All of a sudden, everyone wants a shot at Schwarzenegger

August 19, 2005

A year ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger was allegedly a political powerhouse. The question was not whether he’d win re-election in 2006, but whether Congress would amend the Constitution to allow him to run for president. Dem opponents? There were plenty of ambitious Golden State Dems, but also plenty of hesitation in taking on the popular movie star.

Obviously, those days are almost comical in hindsight. In fact, there are two top-tier Dems vying for the chance to beat Schwarzenegger next year — and they may soon have some more company.

With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity plummeting, a growing number of Democrats are asking whether state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly should be the party’s only choices for governor.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has ruled out the possibility — “I am not running. Period,” he said — but former Rep. Leon Panetta kept the door open, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, “Talk to me in September.”

I was particularly intrigued, however, by the outside-the-box candidates.

Some in the state’s Democratic hierarchy have seriously suggested Robin Williams — “smart, hysterically funny and equally well known” — as a competitor to the governor, especially given the comedian’s involvement in social causes, said [Barbara O’Connor, professor of political communication at Cal State Sacramento].

Steve Jobs, co-founder and head of Apple Computers and Pixar studios and a major donor to the Democratic Party, is another person regularly mentioned as a possible candidate for governor, O’Connor and others say.

Wait, Robin Williams is considered a serious candidate? Could someone explain this to me? Jobs is a successful entrepreneur, so it’s not too big a stretch, but Mrs. Doubtfire?

Regardless, the list of would-be governors, at least as far as the rumor mill is concerned, is surprisingly long. Among those in the mix, including the aforementioned, are actor Warren Beatty, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Oakland Mayor (and former two-term governor) Jerry Brown, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Actor Rob Reiner, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and, believe it or not, former Gov. Gray Davis.

Gary Coleman, alas, is not generating any buzz.

No porn stars this time?

  • No porn stars this time?

    There’s still plenty of time for unpredictable candidates to throw their, uh, hat into the ring.

  • Hey, it’s California. Arnie is governator already. Ronnie was before. Bonos abound and Mrs. Doubtfire is just as qualified. Lets here it for the next Morkenator of CA.

  • I still think Ah-nuld doesn’t run for re-election.

    Think about it: there’s blood in the water with his sinking poll numbers, no “recall” sideshow to distract attention, and a huge desire on the part of the unions and other liberal groups to put his scalp up on the wall. All the ugly stuff that he was able to dance around in 2003–the gropings, the Nazi innuendo, the water-carrying for big business–will be center stage.

    Add in that his wife probably won’t be up for it and that he’s certainly got other things he can do with his time, and I doubt he seeks a second term.

  • jeffstoned,

    Should Arnie get his ass handed to him when the voters say “hell no” to his union-busting and pension-stealing proposals in November, then it is a lock that he says “no thanks” to a run for re-election.

    Worse, despite her apparently-strong Catholic beliefs, all the recent publicity about Arnie’s affairs and the extent of the complicity played by the National Enquirer, will finally be enough for Maria to say to him, “hasta la vista, baby” and file for divorce. THAT will truly sink his lying thug ways and spell his political doom, too!

  • California has two women Senators, and the woman who would be Speaker of the House. The run-off race for Mayor in San Diego has come down to the Surfer Girl, and the Ex-police Chief, and she is way ahead. Surprise, she really knows her stuff, people aren’t fooled a bit. That’s go for you too Arnold.

  • Some people talk about how the Presidency is a lousy job, which gets blamed for everything and subjects you to lots of personal attacks. But who in god’s name wants to be governor of California? Nothing against the place, but the governor job seems like nothing but a dunking booth where all the contestants get to stand two feet away, and if they miss, they get to reach over and hit the button by hand. I’m sure Gray Davis would agree.

    I almost wish it on Robin Williams, to make up for all the lousy movies he’s done in the past (though he’s slightly redeemed himself in recent years). Hell, they should just go ahead and make the election tied to the Razzie Awards, with the winner having to serve time as governor. Hollywood would clean up it’s act in no time.

  • Why wait for the next election to get rid of that horrible, horrible excuse for a governor?

    It would be extremely gratifying and instructive, as well as a demonstration of poetic justice, to recall him.

    I personally pledge to donate $100 to any such serious effort.

  • Me,

    despite my personal dislike of the recall mechanism, especially how it was abused to put Herr Gropinator in office, it truly would be poetic justice to oust him via recall. I could get behind that.

  • get feinstein out of senate–put her in gov. office. she is a distaster for dems in senate. bringing condi rice and being her sponsor. puke. husband is war profiteer–but she does try to help calif. just GET HER OUT OF THE SENATE/please.

  • arnie, is a twerp, he goes round raping women, claiming he is god’s gift to women, like the man, in that new film, about an austrialian who rapes back packers, then this pscioptha claims he is god’s gift to women in another way he is apparently the chmpion of women, what a big head, what a scumbag, i hate thi9s idea that jocks should rule americam, that all the thugs who were teh biggest bullies in school, like arnie, and teh baddy in back to teh future and mussolini should rule, i say if america supports liberty it shoyuld launch a revolution against these scum, but i susepct the americans like eunuchs will be arnie’s slaves and let him be ruler, and so desrve to be his eunuchs, and desrve to go down hill, well done chavez foer sdtanding yp to these fucking scum . imagine you on election night 20056 can say arnold you atre terminated, by the people of california, we are better than you, you scumbag bullty. you thuig, you demon, you nazi, we do not suppotrty your 4th reich millitiamen, killing mexicans, we do not support your thuggery we are not your eunuchs, we are not your girlie men, we th epeople of califiornia, are your terminatoprs, a true david and goliath story, a true braveheart story we will beat the opprewssor, we will bveatr the rich son of the waffen ss, the freind of 2 presidents the wife of a treasonous nazi, we will win, th epeople will win, like how stalin beat hitler like how lenin beat the tsar, the democrats will beat the naiszi republican party, and he will be crying like a girlyman he rips people’s heads off in movies, and su[ppiorts deaths squads on the border operawting against mexican “untermebnchen” that is the term, his nazi pals, in austria would use, and his waffen ss fanmily, he is a nazi, who says his ;political beliefs were created in wnaqzi time austria

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