean up the mess he's spread around like a feeding infant. But thanks to the few morons who did vote and didn't elect the other morons running for governor, we're stuck with Davis until he's exhausted his term limit. Recalling the election is just wasting more money a single year away from the next election. Just wait it out and we'll have another moron to screw us over, austrian accent or not.

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Phaenx

Conan the Republican, you don't mess with that. See what happens when you let the Dems in power for too long? You need to let our boy crush his enemies, see them driven before him, and hear the lamentations of their women.

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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

Sparhawk

Baht he will be Bahck!

XenuHubbard

Is it just me, or is his English getting worse by the year? I thought he sounded better around the T2-era.

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"What doesn't kill you, makes you bitter and paranoid". - SB2000

seretogis

Arnold is not as inexperienced as you would think. He was involved with George H.W. Bush's administration a bit in regards to fitness/health education.

He seems to be a nice guy and genuinely wanting to change things in CA for the better. He and Ventura are pals as well, so it will be interesting (if he runs) to see if he is as much of an ass as Ventura was in MN.

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

Dorp

Ah-nold be goveenah.

lurkette

Please. His main political credential is being married to Maria Shriver. So he helped with the presidential fitness crap - big whoop. Remember whose fault it is you had to run the 12 minute mile test in gym class on voting day.

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seretogis

hahahaha

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

porkpie

Is Ahnold a hard-core Republican? There's no mention of his politics in the story.
I believe he could win the pres, so glad he was born in Austria.

Sun Tzu

Classic! Thanks for the laugh

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butthead

LOL

Phaenx

He was involved with numerous Republicans running for president that I know of.

__________________
"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

Sun Tzu

Why do you think he would win, and if he had the running title of Democrat; knowing as much about him as you currently do would you vote for him?

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To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

MacGnG

i dunno but if he wants to run he can, i wouldnt vote for him unless he had a good platform...

Macheath

Getting to the point where you're going to have to ask:

What state will this dude run?
<IMG SRC="http://www.planetavp.com/images/predator.jpg">

Phaenx

"I promise to crush my enemies"

If SNL fails to be funny after this, then I'm burning their building down.

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"I went shopping last night at like 1am. The place was empty and this old woman just making polite conversation said to me, 'where is everyone??' I replied, 'In bed, same place you and I should be!' Took me ten minutes to figure out why she gave me a dirty look." --Some guy

james t kirk

That's one of the best posts i have read in a long time.

porkpie

Sun, no I wouldn't vote for him, I'm a liberal and I also believe you need at least some experience being a leader before you run for governor.
I was just wondering where he stood on the issues; education, abortion, gay marriage, social security, health care, war mongering...
I don't think he's a far right as some may think.

Cynthetiq

true... he may not be able to get into the presidency.. but he'd make a hell of a Secretary of State.

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Sen

I can see the Headlines now:

"Governor Schwarzenegger tackles immigration problem in California. Tells Illegals "Hasta La vista."

__________________
"I want to announce my presence with authority!"

"You want to what?"

"I want to announce my presence with authority!!"

frankgrimes

thank god you guys wont let an austrian (or other foreigner) become president. I fear he could otherwise be a shoe in, and i think he may be a bit of a bufoon. (im from canada btw)

Macheath

His father was apparently a Nazi.

Well, how about that...

Stewie

Well supposedly, W`s grandaddy traded with the Nazis.

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Well if ya ain`t the grandaddy of all liars

Rodney

He's a pro-choice, more-or-less gay-friendly Republican with a deep interest in the welfare of children. He was more than partly responsible for the success of a proposition a couple of years ago that earmarks X percent of the education budget (something like $400 million) for after-school programs in schools, to keep the kiddies off the street and somewhat help with their education. And it won, largely because he actively campaigned for it.

The problem with propositions like this is that they lock in funding for a particular program and guarantee that it can't be touched until the end of time, no matter what the emergency, no matter how dire. So about a year later the California budget implodes and they're laying off teachers statewide and class sizes are increasing, it might be a good idea to sacrifice after-school program funding to keep basic school services intact. But the funding can't be touched.

I consider Arnold to be sincere but politically naive. If he's elected, I expect him to make good-intentioned moves that go bad because he's not experienced enough to see just how complicated a "simple" solution can turn out to be. And since he's a lot less hard-core right wing than the leadership of the legislature's GOP, and of course more conservative than the democratic majority, once in office he's going to get blindsided no matter which way he turns. It'd be interesting, no doubt.

ChaoticLimbs

I'm a Republican with somewhat libertarian leanings. I still just don't think the best and brightest at leading the country or its states will necessarily be from celebrity. I don't think Arnold would be any better than Barbra Streisand. And she's a twit. Schwarzenegger also has this kind of milquetoast mindset. I think he's afraid to offend people. But to take a stand for anything, one has to be willing to.
Personally, as far as gays' rights are concerned, as long as no one group gets special preferential status, it's cool. But I do think Affirmative Action is a clever euphamism for Racism With A Social Conscience (TM). It's still racial and two wrongs don't make a right. What would be more effective would be to more vigorously prosecute cases of institutional racism where it still lingers in this country.
Sometimes I forget, living in New Mexico, that the rest of the country still has neighborhoods , though rare, that blacks and hispanics are not welcome in. Here's the only preference I advise: Total exemption of inheritance taxes for persons of underpriveleged minority status, and a 60% reduction of income taxes for the bottom 30% of ALL income earners. A total exemption of federal income taxes for members of minority groups who come from poverty status in return for a secondary graduate degree. Get a masters, get no income taxes during school and five years after. That ought to level it out.

ARTelevision

Arnold is a good, sincere, hard-working guy. He will do fine in politics. If he surrounds himself with a great team, he could be a great leader.

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crewsor

Let him run, If the people like what he says, he'll do well. Thats what this country is all about. If people vote in an incompetent because of starpower they get what they deserve. I guess you don't know someones capabilities unless you give them a chance to demonstrate them.

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