Wednesday, October 8, 2003
We Need Something
Well, Arnold is the Governor. Not a great moment for the state or the electorate, but the logic seems to be, this is the best of a boring ineffectual lot in a time of crisis. Arnold brings to the table the freshness of a non-politician - he seemed genuinely appreciative of the acceptance expressed in election to office.
Arnold takes pride in himself and will take pride in trying to do a good job. He can't run for President, so we are spared the training wheel politician readying himself for something bigger as he views each action in light of his later ambition. Then again, he will probably want to be reelected - if only to prove his election was not a fluke.
Early on, he will make some moves to dissociate himself from the boorish misogynist image - lots of women in his regime most likely.
He brought no ideas with him - so he has a free reign. He has no experience in government, so we only have to be vigilant about his payback to a handful of wealthy contributors. The buzz is that he is socially liberal and fiscally conservative. That sounds good - buzz usually does. If, like Bush, he can find a team that is suited to the task, he might be able to do something. Collyvornia (thanks Lileks) has some big time problems and we need something Arnold.