Schwarzenegger wants to be a US governor
As an inarticulate sex-pest and ex-druggie, he's perfectly qualified
John Sutherland
Monday July 14, 2003
The Guardian
I suspect that "Schwarzeneggerism" is not in even the trendiest of dictionaries. Next year it will be, if history's most expensive Tin Man succeeds Gray Davis as governor of California. The Gray Man's chances of making it into the dictionaries of quotations are poor. So, frankly, are his prospects of holding on to his job.
His latest wheeze, trebling the car-licensing tax in a state where even the parking valets have parking valets, has sealed his fate. This week Davis will probably be "recalled" (ie, voted out mid-term) allowing Schwarzenegger to run as the Republican candidate without having to wait until 2006 and fight his way, expensively, through the primaries.
The brand is strong. He is the Terminator, an outsider who'll keep on coming until he has completed his mission: saving the human race from the Democrats. He has already, cynics say, wrapped up the Hispanic vote with his movie catchphrases "hasta la vista, baby" and "no problemo".
It is true that Schwarzenegger speaks English little better than his five words of Spanish, and that the longest word he knows is probably his own surname. If things go his way, he will be the first governor to need subtitles for his inaugural speech ("Ich bin ein Kaliforner"). Even Jesse "the Body" Ventura, WWF wrestler turned governor of Minnesota, can mangle a sentence or two.
rest is found at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists...997640,00.html