Since Arnold came into office, it has been a roller coaster of hope. When he was first elected, hopes were high. When he tried to push a series of referendum measures onto California voters, hopes were spiraling downward. By the time he vetoed the Gay Marriage Bill, AB 849 in September of 2005, hope for him as a governor and a person were at all time lows.
But the ride isn't over. After winning a relatively easy re-election, Arnold has begun to come into his own by creating his own political identity. Arnold was successful at creating his own persona in bodybuilding and as a never before seen Hollywood character and now he is attempting to do the same in politics. The nice thing is that Arnold is doing this unabashedly. Just today I read an article about Arnold responding to comments made by Rush Limbaugh denigrating Arnold's shift away from typical Republican stances towards more centrist paradigms.
Whether this is a smart political move on Arnold's part or a desire to reach out to more of his constituents and potential constituents doesn't really matter. Frankly, whether Arnold passes the next Gay Marriage Bill because he cares about me or because he wants my vote doesn't matter to me one bit. Politics is business, folks, and this is politics. If Arnold promised to unite Queers in Holy Matrimony, I will most certainly cast my vote for him regardless of what his true underlying feelings may or may not be about the gay marriage.
Of course, given Arnold's ability to have every stupid thing he has ever said recorded in one way or another, I suspect that sooner or later we will learn his real views on gay marriage.
We'll have to stay tuned and see what Arnold does over the next few months. I suspect as he finds his place in politics by trying on different hats, he will end up being the epitome of a centrist politician. This is a natural spot for him. Surprisingly, I have seen few parallels drawn between The Terminator and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, the former pro wrestler elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998. Jesse ran and won on the Independent Party ticket and went on to enjoy the highest approval rating of any Governor in Minnesota state history. (Some polls ranked him in the 73rd percentile). People in Minnesota, like people in California, wanted a change from politics as usual and both Arnold and Jesse delivered just that.
As a pro wrestler and an actor, mass audience appeal is critical for box office draw and continued success. Jesse took this to the Governor's office. Arnold has initially tried sticking with the party line and has apparently learned that alienated half or more of your audience is bad for business. Arnold just may have followed Jesse's lead in figuring out that doing the most for the most people yields the largest political returns.
So stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed that Arnold can pull off in Sacramento what he pulled off in his other entertainment endeavors. Lets hope that this term as Governor, like his movies, leaves you feeling like although you've seen better, it was far from the worst.
But the ride isn't over. After winning a relatively easy re-election, Arnold has begun to come into his own by creating his own political identity. Arnold was successful at creating his own persona in bodybuilding and as a never before seen Hollywood character and now he is attempting to do the same in politics. The nice thing is that Arnold is doing this unabashedly. Just today I read an article about Arnold responding to comments made by Rush Limbaugh denigrating Arnold's shift away from typical Republican stances towards more centrist paradigms.
Whether this is a smart political move on Arnold's part or a desire to reach out to more of his constituents and potential constituents doesn't really matter. Frankly, whether Arnold passes the next Gay Marriage Bill because he cares about me or because he wants my vote doesn't matter to me one bit. Politics is business, folks, and this is politics. If Arnold promised to unite Queers in Holy Matrimony, I will most certainly cast my vote for him regardless of what his true underlying feelings may or may not be about the gay marriage.
Of course, given Arnold's ability to have every stupid thing he has ever said recorded in one way or another, I suspect that sooner or later we will learn his real views on gay marriage.
We'll have to stay tuned and see what Arnold does over the next few months. I suspect as he finds his place in politics by trying on different hats, he will end up being the epitome of a centrist politician. This is a natural spot for him. Surprisingly, I have seen few parallels drawn between The Terminator and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, the former pro wrestler elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998. Jesse ran and won on the Independent Party ticket and went on to enjoy the highest approval rating of any Governor in Minnesota state history. (Some polls ranked him in the 73rd percentile). People in Minnesota, like people in California, wanted a change from politics as usual and both Arnold and Jesse delivered just that.
As a pro wrestler and an actor, mass audience appeal is critical for box office draw and continued success. Jesse took this to the Governor's office. Arnold has initially tried sticking with the party line and has apparently learned that alienated half or more of your audience is bad for business. Arnold just may have followed Jesse's lead in figuring out that doing the most for the most people yields the largest political returns.
So stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed that Arnold can pull off in Sacramento what he pulled off in his other entertainment endeavors. Lets hope that this term as Governor, like his movies, leaves you feeling like although you've seen better, it was far from the worst.
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