I think this is what’s annoyed me about the Schwarzenegger “campaign” from the onset… the absolute lack of any definitive content, plans, agendas (beyond getting elected, of course) or anything resembling a platform. I’m sorry, “I’m for education in California” and “I’m going to fix things in Sacramento” don’t count as a platform. Arnold’s entire campaign has been run like one big movie promotion… including visits to Larry King and bus tours with exploding special effects (Steve Lopez: Points West from the LA Times).
It’s all smoke and mirrors and, just like in Wizard of Oz, we’re asked to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Arnold may turn out to be a great governor. Stranger things have surely happened. He may actually HAVE a plan for fixing this state. Not that he’s ever communicated one detail about it.
What we do know is that he’s “put together a team” to tackle this problem. And he may have put together a truly brilliant team of consultants who can turn around the economic state of the State and do it in a way that doesn’t leave the vast majority of people in this state hating Arnold Schwarzenegger. As I’ve said, stranger things have surely happened.
But he could also have put together a team of Pete Wilson conservatives who will subject us to the kind of decision-making that put us in this position in the first place. (Because, let’s face it, much as the Republicans want to lay it all on Davis’s shoulders, and as much blame as Davis deserves, Pete Wilson is the guy that signed the energy deregulation bill that set us up for our Enron gouging—a bill that Wilson acknowledged as flawed when he signed it. How’s that for fiscal responsibility?)
But, whatever type of team he’s put together, we’re asked to ignore them and just go along with Arnold as he peppers his speeches with Terminator quotes (“Gray Davis has Terminated jobs in California, Davis has Terminated businesses in California …” give me a break), hop on the "California Comeback Express" and enjoy the ride to a prosperous California we can all be proud of. Nice little fantasy. The reality should be interesting.
Remember; pay no attention to the men behind the curtain. The Great Arnold has spoken.
It’s all smoke and mirrors and, just like in Wizard of Oz, we’re asked to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Arnold may turn out to be a great governor. Stranger things have surely happened. He may actually HAVE a plan for fixing this state. Not that he’s ever communicated one detail about it.
What we do know is that he’s “put together a team” to tackle this problem. And he may have put together a truly brilliant team of consultants who can turn around the economic state of the State and do it in a way that doesn’t leave the vast majority of people in this state hating Arnold Schwarzenegger. As I’ve said, stranger things have surely happened.
But he could also have put together a team of Pete Wilson conservatives who will subject us to the kind of decision-making that put us in this position in the first place. (Because, let’s face it, much as the Republicans want to lay it all on Davis’s shoulders, and as much blame as Davis deserves, Pete Wilson is the guy that signed the energy deregulation bill that set us up for our Enron gouging—a bill that Wilson acknowledged as flawed when he signed it. How’s that for fiscal responsibility?)
But, whatever type of team he’s put together, we’re asked to ignore them and just go along with Arnold as he peppers his speeches with Terminator quotes (“Gray Davis has Terminated jobs in California, Davis has Terminated businesses in California …” give me a break), hop on the "California Comeback Express" and enjoy the ride to a prosperous California we can all be proud of. Nice little fantasy. The reality should be interesting.
Remember; pay no attention to the men behind the curtain. The Great Arnold has spoken.
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