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Oct 11, 2003 So now we have Arnold. I have heard from two friends that “California is Doomed” but I am hopeful. While I did not vote for him, I am hopeful that he will adhere to his “political outsider” position and not submit to the petty political in fighting that would further mire California in a hopelessly deadlocked in-action. California is in serious trouble and what is needed now is hard work and cooperation from all parties involved. I am hopeful that Governor Schwarzenegger will step into the State House in Sacramento, roll up his sleeves and say “Lets get to work”. I am also hopeful that, upon seeing this, the Democratically held house will mirror his gesture and together they will set about addressing the very serious issues facing the state. Of course, if you have read any of my previous columns, you would agree that I am subject to a certain naïve faith in humanity and the strength of altruistic motives to motivate people, especially politicians, to positive action. I am realistic enough to accept that my naïve faith may well be misplaced and wrong-headed. The biggest problems facing California right now will not be how to resolve the catastrophic budget deficit, or the re-energizing of the business climate here or even stopping the spiraling unemployment rate; no, the biggest threat to the recovery of California right now is the partisan politics and in fighting. It is incumbent upon Mr. Schwarzenegger to find a way to outflank these political machinations effectively. Such outflanking, however, will be extremely difficult given the timing of his election and the current make-up of the prevailing powers in Sacramento. The next year will see the escalation of the National Presidential elections. President Bush’s popularity has waned over the past few months and the public’s focus has shifted away from the War on Terror and Iraq, to the continuing problems with the sluggish economy, rising unemployment and the continued tentative state of America’s standing in the eyes of the world. This trend of sliding popularity will continue until the economy takes some very serious turns for the better. Until then, right or wrong, Mr. Bush will be held responsible for the health of our nation’s economy. Add to this the continued price of maintaining our presence in Iraq, coincident with the crumbling infrastructure here at home and the president will be facing a very difficult road to re- election. Should the Democrats emerge with a viable candidate to oppose Mr. Bush, the political pressure upon the president will be increased exponentially. That is when California becomes very important. In most of the presidential elections in recent history, the election itself was often fairly well decided by the time that California’s returns were added to the over all count. Quite often, Californians are subjected to National News commentators telling them that one candidate or another has won, even before the polls close in California. It has been debated often that such announcements do effect the willingness and incentive of any voters remaining in California. A sizable minority of those remaining voters often decides to forego voting all together. Such will not be the case in the upcoming presidential election. Governor Schwarzenegger is a Republican, though some would claim nominally. None the less, he will become a key figure in President Bush’s re- election bid. Bush will need to carry California in order to secure a victory in a close presidential race. A Republican Governor in California is a powerful ally to an incumbent Republican President and you can be assured that the President’s re-election committee is already devising ways of using that advantage as much as possible. Add to this that Schwarzenegger cannot run for president himself so he would not pose a threat to Bush and you have a situation ripe for political maneuvering. The Democrats, on the other hand, still primarily control the California Legislature. There will be immense pressure upon these Democrats to work against their new Republican Governor so as to undermine his effectiveness and overall influence in the national political scene. In a very short period of time, Governor Schwarzenegger is going to find himself deeply enmeshed in an extremely difficult situation at home, right smack dab in the middle of some furious political pressure in the national arena. The biggest knock against Mr. Schwarzenegger has always been his political inexperience. He will need to gain a great deal of political experience and acumen very rapidly, otherwise he will be faced with a hopelessly confusing and impotent tenure. The coming year will be the greatest challenge of his life with each and every breath he takes scrutinized and examined in the unending glare of national media coverage and political intrigue. In the face of such pressure, maybe Mr. Schwarzenegger’s strongest weapon may just be something called naïve faith in the basic altruism of humanity. Such a weapon would be so foreign to the deeply enmeshed politicos that he will be dealing with that it may just turn out to be powerful enough to sustain him. In any case, he will need all the help he can get to face what is awaiting him. ------------ Email Scott Jones: rosenquill@rocketmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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