Watching the conduct of Governor Schwarzenegger with respect toCalifornia's economy, one often feels a painful desire to slap the formerCyborg across the face and snap, "Don't just do something, stand there!"
Unfortunately,the worst part is that if the governor obeyed such aninjunction, it would arguably do more for California's economy than all thehysterics that Schwarzenegger and his cabinet are engaging inover the current problems.
Schwarzenegger would do well to remember the wordsof another former actor who once informed the American people that the mostterrifying words in the English language were, "I'm from the government, and I'mhere to help."
And there is little doubt about it – Schwarzenegger is not helping.From his absurd puppytax to his unconvincingshow of concern for California's unemployed, to his attemptsat decisiveness, the Terminator is only terminating his party's chances forreelection in 2010. Granted, much of this is not directly Schwarzenegger'sfault – the Legislature, for one, is apparently far too busy with internecinesquabbles to actually do anything, and Schwarzenegger's party, sadly, is notdoing anything to help. California's Republicans are busily auctioning offtheir mantle as "fiscal conservatives" to the highest bidder, a fact made allthe more tragically hilarious when one considers that it was California's Democrats who had to propose a spending cut, while the Republicans were busilyextolling the virtues of old-style Keynesian stimulus packages. Granted, the$8.2 billion proposed by the Democrats is hardly cause for celebration,but at least they were willing to trim something.
But sheer indignation will not solvethis problem. One has to ask what brought California's government to the pointwhere legislators feel comfortable
takingvacations in the middle of a crisis and where it's news that a Republicanlegislator holds the line on taxes. The answer is a tricky one to extract,but Schwarzenegger's style of governance may provide a clue.
It has become a trope of contemporarypolitical discourse to refer to moderate Republicans who favor appeasement ofDemocrats as "Schwarzenegger Republicans." Considering Schwarzenegger's careeras a tough-talking action star, the fact that his name is now being invoked asa nickname for the gutless is especially ironic, and even more so when oneconsiders the legacy that Schwarzenegger will leave behind. When he took overthe spot from then-Governor Gray Davis, Schwarzenegger had the most powerful mandatefor reform a politician could have – he had been elected solely because theprevious ruler had been unceremoniously dumped on the proverbial pavement.
Hesquandered this mandate almost completely. Having made a few timid steps towardreform such as repealing vehicle licensing fees, Schwarzenegger promptly foundhimself blocked by unions when he had the gall to begin moving towardsubstantive economic change, and rather than behave like the Governator of legend,Schwarzenegger caved in. Ironic that a man known for his knowledge of politicalhistory would ignore the lessons of Margaret Thatcher's exemplary culling ofunion fanaticism, but perhaps Schwarzenegger lacked the requisite woman'stouch. "Girly man," indeed!
After calling an utterlypointless special election that did nothing other than repudiate socialconservatives throughout California and make Schwarzenegger look like a resource-wastingglutton, the governor made the crowning mistake of his political career: He nominateda Democrat to the job of Chief of Staff. Thus began a long, painful process ofsurrender to California's special interests which, while it gave Phil Angelidesa hard time going further to the left, served as a complete cop-out for thoseCalifornia residents looking for actual leadership. Despite the deceptiveperfume of "bipartisanship" surrounding this behavior, all it has done is makethe Democratic opposition so lazy that they feel quite comfortable skippingtown, and has made Republicans feel absolutely no pressure to live up to therhetoric they love to use in election campaigns.
After all, the governor doesn'tdo it. Why should they?
Ultimately, Schwarzenegger has fallenvictim to a much more deadly Predator than any he ever faced on screen – the predatorof paralyzing "consensus" and lack of conviction. It falls to his successor tofix these mistakes, but perhaps this will be easier than it looks. I hear "TerminatorIV" is slated to make a killing at the box office – maybe that money can reviveCalifornia's economy.
Too bad we now know the star is only acting.
